We fought hard in this nation, trying our scientific and medical best to eradicate childhood diseases. Back in the day, when a child’s life, (not just a fetus), actually mattered, and especially the quality of that life, our government took action and we developed vaccines. It was important for this nation to give its children a boost, a fighting chance to grow older. ( I remember the years when I was in elementary school when the polio vaccine was tested, having shot days and that icky smell of alcohol and screaming kids voices coming from the gymnasium.) What mattered was common sense and even in the very black an white segregated days of the 1950’s at least some semblance of community. We tackled most childhood ailments and generations of American youth knew at least they would get a terrible debilitating illness.
Then somebody told somebody, someone wanted 15 minutes of fame, the Internet became a medical school, religious doctrine became confused with science, and science suddenly was just a choice in life, take it or leave it. Lo and Behold we saw a rise in measles. Parents thinking their only concerns, stemming from unscientific entertainers and wanna be scientists, were for THEIR children, told the rest of too bad, its about me and my family; and smugly kept their kids from receiving certain if not all vaccinations. Talking heads, emerged with books, with lecture series, providing dubious materials insisting that the government was poisoning our kids with magic potions. We had to fight a battle that was once won, and to this day is still not over. Knowledge was replaced with emotion. Emotion disagreed with scientific facts. Facts were useless, considered opinions. Opinions became knowledge. Then, too late for some very young lives, non vaccinated kids got very ill and some died. Parents were horrified, but it was too late for them to change the past.
Donald Trump has lied, he has blamed, he has not paid taxes, he has sent jobs to China and has many of his products made overseas. Donald Trump has conned the middle class laborer, has called various ethnicities racist names, has dealt with Iran, Cuba and Russia. We thought when we elected Barack Obama, some of the stupid and ineptness of the Bush/Cheney presidency was over. We knew the first black man elected president would have a difficult time, and the majority of Republicans in the Congress have proven that correct. We, as a nation were once again going to rid this nation of a disease. But the Internet, conspiracy theories, FOX News and Limbaugh radio, just like the parents of non-vaccinated kids, have some kind of magical evidence, proving Trump to be a Christian, a Patriot, A Successful Businessman. When the parents of non-vaccinated kids reeled in remorse wishing they had paid better attention to the real facts, they beat their chest in despair. Imagine what might come of this nation when this next outbreak of a life threatening disease takes foot hold!
