So, good points. Unfortunately, here in the middle of Red State (Confederate) America, you can’t talk sense to people. People in my own family have bought into the “vaccines cause autism and death, and they alter your DNA” conspiracy theories. It’s not just one thing, either. It’s a whole set of crazy ideas that justify all kinds of cruelty. I take my potshots now and then, but I increasingly feel like I’m doing so at the risk I will be unalived for having spoken out. So, I just hold my tongue and say nothing. I think I’ll live longer that way. You don’t realize how sheltered you are in Southern California.
Here are two things to keep in mind. First, I used to live in Ohio for a while and saw it turn into a red state thanks to brain drain everywhere other than Columbus. Second, the anti-vaccine and anti-science sentiments of RFK Jr. used to be incredibly popular in super lefty enclaves like upper middle class neighborhoods of SoCal. There's a whole crunchy granola lefty to far right "pure blood" MAGA that was supercharged by COVID, So, this is not as easy as a red state vs. blue state issue.
So, good points. Unfortunately, here in the middle of Red State (Confederate) America, you can’t talk sense to people. People in my own family have bought into the “vaccines cause autism and death, and they alter your DNA” conspiracy theories. It’s not just one thing, either. It’s a whole set of crazy ideas that justify all kinds of cruelty. I take my potshots now and then, but I increasingly feel like I’m doing so at the risk I will be unalived for having spoken out. So, I just hold my tongue and say nothing. I think I’ll live longer that way. You don’t realize how sheltered you are in Southern California.
Here are two things to keep in mind. First, I used to live in Ohio for a while and saw it turn into a red state thanks to brain drain everywhere other than Columbus. Second, the anti-vaccine and anti-science sentiments of RFK Jr. used to be incredibly popular in super lefty enclaves like upper middle class neighborhoods of SoCal. There's a whole crunchy granola lefty to far right "pure blood" MAGA that was supercharged by COVID, So, this is not as easy as a red state vs. blue state issue.