First climate change, now vaccine – what established science will the GOP reject next?
Both Chris Christie and Rand Paul have come down on the side of the lunatics by questioning the science behind vaccinations. What could possibly be the next so-called established scientific fact to be debunked by conservative conventional wisdom?
How do fish breath? Does anyone really know? Is the moon really 238,900 miles away, or could we build a tall ladder and catch it in a net? People deserve to have some choice on these issues. This is America after all.
If Wyle E Coyote can defy gravity by not looking down, why should anyone look down? Does looking down trigger the effects of gravity? We simply don’t know, so the prudent thing to do is to teach the controversy. Anything else would be discrimination against parents who have made the anti-gravity choice for their children.
apparently Eric Erickson is taking the high road and blaming the media for trying paint the gop as anti science. Could you even imagine in 2015 politicians are so desperate for votes the anti vaccination crowd are the people they are pandering too and AFRAID of losing.
Yes, vaccines work well. Yes, some diseases should require mandatory vaccination.
However, there must be exemptions for immuno-compromised individuals. And not every disease rises to the level of a public threat requiring a mandate.
So, NO, there should be no blanket authority given to government. EVER.
Precisely what was REALLY asked and answered.
However, there must be exemptions for immuno-compromised individuals.
Did somebody propose that there shouldn’t be exemptions for immuno comromised individuals? Or are you just throwing poo to see if you can make it stick?
NO, there should be no blanket authority given to government. EVER
If you mean that government shouldn’t have authority to strap you down and inject you with vaccines, you are correct. But government can and should apply sanctions to people who are eligible but refuse to be vaccinated or have their children vaccinated. And yes, some vaccines should be optional based on public health priorities.
From the talking head responses in the media, it is clear not many understand that some people CANNOT be vaccinated and MUST take their chances under the herd immunity.
The “exemptions” were handed out like Pez candy in California, and a perfect set of bad circumstances exposed the bad policies there.
“But government can and should apply sanctions to people who are eligible but refuse to be vaccinated or have their children vaccinated.”
YES. Especially when most of the underlying reasons for refusal never held water in the first place.
And not every disease rises to the level of a public threat requiring a mandate.
More right-wing distraction. Nobody is proposing that any vaccine the drugcos can invent should be made mandatory.
Of course there are exemptions for immuno compromised. That has never been an issue, so let’s not pretend it was.
As far as what was said… Rand Paul is completely nuts and went full out Michele Bachmann. Christie tried to waffle and then tried to walk it back – why do people consider this guy politically savvy? And President Obama did not call for mandated vaccinations. He said should. But there’s no doubt that Rand and Christie ran their yaps because Obama came out for vaccines – and we can’t have Republicans agreeing with Obama.
The real problem is that this topic is in danger of becoming political. Take a look at this poll.
“Republicans and independents are more likely than Democrats to advocate against required vaccinations.
Thirty-four percent of Republicans and 33 percent of independents told pollsters that parents should be able to decide about vaccinations, versus just 22 percent of Democrats who said the same.
And, within the past five years or so, Republicans have become LESS likely to say vaccinations should be required, while Democrats are now MORE likely to advocate for the mandatory shots.
In 2009, 71 percent of both Democrats and Republicans said vaccinations should be required. By last August, that number decreased to 65 percent for Republicans, but it’s increased to 76 percent for Democrats.
The scientific community falls squarely against the “choice” crowd. Pew’s recent survey of scientists connected with the American Association for the Advancement of Science found that 86 percent advocated for required vaccinations.”
The only number that carries any weight in this survey is the 86% of scientists connected with the American Association for the Advancement of Science who advocate for required vaccinations, because they are the only ones who know what they are talking about.
On the disease side—HPV, chickenpox, and Lyme vaccines—all good examples of not worthy of a public health mandate. Worth the individual consideration of benefits and risks, but not government intervention at this time.
Sorry, Pandora, I’ve been vaccinated against liberal spin of three-card media monte.
Don’t care. Stick that needle up someone else’s bum.
Science is not liberal. And everyone should be concerned if vaccines go the path of climate change.
