An understated goal of the state that's under attack is to protect children from their parents. Vaccine mandates aren't an imposition on parental freedom, they're a way to ensure a minimum trust in parents to protect their children against disease. This kid deserved better than her murderous father. - ThreadSky

atherton.bsky.social • 17 days ago

An understated goal of the state that's under attack is to protect children from their parents. Vaccine mandates aren't an imposition on parental freedom, they're a way to ensure a minimum trust in parents to protect their children against disease. This kid deserved better than her murderous father.

Reposted from The Atlantic

"The vaccination has stuff we don't trust," said the father of the 6-year-old girl who died from measles at the end of last month. Tom Bartlett visited with a family confronting an unthinkable tragedy:

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kaylasuewho.bsky.social•17 days ago

There’s that mindset that kids are parents’ property. This state function is part of respecting children as citizens and acknowledging that they have their own rights. I truly believe that’s one reason some fundamentalist religious organizations target them.

kitforkat.com•17 days ago

Children’s rights > parental freedom

eugenebwhitaker.bsky.social•15 days ago

i’d ask him to elucidate the students doesn’t trust and provide a legitimate scientifically based source

rachellazerus.bsky.social•17 days ago

This is why Christian homeschoolers foam at the mouth any time anyone mentions basic accountability or requiring vaccinations: they don't want anyone to be able to report if their kids are being abused, and swear that the higher rates of homeschooled kids who die from child abuse means nothing.

kateallday.bsky.social•17 days ago

YES THIS.

(I was homeschooled, with allllll that that implies 🤬)

rachellazerus.bsky.social•16 days ago

I was part of the team (and sole non-homeschooled member) that started the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, so I can guess. I'm sorry that happened and happy you're here

jerushajane.bsky.social•17 days ago

Children deserve rights. The religious right is why we remain the only government on the planet to resist the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

clotpoll.bsky.social•17 days ago

there are cult members who value their furniture more highly than their children.

mlblue45.bsky.social•15 days ago

Im proof of being one of those children. My Dad wasnt there for me emotionally. But he certainly loved his cigarettes, tv and his car. When Mom died, I made sure to leave him alone with his precious material goods.

lilybelle05.bsky.social•17 days ago

Well said.

clotpoll.bsky.social•17 days ago

in the eyes of the cult, children are simply chattel possessions of their parents.

spsnomad.bsky.social•17 days ago

Shaking my head at how much that poor girl was failed by any number of things that could have helped her along the way. Texas pushed aside their government vaccine mandates because that polled well with a large and influential section of Republicans. The hospital sent her home with cough medicine...

spsnomad.bsky.social•17 days ago

Religious beliefs are religious beliefs, but that led to a lot of unvaccinated people in one area. Measles festered in the community long enough to get a foothold partially because a lot of the kids are home-schooled and schools weren't sounding the warning bell early.

ishfery.bsky.social•15 days ago

If your religious beliefs mean you can't safely be in the general public, that's fine. Go shut yourself in some closed community of believers. You shouldn't expect to get both.

spsnomad.bsky.social•17 days ago

And that interview with RFK Jr. -- the man's a ghoul. Had to blame it on SOMETHING so he blamed it on malnutrition, probably because a kid was eating like...a kid.

missylissa.bsky.social•17 days ago

Keep in mind that "malnutrition" to RFK world means "once ate something with seed oil" or "non-organic vegetables" or even "any sugar". It is a cult of purity where anyone who even gets sick or dies must have been impure in some way.

spsnomad.bsky.social•17 days ago

That's what I was thinking -- it's really easy to just find an excuse. Also, it wouldn't surprise me if she did have some kind of pre-existing condition, but that just underlines the importance of herd immunity so we can protect people who can't get vaccinated.

spsnomad.bsky.social•17 days ago

I remember when my friends started having kids and the Wakefield study (which has since been replaced by solidly done studies showing no link between the MMR vaccine and autism) was prevalent and even sensible parents were having discussions about spreading out the vaccines or avoiding some.

spsnomad.bsky.social•17 days ago

I had a titer a few years ago to assess if I still had residual immunity from a shot I got 50+ years ago, and I did. It's just amazing to me that we're going to let a disease we had pummeled into submission come back like this because Trump had to kowtow to a guy who was polling at 3%.

denshewman.bsky.social•17 days ago

I like how the Atlantic call it “unthinkable” and not “avoidable”. Words matter

wintersong.bsky.social•17 days ago

The Atlantic has spent years braying from the rooftops that doctors and evidence-based medicine can’t be trusted when it comes to trans kids, and now its somehow acting like it’s a shock when ignorant parents don’t trust doctors with their kids’ healthcare.

denshewman.bsky.social•17 days ago

Awesome. At least they’re consistent? (If evil)

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