Letters on vaccines and autism, attacks on education, death penalty, global warming, right-wing fatigue

Many studies on vaccines, autism

In 2015, most skeptics simply go to the Internet for the answer. Those interested in the relationship between vaccines and autism should go to the hrsa.gov website, find the link for the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and check out the Institute of Medicine summary.

The issue of vaccine-induced autism has been thoroughly evaluated. Those seriously concerned can buy a volume for $79.95 titled “Adverse Effects of Vaccines” and read all of the studies.

Before vaccines, childhood infectious disease was disastrous. Vaccines were a remarkable blessing even though an infinitesimally small number of children suffered injuries attributable to the vaccines. Because enormous court judgments threatened to stop the production of vaccines, Congress passed the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which set up a special federal court to reimburse those injured. The funding is derived from a small tax on vaccines.

Autism was rarely seen 50 years ago and thus was not listed in the 1986 act. Children continued to be vaccinated, and the prevalence of autism increased. Vaccine injury had to be considered as a potential cause. However, comprehensive studies consistently failed to find a cause-and-effect relationship.

We still need vaccines, but we also need a serious investigation into the cause of autism.

Why the attacks?

Almost daily The Eagle publishes articles about the Kansas government’s attacks on public schools. None of these attempts will fix the huge hole caused by the governor’s reckless tax breaks for the wealthy. The cuts the governor ordered would have put only a small patch on his huge budget hole.

And a Senate bill that would make it easier to prosecute teachers and school administrators for distributing materials deemed “harmful to minors” and a House bill to overturn Common Core, along with Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, would have no effect on the budget deficit. Schools in other states have also been targeted by conservative governments.

Could it be that the real purpose of these attacks on our schools is a concerted effort to dumb down the states’ populace in order to keep the rank and file at bay?

End death penalty

According to Matthew, Jesus refuted the Old Testament revengeful idea of “an eye for an eye.” Instead, he asked his followers to turn the other cheek.

The death penalty does not deter others from committing murder. Death penalty trials are very expensive, and that money would be better spent on education and preventive mental health programs.

Mistakes have been made, and nationally more than 145 innocent persons have been freed from death row. It is very likely that innocent persons have been executed.

The death penalty is unnecessary. Life without parole is a sufficiently severe penalty that keeps us safe.

We don’t want the death penalty. In a scientific poll conducted in Kansas in 2007, the majority preferred life without parole to a sentence of death.

The death penalty is not applied fairly. Defendants are more likely to receive a death sentence if convicted in Sedgwick County rather than Wyandotte County. A defendant is more likely to receive a death sentence if the victim is white and the defendant is black.

Executions are inhumane and continue to be botched.

Left-wing slogan

Global warming/climate change is based on conventional wisdom, not science. It has become a left-wing slogan to rally the simpleminded. As we can see, the simpler the minds, the more they love the concept.

The problem is the facts don’t back up the theory. Man-made global warming/climate change has been effectively debunked. Liberals have become so invested in the concept they are willing to accept a fairy tale.

After all, the Earth is flat, isn’t it?

Tired of it all, too

While reading a letter writer’s self-diagnoses (“Tired of it all,” March 6 Letters to the Editor), I discovered I was suffering from the companion affliction, although the causes of my fatigue are different.

I have Christian-nation, gay-bashing and anti-science fatigue. I have anti-choice fatigue. The letter writer and I do share media fatigue. I have extreme Fox News fatigue, as well as Wall Street Journal, Charles Krauthammer and Cal Thomas fatigue (not reading them does offer temporary relief).

Fighting voter suppression, school-funding cuts, immigrant- and teacher-trashing, services-to-the-needy slashing and tax cuts to the wealthy has left me very fatigued. Watching the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council, Americans for Prosperity and tea partiers work pushes me toward hopelessness, as do endless repeal-the-ACA votes, relentless President Obama-bashing and the “bomb ’em” response to foreign events.

Yes, I am also tired of it all; however, fatigue is not fatal. Not caring about the lives of others is fatal – well, to your heart and soul at least.

For those carrying around “I’m right, they’re wrong” and “fend for yourself” points of view: That is a huge load to haul around. Set it down anytime to reduce fatigue.

This story was originally published March 9, 2015 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Letters on vaccines and autism, attacks on education, death penalty, global warming, right-wing fatigue."