Timeframes and action sensitivity are drastically different. Poor liberal math at work, once again.
Timeframes and action sensitivity are drastically different.
Are you still pretending there is some proposal out there to make every vaccine mandatory? You are having a debate with yourself.
Let’s keep in mind that this is fundraising season for Republicans. There is no limit to the fantastic scenarios Republicans will invent so they can raise money with attack appeals. And there is no limit to the mean and ignorant yokels who fall for it.
“Are you still pretending there is some proposal out there to make every vaccine mandatory?”
Nope. Just adopting a classic American approach….asserting the rights of the individual and being cautious to delineate what government is NOT allowed to do.
You should try it sometime. It founded a country once.
oooohhhhh you mean like the right for people to choose who they marry, to choose whether or not to have children right? yeah, i totally support that.
Eggy, you can make up whatever tin-foil-hat conspiracy gets ya through the day. I hope you vaccinate your kids AT LEAST for MMR…. and if you dont, kindly stay far far away from me. In other news, the CDC also recommends you dont eat human feces. Care to stand up for your rights on that one?
“You should try it sometime. It founded a country once.”
You should try reading history sometime, so you can be disabused of such nonsense. There’s a reason the Bill of Rights is a list of amendments.
Full compliance on vaccinations here. Just wary of dickless liberals moving the boundaries at whim.
“There’s a reason the Bill of Rights is a list of amendments.”
And quite a nice list it is. Needs some tweaking to protect us from the current (and future) Asshole in Charge.
look kid, when you get out of high school, and learn to communicate in ways that dont involve the phrase “dickless” (btw, slightly more than 50% of the earth’s population is dickless, and I’m willing to bet MOST of those people have more intestinal fortitude than you) try news sources other than Info Wars. AleX Jones makes a million dollars every time you say “_______ liberals”
No, it just needs enforcing. But don’t kid yourself about it founding a country. Eleven states ratified before the Bill of Rights was added.
vaccinations are now a wedge issue. unfuckinbelievable
egg yolk must have missed that superbowl commercial about throwing, running and fighting like a girl
Exactly, donviti. This is extremely dangerous… and stupid.
I have to believe…. for my own personal mental well-being… that most people wont jump on this crazy train. Yes, it’s easy to rally Repubs with racist dog whistles, xenophobic dog whistles, homophobic….. you name it. They can even make people vote for them over fears of the Gumment taking their guns…. but this. “dont go to the doctor, he just wants your money” is so frightening, that if it works, i think I’d need to leave the county
And donviti goes straight for the misogyny bag.
Still angry at the first wife, eh?
“Eleven states ratified before the Bill of Rights was added.”
And Dullowhere being FIRST!
It’s good to be first, right?
Or better to be right, first?
A little help???!!!!
oops. looks like Palin’s prompter broke again.
The singing lumberjack from Monty Python? Funny guy, but what’s the connection?
We were first because we were closest to Philly, and because the Constitution is an incredibly good deal for small-population states.
i believe the guy that called people dickless went their first, facts aren’t your thing. I get it. too bad there’s no vaccine for that
You might want to review the definitions of dickless and misogyny. Maybe you see overlap; I do not.
Please don’t conflate what is going on in the Republican Party with any rational, reasoned, science based discussion regarding vaccination.
Its the new hysteria. By the time the travelling clown show known as the GOP Presidential Primary gets moving, Measles will be renamed Freedom Pox (TM) and the Tea Party will claim it as a right of passage to contract the Disease in the name of the Constitution, federalism, freedom, and democracy.
Freedom Pox! So that’s why the blisters are red!
The vaccine thing has always been a thing. It’s not really new. It’s just popped up again. It’s always been associated with immigrants and the poor. It’s not a stretch for the GOP to take this one into their tent.
I wouldn’t expect the guy to using dickless as a way to describe liberals be able to see his own misogynistic name calling.
Spoken like a self-loathing Navy man!
Freedom Pox is pure genius.
Freedom Pox lol. Nah ha
SussexAnon wins the internet! Brilliant!
