Hello Measles!!! Goodbye Sanity.

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a doctor, or any other type of medical professional. I do, however, have an active mind, always seeking knowledge, and I've read many things about this topic, from both sides of the debate. This is my opinion on the matter, from a common sense perspective.

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I'm probably going to get blasted for this, but I just call things like I see them. This is one of the few times that I believe in the so-called "herd mentality."
 
This measles outbreak has people almost literally up-in-arms on both sides of the vaccination issue. Personally, I'm in favor of vaccinations. My kids were all vaccinated, my multitude of siblings and all of their kids (99% sure).
 
I have exactly one nephew with a touch of autism (and he's probably got Asperger's, not autism) and none with any of the disfiguring, painful, and potentially deadly diseases these vaccines protect against - and I don't know anyone, not one single person, with a child who has been adversely affected by any vaccine.
 
I have yet to see any verified, credible mainstream and conclusive evidence that vaccines cause autism, or do anything other than get someone mildly ill as their bodies develop the antibodies to these diseases.
 
Seriously, I don't care who you are - if you don't get your kids vaccinated, you are selfish. You are more concerned about what something could do (with an extremely low statistical possibility) than you are about what would happen if your child is exposed to these diseases (with a pretty high statistical probability). Not to mention exposing anyone else you and your child come into contact with to the same fate.
 
Being a conservative, I do not agree with any level of government (not federal, not state, not local) forcing a parent to get a child immunized through legislative action. I do, however, believe that since government's primary responsibility is the protection of its citizens - not from themselves, but from each other - that the government can prohibit that parent from sending their child to school, or any other public function until said child is immunized.
 
If that sounds harsh, oh well... My right to be protected from your stupidity absolutely trumps your right to be selfish and ridiculous.
 
Don't vaccinate your kids - homeschool. Can't homeschool? VACCINATE YOUR KIDS.
 
It's a fairly straightforward equation - and one I wholeheartedly believe.
 
***For the record, I'm fully aware that not everyone who contracts any of the diseases would die, or be horribly disfigured, etc... But why would anyone want to take that risk - and not even for themselves, for their children (who don't know any better & can't make the choice for themselves).***
 
To me, that is the absolute height of selfishness... ~ Hunter