If You Don't Vaccinate Your Child, I Don't Give A Shit. And You Shouldn't Either

There's a lot being said in the media right now or there was regarding vaccinating our children against deadly diseases. Since there was an outbreak of measles in California, specifically Disneyland, there are a reported 131 confirmed cases of measles in the state. I've read both sides of the argument (vaccinating/not vaccinating) and I'll clearly share my position over the course of the post. Actually, I'll share it right now. I think parents have the right to choose whether or not to vaccinate their child. Why? Because it's their child. Not mine. Not yours. Not America's. But Great One, what about the spread of diseases and the possibility of death? We're going down a slippery slope.

I failed one class in all of my life. Just one. Philosophy, in my second semester of my freshman year. It was a MWF class at 2:30. Attendance was not required. Guess how many Friday classes I attended? I think the answer is less than zero. What does this have to do with vaccinations you may be asking yourself? I learned about the slippery slope fallacy in that class. Probably the only thing I learned from that dickhead Dr. Hutchens. What an asshole he was. But I digress. A slippery slope is simply defined as when a person asserts that some event must inevitably follow from another without any rational argument or demonstrable mechanism for the inevitability of the event in question.

America forcing our children or all people to be vaccinated is a slippery slope. Yeah I'm sure these vaccinations have prevented numerous outbreaks of deadly diseases. And I'm sure it's probably the right thing to do. But I can't ever imagine forcing someone to get a vaccination is the right way to go about things. And I'm not sure banning anti-vaxxers from attending public school is a good option either. "How stupid can you be? This could be a matter of life and death. I don't want my son/daughter to potentially be exposed to these diseases." That was me making up a quote from what I'd consider a concerned parent. If we're all forced to be vaccinated, then what will we all be forced to do next? Getting microchips implanted? Watch the entire State of the Union address? Eat vegetables for dinner? When does the madness end??

If you're a such a great parent and are worried about your child, then get them vaccinated. If little Timmy is vaccinated against measles or polio or rubella, it shouldn't matter if little Johnny isn't. If or when little Johnny dies, then the parents will have to live with that decision for the rest of their lives, all while your kid is in the clear. I've seen comparisons and comics ridiculing those who are anti-vax. Claiming that these are the same parents that would make a fuss if their child is severely allergic to peanuts and another student brings them in for lunch because they should be considerate of their child's condition. Just like they should be considerate of other children by ensuring their kid is all up to date with his vaxx. I don't see how they correlate. There is no vaccination for a peanut allergy, at least as far as I'm concerned. We should be concerned for kids regardless of the issue.

I thought we were a nation clamoring for acceptance. We're pushing diligently for equal rights for gays, but want to punish people who don't vaccinate their child. It's their fucking child! Who are you to judge them for it? This also reminds me of a story I saw recently regarding Steve Jobs. If you live under a rock, Jobs was the head honcho of Apple. Created the iPhone you use to Facetime with your S/O. The iPad you don't use because laptops are superior. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in its early stages. The doctors recommended he get surgery and do chemo as it provided him the best chance to survive. Jobs decided to go the alternative route. He used some herbs, drank some tea, ate fruit and shit. And as we all know, Jobs is dead. Heroes of the internet have the audacity to call him a moron! A moron! The man who was more successful and accomplished than any one of them will ever be. And it's because he didn't get surgery and do chemo. 

I didn't know that treating cancer with chemo was the only tried and true method. As far as I know, people still die. "But why wouldn't you try the most effective method to treat it? Why risk it for an alternative that has NEVER showed any positive results on a consistent basis?" That's another made up quote. My response? Who gives a fuck? It's his life and it was his decision. There's no guarantee he would have survived either way. But my point is, it was his decision and his alone. I'm not going to fault the guy, I'm not going to criticize him. He tried something and failed. Life goes on. I think it's a mistake to ridicule those for not following the sheep.

My whole point whether you think people are dumb or not for choosing not to vaccinate their child, that decision is entirely theirs to make. Being vaccinated might save their life or maybe it might give them autism, at least according to Jenny McCarthy. I think our acceptance of people and their decisions has changed since I was a kid. Everybody has to act a certain way. Look a certain way. Get vaccinations like everyone else. Nobody wants to be an individual anymore. Nobody wants to march to the beat of their own drum. Instead they are coerced to get vaccinations by the media for made up diseases like H1N1. Remember that bullshit for like 2 weeks? If you want to get your kid vaccinated, go for it. If you don't, don't. But don't force my hand either way. I'll just end up saying I am better than you.