This year’s elections, peaceful and orderly as they were, gave Colorado two congresswomen from America’s opposing political extremes. What they profess to stand for, what their past shows and their heritage distinguish them. I am talking about Dr. Yadira Caraveo who will represent the newly created 8th Congressional District, and Lauren Boebert — whose squeaker of a victory returns her to represent the 3rd District. No two persons can be as different as these two women — in their behavior, public speeches and goals as legislators.

My point today is mainly to highlight how exceptional the election of Caraveo is, and — given her tantrums and performative politics that put the theater of the absurd to shame — how weird it is Boebert can exist in the same realm. By a count of 500 votes, a majority of her district, it seems to me, elected her to the service of one: herself.

Caraveo’s past is one of service to the people of Colorado, both as a physician and member of the Colorado House since 2019. If the past is the best predictor of the future, I expect her to be a productive member of the Colorado delegation. Already as a pediatrician she was a role model, and an example of what is possible for a young, ambitious but disadvantaged boy or girl who is willing to work hard and has their elders’ counsel and support. Her biography justifies her occupying a seat in the U.S. Congress. Little else needs to be said about Boebert. I see Caraveo with the eyes of a physician scientist — which she too is — a Latina who will join a body with a few physician-politicians; they are all Republican white men, whose unscientific behavior makes one think that upon election they decided to forget all about science, health care and the welfare of the American people. Little in their legislative actions stands out to proclaim their scientific backgrounds. My two examples are: The orthopod, Senator Dr. John Barrasso of Wyoming, opposed passage of the Affordable Care Act, like all other Republicans. So did Orthopod Congressman Dr. Tom Price of Georgia who would later be forced to resign as head of HHS for insider trading. He too demonstrated near total blindness to Americans’ well-being. The few doctors who’ve served in Congress seem to abandon their Hippocratic oath as soon as they clamber aboard Enterprise Boat Congress.

Caraveo’s character seems cut from a different cloth: one of caring, charity and doing what is best for her constituents. I see her playing an important role in shaping scientific policies as well as the way health care is managed, emphasizing wellness above disease. For too long American medicine has been geared towards the hospitalized patient even though we now know that it’s better to anticipate and institute what will keep us healthy, free of disease.

The fate of our earth is in the hands of science. Our vision must encompass America and the world, in an arena where the politician scientist is called upon to act. It is with this in mind that I wish more scientists would run for office, and we had more scientist congressmen than lawyers and gun-toting foul mouths. We need more Caraveos and fewer Boeberts. It is a challenge, convincing the majority of us that we need more scientifically aware politicians. It is however essential, as the West dries up more each year and the Southeast witnesses rising seas with Arctic and Antarctica ice melting, that we engage in remedial climate actions.

Knowledge of how to survive in a changing clime is necessary which is where science and scientist politicians come in. Additionally we should all seek to join one of the many citizen scientists groups that abound around us which is a simple way of infusing scientific thought into our lives and understanding that it’s not advanced degrees that one needs but reason and logic and knowledge of the scientific method. Many are the earth’s problems that call for scientific solutions making scientific understanding necessary as decisions are made.

I view Caraveo’s election as a good omen for America’s future. Her youth, her gender and profession clearly indicate that, in the hands of youth and women scientists, the future may be a better place than the past. In short, we can say: Make America Greater Tomorrow.