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I thought all anti-vaxxers were idiots. Then I married one

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21–30 of 111 posts

Re: I thought all anti-vaxxers were idiots. Then I married one

#21

Post by jacquesm »

The CIA did more for the anti-vaccination movement than any kind of scientific publication ever will. People that are afraid of vaccination are so for many reasons (some of them totally nonsense, others with some basis in fact). But to have actual proof that a three letter agency used a (fake) vaccination drive to gather DNA from large numbers of innocents in order to get at a fugitive was something we could have really done without.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/11/cia-fake-vaccin...

Re: I thought all anti-vaxxers were idiots. Then I married one

#22

Post by sputr »

Damn, this is something I've been saying for a while (and also written a more succinct blog about[1]). The anti-vaxxer parents are victims of fraudsters who do this for monetary gain. It's the same story as with all pseudoscience.

Attacking parents will not stop it. Education and holding fraudsters responsible will. But education has to be, marketing wise, on the same level as what fraudsters are pumping out. Currently it really isn't (save for a few exceptions).

[1] http://thescepticalpirate.eu/vaccinations-dont-blame-parents...

Re: I thought all anti-vaxxers were idiots. Then I married one

#23

Post by donkeyd »

plg wrote: post #13

How come there aren't any "anti-civil engineers" who go around claiming bridges aren't safe or "anti-aeronautical-engineers" who "believe" through common sense that planes can't fly? Electricity is reading our brainwaves. Vacuum cleaners suck out our souls. If there are they are rightly recognized as crackpots in need of psychiatric help.

There's a 'flat-earthers' movement apparently. Compared to them, anti-vaxxers seem like sensible people.

Re: I thought all anti-vaxxers were idiots. Then I married one

#24

Post by chillingeffect »

drglitch wrote: post #14

The author tries to make some fair points based on anecdotal evidence, but at its core, the article simply states that "I had a strong opinion about X that i imposed upon others. After being influenced by a romantic interest, I biased in another direction. Now I have a (new) strong opinion that i wish to impose upon others.". In other words, the fundamental act is still same, it is just opinion that has changed.

This is a deep observation and it's how a lot of Art works: it's not the immediate object/product/action that makes sense. It's when you put it into a context to generate meaning.

To persevarate: I'm sure if the author ever breaks up, he'll cop to being led around by his hormones. In the meantime, his unaware writing is a bold sample of the process of mental rationalization.

And in that way, the artist is often in a bind: to intentionally produce a work that reveals an unconscious incorrectness, in order that other can properly contextualize it. The artist must be wrong in order to be right, to ruin their reputation to grow one.

Re: I thought all anti-vaxxers were idiots. Then I married one

#25

Post by FastComputer »

There are many developmental problems that have been correlated and in some cases proven to be caused by the obesity of the mother and the child.

Yet there's no credible anti-obesity movement. In fact, many of the same parents who worry about obesity worry about making children self-conscious about "body image" and tolerate obesity--even though 400 people die every year from Anorexia compared to 300,000 yearly deaths from Obesity.

Why it's acceptable to worry about risks from vaccines but it's off limits to discuss a mother's or child's weight problem is a big, dangerous, mystery facing society today--especially because 2/3rds of Americans are overweight or obese.

Re: I thought all anti-vaxxers were idiots. Then I married one

#28

Post by DanBC »

krcz wrote: post #26

If someone has an irrational fear that can pose harm to their child (or other children), the person should do something about it. Never letting a child to play with others, based on the fear that something might happen to in wouldn't be right, would it?

Sure. Yelling at people doesn't seem to help them with their irrational fear, and may well make it worse.

Re: I thought all anti-vaxxers were idiots. Then I married one

#29

Post by chillingeffect »

plg wrote: post #13

How come there aren't any "anti-civil engineers" who go around claiming bridges aren't safe or "anti-aeronautical-engineers" who "believe" through common sense that planes can't fly? Electricity is reading our brainwaves. Vacuum cleaners suck out our souls. If there are they are rightly recognized as crackpots in need of psychiatric help.

The difference and paranoia arise from the intangibility of microbes and electricity/software. The closest you'll find are the "jet fuel can't melt steel beams" people who exercise doubt in the face of the strength of structures.

Re: I thought all anti-vaxxers were idiots. Then I married one

#30

Post by bluedino »

I almost married an anti-vaxxer. And then I realized there are another couple million people in this country I could marry and not have to fight over that stuff about the rest of my life.

It wasn't just vaccines she was worried about. She was also vegan. Only ate organic. I'm fine if those are your choices but I don't want them forced upon me, or a lecture when I eat a hotdog, take an aspirin, or drink milk.

Constant fear of everything in the environment requires psychological help.

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