Delaware was afraid if they didn’t go first, the other states wouldn’t let em in lol
I don’t know many, including Rand Paul, in the GOP who don’t agree with vaccination. This is a red herring designed to make them look crazy. He even said in the original video that he agrees with it but it should still ultimately be up to a parent.
As a Party you guys should get your shit together when it comes to parental choice in issues like this and education. Parenting is a widespread and accepted form of crazy. If they’ll rip each other apart for an Xbox on Black Friday, don’t think they won’t pull the other ticket because you take aware their say in education and their child’s health.
As a Party you guys should get your shit together when it comes to parental choice in issues like this and education.
There is nearly infinite choice among private schools. But when you spend the public dollar, you get a public policy debate.
Anyway, how many private schools allow unvaccinated children?
puck-in Delaware there is no exception or distinction. Home schoolers—no answer for you.
Like I said, the BIGGEST impediment is the follow thru. Parents are notified, you have x number of days to comply…….but the child is still permitted to attend. And remember, some vaccinations are dosed at intervals, so there has to be an automatic wait between doses, etc.., while they receive a series of a particular type if needed.
“However, there must be exemptions for immuno-compromised individuals.”
Vaccines are not administered to persons for whom they are contra-indicated. That goes without saying. One of the POINTS of immunization is to protect those people who cannot be vaccinated due to immune disorders or allergy issues.
To propose that ANYONE has suggested persons be administered vaccines which are medically contra-indicated for them is simpleminded foolishness. Nobody has suggested any such thing.
But “I don’t trust the government, and Big Pharma is evil” are not medical contra-indications against being vaccinated.
Trying to make mainstream Republicans look like they are anti science kooks that don’t believe in vaccinations is a lame attempt at some sort of political maneuvering.
Everyone knows that it is the liberal hippie naturalist types that go for that sort of thing. Yeah, maybe there are a few right wing survivalist types who are overly paranoid about the government out there, but for the most part I would wager that your average Republican is just as likely to keep up with vaccinations as much as or more than the average Democrat.
If that is true, then explain why certain Republican politicians couldn’t say everyone should vaccinate their children? Why did they cater to this group by blurring the lines about vaccines and their benefits? They obviously saw this as some sort of advantage.
My guess is they did this because they’ll simply disagree with Obama on everything. Oh, they’re trying to walk the stupid back now, but why did they go there in the first place? If the anti-vax message doesn’t appeal to their base (and I think it does because Obama favors vaccines, and that is enough) then why even comment?
This is a problem of the GOP’s own making. Stop trying to blame others for their stupidity. They own this. The rest of us didn’t make them spew this nonsense – we’re just pointing and laughing.
Nobody needs to “try” to make mainstream Republicans (anti-vaccine, anti-birth control, anti-stem-cell research, anti-geology and pro-creationism) look like they are anti science.
“Trying to make mainstream Republicans look like they are anti science kooks that don’t believe in vaccinations is a lame attempt at some sort of political maneuvering.”
I suppose, but since that conjectured maneuvering uses the Republicans own statements, are you suggesting that the Republicans attempts to seek favor with certain demographics shouldn’t be held against them or that political pandering shouldn’t be confused with their real beliefs?
Really, it’s the first time I’ve heard anyone describe Donald Trump as a “liberal hippie naturalist type.”
Just a bit of unsolicited advice, take it or leave it.
This topic is beat to death and the comments have been incredibly boring. There are even two fucking threads here covering the same shit!
Vaccines work. There is no evidence vaccines cause autism. There’s no evidence of government conspiracy. If you don’t vaccinate your kids you’re fucking it up for the rest of us. There aren’t two equal sides to this discussion. There are two sides. Reasonable people and fucking empty-headed confused people. That’s it.
I eagerly anticipate the arrival of Smallpox and the Bubonic Plague sometime in 2019. It’s the new Middle Ages!
There aren’t two equal sides to this discussion. There are two sides. Reasonable people and fucking empty-headed confused people. That’s it.
And yet the media is covering the “vaccination debate.” Classic example of the crazy-to-news cycle.