Tea at Trianon: The Vaccine Debate

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Saturday, February 14, 2015

The Vaccine Debate

From Dr. Lina Abujamra:

#1 This debate is not about vaccines at all. It’s about control.
No matter how hard we try, we can’t make safe happen. We will always have only a small measure of control over the outcome of our kids health. That doesn’t mean you get to check your brain at the door, but sooner or later, you are going to have to trust your children’s health to the God who created them.

#2 This debate is not driven by science. It’s driven by fear.
Don’t get me wrong. There’s certainly a lot of science involved in the vaccine debate, but what has motivated the fisticuffs over this issue has little to do with science and everything to do with fear. We are afraid of what might happen to our kids to the point of exhaustion. God’s peace overcomes our deepest fears if we’ll turn to Him for comfort.

#3 This debate puts personal opinion in the drivers seat. It’s forgotten about love.
We live in a country where we’re blessed with the freedom of speech and opinion. That’s awesome. But as followers of Jesus, we ought to rather be known by our love for one another. Let’s not lose sight of people in our quest to be right. Let’s not get arrogant and think we know better than whoever is our villain for the day. Let’s first and foremost be known by our love.

#4 This debate has created an “Us vs. Them” mentality. It’s a lose lose for all.
We’ve picked sides, drawn lines in the sand, and made our decisions. Some of us have even quit talking to others because of our disdain over their decisions about vaccines and diaper choices. May God forgive us our petty disregard for each other, and our desire to “win” the battles that don’t matter in eternity.

#5 When it comes to public forums for debate, social media gets a big fat F.
If there’s anything I’m learning it’s that the idea that we can rule the world from our desks via Facebook and Twitter is plain wrong. Nothing will destroy our relationships faster than our wielding our so called power of opinion via social media. What if we were to sit with each other over a meal and talk about our differences? What if we were to hear what’s behind our words and opinions and see the root of our fears?

We might just find that we have a whole lot in common with each other than we initially thought. (Read more.)

And here is an article on the grim realities from The Washington Examiner:

Those framing the issue in such absolutist terms need to get a grip. This is still America, where parents have always been responsible for their own children. One cannot simply deploy the SWAT Team to administer forced vaccinations or remove the offspring of those who resist science and common sense.

The state has an interest in vaccinating as many people as possible. A failure to do so affects more than just the children of anti-vaccine zealots. Some people simply cannot be immunized — infants, children suffering certain diseases, and a small number of vaccine recipients for whom it is ineffective. When parents refuse to vaccinate their children, they are also endangering all of these people as well. The recent incident at Disneyland, in which at least four dozen children were infected with the measles, illustrates this.

As every parent knows, schools cause diseases to spread through even the healthiest communities. Children bring them to school, and children bring them home to their families. There is thus an enormous state interest in making sure children who do not get vaccinations are barred from attending them with other children.

In Marin County, California, where vaccination opt-out rates are extremely high, some pediatric practices simply refuse to see unvaccinated children, lest their offices become breeding grounds for dangerous diseases. These are both legitimate ways of dissuading parents from foolishness without resorting to fascism.

Parents have the natural and legal right to make most decisions for their young children. It would set a terrible precedent to criminalize decisions like this one and create an individual vaccination mandate. (Read more.)