The inhumanity of bias.
A kid had a seizure in one of my classes today. When I came in, he was lying on the floor, muscles all tensed, fists clenched, nobody home inside his eyes. I grasped what was going on pretty quickly into my lesson (I hadn't noticed him until shortly after diving into the day's greeting song). Two teachers were kneeling by his side, administering some sort of medication that looked like a syringe or a dropper of some sort.. They were clearly tense as well. The atmosphere of "something is wrong" pervaded the room. All the other kids kept looking back to check on their classmate. I was meant, however, to continue teaching and singing How are you! I'm happy! while this poor kid seized on the floor. It felt horrible, and extremely inhuman/unnatural. Eventually the boy came to, and his mother arrived to pick him up early from the school.
Why do I relate this little bit? Well, because it made me angry. Not this specific situation itself even, necessarily, but the general situation surrounding vaccine injury and the remarkable lack of serious attention it is given by the medical community, mainstream media, and otherwise very intelligent individuals I meet in the course of day to day life. There is something funny going on here.
When I share video after video of children who have seizures and end up neurologically damaged, autistic, or dead immediately after a "routine vaccination," the silence is profoundly telling. When I tell people of children I personally know who have had adverse reactions to vaccines, I am often met with a kind of roll of the eyes, and some useless and vague, mumbled dismissal.
I recently watched a video of several girls experiencing seizures in Mexico immediately after a Gardasil HPV vaccination. These types of videos--videos and testimonies from independent sources claiming the Gardasil vaccine caused damage to their children--are numerous. The commentator on the video was angry. F you! F you everyone who rolls their eyes and says this video is fake without investigating it! He said something along those lines.
I had to agree with him. The video seemed legit to me, but even if it were discovered (for whatever strange reason) to have been fabricated, that says nothing about the thousands of other stories out there. And it says nothing about the peer reviewed published studies calling tirelessly for more research and demonstrating very possible links between vaccines and neurological damage. When I saw that kid on the floor today, that commentator's words echoed in my heart. Fuck you. Fuck you to anyone not willing to investigate thoroughly why this shit is happening to our kids. We owe them better than this. Better than a stupid fucking "How are you? I'm happy!" song while their friends convulse on the floor.
I do not know if the seizure this child had today was the result of vaccine injury. It may very well not have been. What it did do was remind me very clearly, however, of the ridiculous, irrational, and bandwagon sucker approach to "science" in modern culture. You know what? If you dismiss hundreds of mothers and fathers swearing their kids were fine prior to a vaccination and now are damaged, if you dismiss peer reviewed study after peer reviewed study that suggests a link between vaccination and neurological damage, if you mock or roll your eyes at anyone asking common sense questions about these things....
You are doing nothing more than singing "HAPPY HAPPY" with a stupid fucking smile on your face while our kids fucking die. So yes. FUCK YOU.
Hey, I'm no doctor, so they must be right! source
The confirmation bias, bias.
Graham, I am afraid you are too biased. Graham, it is so clear you have a confirmation bias.
What almost inevitably happens when I direct people to peer-reviewed, published studies substantiating my claims, is that the other party will then respond with something like:
Well, I checked RationalWiki and it said that the authors of that study were biased, so I am not going to read it.
I respond: "Which parts of the study, specifically, are flawed or biased? Which are scientifically incorrect?"
Well, I don't have time to read it all. Plus, I am not a doctor.
"Right. Neither am I, but I am literate enough to understand abstracts from these studies, and even the basic import of the study itself."
Well, sorry, but I will need you to present some less biased info.
"How is it biased?"
Gotta go, Graham. Thanks for the chat.
This is retardation of logic. This is what I call the "confirmation bias, bias," and someone with a bad case of it is almost impossible to dialogue with rationally. Ironically enough, these RationalWiki-ites cannot seem to grasp that discounting everything contrary to one's own personal belief set, simply because "RationalWiki" says to discount it, is the height of dogmatic illogic, and a severe retardation of the sensible reasoning processes.
The dogmatic Young Earth Creationist and the adherent to Scientism are exactly the same.
