Dr. Robert Karl
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Dr. Robert Karl
@drkarlauthor.com
9.8K followers 7K following 6.2K posts
MAJ (Ret.) Robert Karl, DO, MPH, MBA. Author / Illustrator / Physician / Lover of Curiosity, Science and Democracy.
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February 7, 2026 at 3:36 PM
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February 7, 2026 at 3:02 PM
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February 7, 2026 at 6:05 AM
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February 7, 2026 at 5:32 AM
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February 6, 2026 at 11:15 PM
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February 6, 2026 at 11:14 PM
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February 6, 2026 at 11:11 PM
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February 6, 2026 at 11:10 PM
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February 6, 2026 at 11:09 PM
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February 6, 2026 at 10:18 PM
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February 6, 2026 at 10:16 PM
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February 6, 2026 at 10:15 PM
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February 6, 2026 at 10:10 PM
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February 6, 2026 at 10:09 PM
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February 6, 2026 at 10:08 PM
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February 6, 2026 at 10:04 PM
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February 6, 2026 at 10:02 PM
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February 6, 2026 at 10:02 PM
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Have We No Decency? In 1954, Senator Joseph McCarthy sat across a hearing room from Joseph Welch, a young but sharp-witted special counsel for the U.S. Army. McCarthy had spent years making wild accusations about communist influence in American society, targeting an ever-expanding range of people and institutions. What became known as McCarthyism, or the Second Red Scare, ruined countless lives through a witch hunt largely designed to consolidate McCarthy’s power. Before the televised hearing, McCarthy accused members of the U.S. State Department and military of being secret Communists. After berating a highly decorated general, he turned his bullying toward an associate of Welch’s law firm. Welch responded with words that would define the moment: “Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?” That rebuke proved fatal to McCarthy’s career. It marked the high-water mark of the Second Red Scare and the rapid collapse of his power and popularity. McCarthy would die just three years later at forty-eight from complications related to alcoholism. By modern standards, Welch’s remark seems gentle. Yet for Americans watching at home, it was a turning point. Perhaps they were exhausted by McCarthy’s tactics. Perhaps he had accused so many “enemies” that everyone felt targeted. Or perhaps—and most troubling—the norms of decency then were so different from those we tolerate today that we no longer recognize how deeply such words can cut. In an era defined by blatant indecency, we may have grown numb. If nothing is offensive, everything becomes acceptable. How do we find our own high-water mark? How do we recognize the real enemy? One answer is to name these offenses plainly: abnormal, indecent, unacceptable. Perhaps, if enough of us relearn how to gauge cruelty and recklessness, we can still stop what follows. drkarlauthor.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:58 PM
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Spotted on the DC Metro…
Seat reserved on the Washington, DC Metro for Rosa Parks Day, February 4th.
February 4, 2026 at 9:12 PM
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February 1, 2026 at 8:51 PM
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February 1, 2026 at 8:48 PM
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February 1, 2026 at 8:48 PM
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January 30, 2026 at 11:28 PM
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January 30, 2026 at 4:28 PM