First of all, the word "against" doesn't really fit with the gist of this article because most of the people who have been unfairly labeled as "anti-vaccine" are not necessarily against vaccines. What they are concerned about or opposed to is the blatant secrecy that surrounds many of the ingredients in vaccines.
They also oppose the militarization of medicine (to the point of forcing people to comply with a certain agenda--even when there is legitimate science behind many of the objections), being patronized and ridiculed simply for asking questions or expressing legitimate concerns, and having their faces shoved into supposedly scientifically unassailable studies which prove that all vaccines are safe and effective at all time for all patients in all known universes.
Talk about being arrogant, presumptuous and patronizing!
Among the many faults we can attribute to the pro-vaccine Mafia (for, indeed, only Mafias use the tactics some of these people have been using against anyone that merely asks questions about these very sacred vaccines) is the blatant misrepresentation of the facts.
To repeat, many of the people who oppose vaccines do recognize the importance of vaccines and their value when properly administered and when used for the right reasons. In fact, it's not vaccines that they oppose but, rather, the many abuses that are being seen concerning vaccines. At the very least, these are charges that need to be investigated--not attacked, ridiculed or simply ignored.
Is The Government Mishandling Objections Against Vaccines?
In a word, Yes! If the government and pharmaceutical industry (both of which are adamantly convinced that any attacks against vaccines are groundless--regardless of any facts at hand) would just stop patronizing people and, instead, address each objection adequately, the anti-vaccine movement would slowly deflate (instead of growing bigger with each passing year).
For starters, stop all the secrecy surrounding what's in these vaccines. Then again, it's this secrecy that has fueled much of the fears and concerns, especially when people see the government contradicting themselves or resorting to nasty/dirty tactics in attempting to win their arguments.
Are All Opponents of Vaccines Paranoid, Misinformed Crackpots and Parents?
If the government and the pharmaceutical industry were as right as they claim to be, then why play all these puerile, vindictive games with dissenters, to the point of misrepresenting the facts? The fact is that many scientists, including physicians, are also concerned about the safety and efficacy of many vaccines, especially those given to children (and very especially those given to infants).
Not everyone that disagrees with the powers that be are misinformed, uneducated crackpots. In fact, speaking from a scientific perspective, how do we fix anything that is not perfect (unless the government really believes vaccines are perfect) unless we allow anyone to ask questions and present dissenting views? One of the basic cornerstones of science is the open, unrestricted and carefully considered forum for full introspection and examination.
Do We Need to Stop the Romper Room Tactics?
Besides handling vaccine concerns more objectively and scientifically, I would also urge the government to stop resorting to these patronizing and childish antics. They include calling dissenters names ("crazy moms" or "quacks"); misrepresenting the facts (as stated, people don't necessarily oppose vaccines in general, but how they are presently being used or, should we say, misused); and, most important of all, stop citing studies that conclusively prove that vaccines and the many complications/side effects often alluded to are not even remotely connected (in the same way the tobacco companies presented similar studies for decades that prevented the government from finally admitting that there was a connection between cigarette smoking and several fatal diseases).
Conclusion
Once and for all, it's not just crazy moms or poorly-qualified quacks that have serious concerns about many types of vaccines. The fact that the government and the pharmaceutical industry have to resort to this type of tactic is reason enough, one might say, to start thinking that maybe, just maybe, these crazy moms or concerned quacks are not as crazy or unqualified as some people would have us believe.
Yes, vaccines have done much good throughout the decades; yes, many of the people involved in the vaccination program have good intentions. There are many questions, however, for which we need answers. Not more patronizing; not more threats (to take away the license of doctors who don't conform--as if we were living in Nazi Germany or the former Soviet Union); not more studies that (at best) only partially answer questions, are paid for or conducted by the same people financially benefiting from vaccines), and are heavily open to interpretation; and not a system that seems more and more to tell us what to think (instead of letting us make up our own minds).
Can you spell words like "inculcation," "indoctrination," and "conformity"?
For sure, you will no doubt have to pick your side on this growing dilemma. In the short run, it may be safer (at least from the perspective of facing sanctions for simply exercising some basic human rights) to just go along, to conform and to not oppose the status quo or Big Brother. On the other hand, what if there are legitimate grounds for these objections and concerns?
Is the government and the pharmaceutical industry absolutely trustworthy and are they capable of, to ask a silly question, lying to you?
If you want to be a conformist and someone who never questions the powers that be--that's perfectly fine. What is not fine is making fun of people who choose to use their own brain, who see things that just don't make sense (such as how the government can be 100% sure that vaccines don't cause autism but, at the same, admit that they are 100% unsure as to the actual cause--actually, only one of those two positions can be true!), and who prefer to hold off on inflicting vaccines on their loved ones until all their legitimate concerns and questions are adequately addressed.
These people aren't crazy--no more than Pasteur and Koch were crazy in the 1800s for declaring tiny microbes were responsible for many diseases. People ridiculed and made fun of them but, in the end, they had the last "laugh."
As for the vaccine/safety debate, we need more objective studies, investigations by experts we all respect, and respectful, open-minded discussions. Science, not just ethical rules, demand such basic concessions.
http://www.greatergoodmovie.org/news-views/doctors-and-scientists-with-concerns-about-vaccines/