In what sense? In this sense. The YEC (Young Earth Creationist) denies the validity of any potential evidence to the contrary of his personal belief system. Carbon dating!? Don't be ridiculous. God's word says it, so I believe it! Please explain to me how this is fundamentally any different from:
The SCIENCE IS SETTLED! VACCINES DON'T CAUSE AUTISM! THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION SAYS IT, SO I BELIEVE IT!
(As a brief aside, the CDC actually has admitted that vaccines can and do cause Autism, and is currently embroiled in a cover up scandal and lawsuit regarding Autism and vaccines.)
Summary.
So what's my point? It's very simple really. We owe our kids better. We owe our kids actual medicine. We own them non-media-sensationalized and polarized, propagandistic "debate." We owe each and every child that comes into this life a fighting shot at a healthy life. We owe them real research. Fuck being "right." Lives are at stake. Let's find the truth. We insult each and every precious child that comes into this world with our refusal to see them. Let's give these kids what they really need. What we really owe them, which is SCIENCE, and not a saccharine stupid, media propagandized chorus of Happy, Happy, I'm OKAY! No. It's not okay, and you are a major fucking part of the problem.
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
It is morally correct to mount a resistance to the opaque and unacceptably experimental process of mandatory-administered vaccination.
Just because it may be law does not in any way necessitate that it is right.
That being said, there has for a long time been an entrenching - a fortification - of the medical profession and their pharmaceutical corporate lords.
Unacceptably so.
We have long been taught to trust our well-being, our health and our lives to "licensed" individuals (and many of them are fairly so - I acknowledge health workers' hard work in their respective field) in white coats.
Individuals working in a monopolized field where the operation of non-licensed individuals is by law prevented (sorry Patch Adams), and a context where the traditions of centuries of natural medicines have seen such practices either dismissed, restricted or even outlawed - without avenues for serious research remaining open.
Yes... there is reason to be angry... Why should those in any field enshroud themselves within an aura of unreproachability, of being above question, when time and time again their practices and their results have been proven to be anything but reliable, or worthy of the level of absolute and unquestioning trust that they would claim from us as their 'right'?
Also... it is more profitable to treat a disease than to cure it... and it is more profitable to cause a disease than both combined.
From a businessman's perspective - those who curry the favor of health workers throughout the health system - this demonstrates at the least the potential existence of a conflict of interest.
And its little Susie who pays - with her health and maybe her life.
Thanks for the excellent comment. You made so many good points, and I couldn't agree more.
Truth! Yet, even in the face of a structure that [obviously] rewards evil and punishes good, you still can't convince people of the reality. (It'd be funny if it weren't so damn sad) :/
If we swap out 'salary' with 'sanity' we might be getting somewhere in actually understanding where this [verifiably insane] resistance is coming from.
I have become increasingly suspicious that many adult humans have atrophied their ability to think critically--so much so, that it is potentially overwhelming to be confronted with the imperative need to do so.
Much like myself and other veterans fell for the "hero pill" narrative, where: joining the military makes you a hero! When in actuality, if we had done our critical thinking and proper research, we would have learned that all wars are bankers wars, and that we are only slaughtering our fellow humans to further their gains. But most veterans won't wake up to this, because it starts with the words, "I was wrong" and involves surrendering all of the misattributed glory that your friends, family and community would otherwise continue to bestow upon you. (Ironically, this is cowardly behavior. Not heroic. But I digress.)
All that is just to say: It is much easier (less frightening) to take the "safety pill" of believing the pharmaceutical companies who directly profit from vaccines are telling the truth.
Thank you for writing, this is an excellent and well-composed post. (Following!)
Cheers for this excellent and well-composed comment. I really enjoyed reading it. Followed back.
Wonderful post. Thanks so much for sharing it. I actually agree with your point about issues that confirmation bias can bring. I believe it can occur from our desire to believe something to be correct. They believe in the concept so much they only pay attention to information that confirms their world view but rejects any information that runs contrary to their beliefs. However, this is a bias that can lead to many errors. A person needs to look at information that runs opposite to their beliefs so they can make the best informed decision possible.
And the vaccine manufacturers are immune (oh the irony) from prosecution too!
I know what you mean, that creationism and scientism are both a belief system. People look at all the evidence through their own set of glasses (world-view), and usually see what they expect to see.
However scientism in regards to vaccination is dangerous in the here and now.
Since nobody was there when the world was created/evolved to see it, it can only be a theory as real science is repeatable and observable.
