New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R)
Once upon a time not too long ago—last week, if you're old enough to remember—vaccination was not a partisan issue. In fact, it wasn't even an issue at all, given the countless millions of lives saved by vaccines, except among a handful of fringe anti-science activists.
But what is today's GOP if not rabidly anti-science? New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was the first to openly join the crazy train on Monday, with comments that are still making sane heads spin:
"It's more important what you think as a parent than what you think as a public official. I also understand that parents need to have some measure of choice in things as well. So that's the balance that the government has to decide."
Don't think for a moment that Christie was a lone voice in the fever swamps. He was quickly joined by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul,
who went for loony-broke:
"I have heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines. [...] I think the parent should have some input. The state doesn't own your children. Parents own the children. And it is an issue of freedom and public health."
And then on Tuesday, Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy piped up to denounce those
jack-booted, syringe-wielding government thugs:
"For me, I want that to be my choice as a parent, and you know what? I know my kids best. I know what morals and values are right for my children and I think we should not have an oppressive state telling us what to do."
Please head below the fold to hear what Democrats are saying.
By contrast, here's what top Democrats have had to say in light of the terrifying outbreak of measles that started at Disneyland. Like Barack Obama, for instance:
"I understand that there are families that, in some cases, are concerned about the effect of vaccinations. The science is, you know, pretty indisputable. We’ve looked at this again and again. There is every reason to get vaccinated, but there aren’t reasons to not."
And
Hillary Clinton:
The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork. Let's protect all our kids. #GrandmothersKnowBest
— @HillaryClinton
It couldn't be plainer. Democratic leaders have taken unequivocal stances in support of public safety, rationality, and science. Republican officials—including two supposed presidential hopefuls—want to take us back to a dark age of galloping infections that injure and kill children without remorse. It's not funny. It's only scary.
Already, polling shows the emergence of a small partisan split between Democratic and Republican voters in their views on vaccination. But now that Republican office-holders have decided to exploit the issue in the name of a sickening, misguided version of "freedom," that split is poised to grow. And if it does, and if it leads to more and more people "opting out" out of protecting their children, then American and the world will suffer greatly.