No, We Most Definitely are NOT

 

Senator-elect Jim Banks on RFK Jr: "This country is ready for a big debate about vaccines." pic.twitter.com/UAxv6pMmvf

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 13, 2024

This country is not ready for a debate on vaccines. Vaccines are not a debate topic. This is like debating whether the earth is round. They aren't political. They aren't something any jackaloon with a big old opinion should have a dopey say-so about. They are being made political by chiclet-heads.

Wait. I take that back. That's needlessly insulting to gum. 

RFK. Jr. is working with a lawyer who petitioned to "revoke approval of the polio vaccine."

The polio vaccine. When I was growing up, if there was a medical Mount Rushmore, Jonas Salk would've been on it. It's safe. It virtually eradicated a genuinely terrifying disease. 

The people who are going to be both-sidesing vaccines will be only moderately knowledgeable about the concepts involved and many are susceptible to disinformation and can be manipulated by irrational social engineering campaigns. ("Vaccines might be DANGEROUS! You could be HARMING YOUR CHILD! You are a bad parent if you don't DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH!" etc.) 

I'm not saying Americans are dumb. I said that part last month after the election. What I am saying is the majority of us aren't scientists. And I get that most people are generally competent, but we rep ourselves for like, a parking ticket, or small claims but get a lawyer for the tough ones We can change a flapper in the toilet--we don't fuck with a septic tank. Change a tire--yes. Overhaul the transmission, not generally. We need experts for stuff. 

RFK Jr. for example, is a man who eats roadkill and doesn't think HIV causes AIDS.  He needed experts to find the worm in his head. I sure hope he listened to scientists about putting a jimmy on that thing because he can't keep his pants zipped. He's not an expert on vaccines. He's an anti-vaxx kook. He promotes the very debunked Wakefield study.

And Trump listens to him, because his brain is made of Silly Putty. He takes the impression of the last thing he came in contact with and often gets things backwards. 

We live in a world where you have to patiently explain to some people that while gravity may be "just a theory" as yet, we have pretty much taken for granted that what goes up will assuredly come down within the appropriate proximity to earth. 

Cause and effect--after vaccines, many highly communicable diseases have become very scarce indeed. Post-hoc, ergo propter hoc, whatever these weirdos are on about. 

This isn't a debate for the public. It's a grave mistake. And that Republicans think it should be a debate is very concerning. We do not need these dangerous diseases making their way back into our communities.