However, there are thousands upon thousands, if not millions, of people repeatedly observing how a child or self goes in for vaccinations and damage occurs.
Yet we are always told that this is coincidence and that since some scientist says that it didn't happen, it simply didn't happen.
This is extremely dangerous to our children and future generations.
Scientism wants us to shut off our own observational abilities,
close our eyes,
and believe them when they say that it had nothing to do with vaccines.
That's a valid point, and I respect that. I used the YEC example because adherents to Scientism tend to mock those types of people, while commiting--as you have said--an oversight equally as illogical and much more detrimental.
Yes, absolutely!
They mock, thinking that they are better and that they are superior because they are scientific,
yet they only look at so-called science that supports their belief-system
which is that vaccines are safe and saved the world.
Any scientist or doctor or person that provides evidence to the contrary is a quack and the evidence is not considered. These brave scientists are basically "ex-communicated" for daring to question the 'church of scientism' authority.
That's a nice post. I hate hospitals and my girlfriend is studying medicine. I don't know how will be her life daily in hospitals and seeing unhealthy people...
Your girlfriend has chosen a noble path.
May the hospital authorities and pharmaceutical interests that she works under 'not' contrive to undermine her working safety or ethical standards.
I could not agree with you more. Plus Dr's just go for the perverse incentives they get from selling big pharma. Thanks for sharing the post and raising the awareness.
As a father, I agree with you on vaccines. We do owe our kids better. As a Christian, I agree with you on the confirmation bias of young earth creationists. Some of my friends will not even entertain the possibility that Genesis 1 has a different literary style than the remainder of Genesis and that God could have possibly created the universe over a longer period of time than six 24-hour days.
That said, I have other friends who would say I have a confirmation bias in my belief that the Creator has revealed himself through ancient Hebrew writings. That's probably a discussion for a different post.
"The dogmatic Young Earth Creationist and the adherent to Scientism are exactly the same." ........
THANK YOU. Yes I'm yelling. Because I'm happy. You are the first person I have been in contact with personally who has said what I say all the time. Sounds like you've read The Magician's Twin by C.S. Lewis.
Useful post @kafkanrchy i have upvote you please upvote me thanks
God saves all from all problems:)
Great post @kafkanarchy84
Missed seeing your work, friend. I'm back on Steemit again, had a lot of other awesome stuff to focus on for awhile, but I am returning now and it is good to see my Steemian friends again -- mostly... the ones who are my fellow humans of heart and raw authentic empathy in all things.
I think it's interesting how often we are on the same wavelength. I almost did an article a year back about bias, relating to this same bone to pick -- a bias does not logically have any bearing on the truth. People with biases can be right, regardless, so it's illogical to dismiss someone on the grounds of bias.
So, it was satisfying to read this. And yes, I feel the same fire, especially being a mother who did not want my kid vaccinated. It's a tough thing to stomach, this topic, sometimes.
Anyway, I love your writing as always, friend. It pulled me in quickly and I was "with you" while reading. If you want an update on what's up with me, check out my return post today. :) But as always, ya don't have to. I ain't telling ya what to do! Heehee
nice post
I’m following you now.
The kids were forced to keep singing while their classmate might die any second? Wicked society.
I'm about to write about Bayesian thinking/bayes Law. Nothing is 100% certain.
well this is an amazing post hope my followers too read it.
I hate hospitals
I noticed the other day a mum shared a story of a blanket cot death of her baby. It was horrendous, and I have no blame to lay whatsoever, only sympathy.
But I did notice a few things. She got overwhelming sympathy and support. It is a super rare occurence, a suffocation. MANY people put a 7 month old to bed with a blanket and they are fine. But it only makes sense that this mother warns people of the dangers, and asks other parents to NEVER put a baby to bed with a blanket. Parents agree, and the media encourages this idea.
Swap it for a vaccine death. It is horrendous, but the outpouring of sympathy is lacking. People look sideways and ask how do they know it was a vaccine? Correlation does not equal causation. The media will not report on it. It is also very rare. But woe to the grief stricken mother who goes out of her way to compassionately warn others not to make the same mistake. The other parents will ostracize her, the media will deride her. She will be called all sorts of names because she won't 'put another blanket in the cot' for her next child.
nice