Baker, Preacher, Reporter, Friend.

 Baker Family Rides!

     Okay normally, this space is used to rant, mutter and outright scream about the things I think about.  I use my skills of snark and sarcasm to poke fun at the things that make me go Huh!?  Well not today.  Today I hope to use the power of social media and the written word to help out someone who truly and utterly deserves it.
     The Baker Family is one of the most amazing group of people ever invented.  They spend a huge chunk of their time helping pretty much anyone who needs the help.  They do this with no expectation of reimbursement.  They help others every single day and they never ask for help in return.
    Well now they need our help.  Of the two vehicles they own, one has been rendered inoperable and the other needs some serious repairs.  Mrs. Baker has health issues and they need a better vehicle for her to use.  Quite simply put, money is not there and they truly need the help.
     So I am asking all of readers to help me prove that there are good people in the world who appreciate kindness and love.  Click on the link above and donate.  It can be a dollar or it can be a 100 dollars.  Every little bit helps.  Come on folks, prove me right!

Anti-Vaxx Nation Day One or Spreading The News...err Germs

The Epidemic Continues To Spread

 

(Well, to be honest, this is technically day two, but who's counting?)

So yesterday, I did a little rant about how Anti-Vaccination Groups are blaming other parties for the recent outbreaks of Measles and Whooping Cough. I kind of not so gently implied that these people were a tad mentally challenged for not getting their kids vaccinated if they truly believed that Illegal Aliens were being brought across our borders to wage germ warfare on the US. I may have also possibly questioned their reasoning abilities and maybe even their parentage. I don't really remember. I tend to have memory lapses and am too lazy to go back and read my own stories.

So as my long term readers (All three of you Hey Sam!) know, I occassionally do a series of blogs on subjects that catch my attention. So after reading the above article earlier, I decided to do a few blogs on the subject of Vaccinations and the Anti-Vaxx nutjobs who seemed determined to bring back the Black Death. So go ahead and read the linked article. I'll wait till you get back.

Back? Okay good, moving on. Now as anyone who hasn't been living under a rock for the past few weeks knows there has been a major outbreak of Measles in California due to a group of unvaccinated people visiting Disney Land and then carrying their diseased selves back home again to larger groups of unvaccinated people. Last time I checked the current total was about 120 with possibly hundreds if not thousands more that have been exposed to the virus, but have not yet manifested symptoms.

Well, now 5 new cases have been confirmed Not in California, but Chicago. That's right, Chi-Town! And of course, besides the 5 kids actually sick there are even more who have been exposed and may become ill. Worse yet, these kids were all very young and contracted the illness in a place where they should have been safe, a Daycare Center.

The ever expanding Epidemic (And don't pretend it is anything but one) has lawmakers in many states considering reducing or even eliminating waivers for vaccines. Currently most states offer some exceptions to getting your children vaccinated, mostly due to religious reasons. Most states demand that any child entering public school be vaccinated and many have the same demands for private schools. Lawmakers are trying to shrink the number of exceptionss in order to try and prevent even more outbreaks of easily controlled diseases.

Given the strength of the growing Anti-Vaxx movement, I think this takes a lot of courage on the part of people who depend on being popular to keep their jobs. Already the talk of “Personal Liberties” (More on that one tomorrow) and “Government overreach” are sounding out. Gotta give folks props when their actions may lose them their next election.

However, I think it is far past time something was done about this child endangering movement. Not just children, but also older people and people who have compromised immune systems. (I happen to fit both categories being 52 years old and a Diabetic, so yeah I take this sort of thing very personally.) Someone needs to step up and stop these people from bringing back diseases that we successfully stopped decades ago. How many people have to get sick and possibly die before we stop letting people who think debunked doctors and famous people are the people we should listen to?

Anti-Vaxxers are a clear and present danger to the safety and health of the entire nation. They will not stop themselves so it is high time that other people stepped in and stopped them before things go completely to hades. Hopefully more and more lawmakers will realize this and step up before things get truly bad.

End of Rant

Anti-Vaxx = Anti-Logic

So the current Internet meme running amok among the Anti-Vaxx crew is something along the lines of “It ain't my fault that folks are getting sick, it is all of the disease carrying illegal aliens that Obama has let across the borders.” The “logic” behind this thought process is that if 1000s of illegal aliens hadn't moved into the country, then all of the nasty diseases that had been eradicated decades ago wouldn't be seeing a resurgence.

Now, just for the sake of argument, let us assume that the basis of their argument is true. Let's pretend that the current Epidemic of Measles and Whooping Cough are the direct result of Obama's evil master plan to destroy the US of A by infecting all its citizens with nasty diseases so that they are to weak to resist when his evil Muslim Communist minions take over the country.

So, if this is true. If our beloved country is being ravaged by everything from Measles to Lycanthropy, how does it make sense to keep your children from being vaccinated? If we really are under some sort of biological attack, how does it make any sense to expose your children to possible illness and even death? Even if every single one of the infected people were rounded up tomorrow, the damage is already done so shouldn't every caring parent want to protect their children?

The pattern of this particular meme fits perfectly with pretty much every single Anti-Vaxx argument. The whole gist of their mentality is “It is not my job to take responsibility for my actions. Everyone else has to take responsibility instead.” Their attitude is that they should be allowed to do whatever they want and that others just have to deal with it. Don't believe me? Look at some of their arguments.

1. I have the right to not have my children vaccinated because the only people affected by it is my children.

2. If other people cannot be vaccinated because of health or medical reasons, then they should stay home.

3. Other people should be vaccinated so that they are protected from my unvaccinated children.

Needless to say, there are more arguments used by Anti-Vaxxers, but they pretty much all sound the same. My personal favorite is number 2 since Anti-Vaxxers would be honked off if someone suggested that they should keep their diseased little brats at home to keep Them from making other people sick.

Vaccinations save lives. This is a fact. There is no evidence that vaccines are dangerous. Also a fact. (Sorry but one study done by a doctor long since discredited does not eliminate the proof of literally 1000s of studies done since then to prove him wrong.) This Ludicrous idea that it is somehow better to allow your child to be infected by diseases such as Measles that can cause horrible scarring, serious complications and even death than to get them vaccinated is moronic.

Sadly, when the pandemics come the Anti-Vaxxers will still not admit that it is their fault. As their kids get sick and die, they will sue the government or which ever fast food joint they were in when their kid was infected. In no way shape or form will they accept the responsibility for the pain and suffering they will cause. Course, like I have said before, the Anti-Vaxx movement is a self correcting sort of stupid. As more and more people become ill, everyone who is a member will eventually die off from a disease that was considered eliminated decades ago. My only regret is that so many innocent people will have to suffer along with them till the problem is solved.