This man became angry when a pediatrician tweeted that exemptions from vaccines put children at risk.
In response to a Hotez tweet that the latest increase in vaccine exemptions in Texas shows its children have been "placed in harm's way for the financial gain of special and outside interest groups," Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, let loose.He is Jonathan Stickland, a legislator who participates in making laws for the state of Texas. He's a Republican.
"You are bought and paid for by the biggest special interest in politics," tweeted Stickland. "Do our state a favor and mind your own business. Parental rights mean more to us than your self enriching 'science.'"
When Hotez replied that he doesn't take a dime from the vaccine industry and that as a Texas pediatrician-scientist who develops neglected disease vaccines for the world's poorest people, it is "most certainly my business," Stickland dug in even deeper.
"Make the case for your sorcery to consumers on your own dime," tweeted Stickland. "Like every other business. Quit using the heavy hand of government to make your business profitable through mandates and immunity. It's disgusting."
There is more at Chron (photo credit Tom Reel), via BoingBoing.
Arthur C. Clarke's "Third Law": Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
This puts me in mind of one of my favorite sayings.
ReplyDelete"You can't beat sense into someone, but with sufficient vigor you may beat some of the stupid out"
Really? How?
DeleteNot that he's going to believe a word of it, but he might wanna watch the latest Kurzgesagt clip.
ReplyDeletePS. Apparently the guy's name is Stickland, without the R.
Fixed. Tx.
DeleteYeah, he is my Rep.
ReplyDeletehttps://srevestories.blogspot.com/2018/11/maybe-even-mile.html
I fully vaccinated my two kids, I believe in science and with a newborn, I shudder about all these outbreaks. But I reserve some of my scorn about all this anti vaxx madness for the medical community itself. With people dying because they can't afford epi pens or insulin, it is totally rational that people no longer feel like the medical community has their best interests at heart. No one ever addresses that aspect - risking a kid's life is a pretty big vote of no confidence. People either mock anti vaxxers or they are like the guy above. :(
ReplyDeleteExcept that no anti-vaxxer I ever ran across cites the high prices of epi pens or insulin. And that argument doesn't even work for most of the world, since pretty much only we have a for-profit, your money or your life, medical care system.
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