We the People’s Forum: After COVID, Can We Have Accountability Without Retribution?

Francis Collins went viral recently.

The former director of the National Institutes of Health, he admitted at the 2023 Braver Angels Convention that public health leaders made mistakes when developing COVID policies, while still defending their overall response. When these videos recently surfaced on Twitter, his acknowledgment of mistakes got the public’s attention.

But do such admissions amount to anything?

Many critics of how public health leaders handled COVID are skeptical. “Too little, too late,” some said on Twitter. Some believe that leaders like Anthony Fauci and Collins should be in prison.

However, other critics of how public health leaders handled COVID believe that a promising path to accountability is developing. Some are even intrigued by the idea of a COVID Truth and Reconciliation process.

In this We The People’s Forum, we want to hear from our fellow Americans on the issue, and wrestle with the argument.

Our first speakers are all everyday Americans who have been critical of how public health leaders handled COVID, but have different perspectives on what should be done about it. During the open audience time, we invite our fellow Americans on all sides of the issue to weigh in.

** This event is open to the media upon approval. Media contact: Ciaran O’Connor, ciaran@braverangels.org