[graciegirl]

[QUOTE=Pairadocs;1904125]"Something" has been gradually happening in our country relating to "civil" discussion and intolerance not only of the opinions of others, but a general (and dangerous) trend against considering even cited and evidence backed information such as you presented. As you remarked, even stating your credentials, not in an attempt to inflate your own ego, but simply to lead credence to your experience and ability to analyze data and communicate information which is there for all to see in the "science". This tendency to suppress information such as you dug out and posted, only serves to enrage many people who (for some reason?) seem to feel any opposing factual material, opposing studies, or experience with various medications including vaccines (your example of small pox vaccine was spot on, but while many have died (we lost a distant cousin), others will point to the lives that were saved. To me it's not so much the "facts" because we simply don't have them and will not know for some time if each individual made a "right" choice or a "wrong" choice, it is indeed a casino ! The horrors of thalidomide, the polio vaccine tragedy are only two examples.

The real point is not accepting your post as something to look at more deeply, to explore and analyze for ones self, but the over all pattern of rejecting any challenge to one's opinion (and it's relatively easy to spot those posts that come from a purely emotional reaction, a feeling that because he/she holds a different view, such as "this vaccine is well tested and perfectly safe", they not just reject any evidence to the contrary, no, not at all, to me the real danger is that such people do not want ANY contrary evidence, not just opinion but actual evidence such as you cited, to interfere with what they believe. To reject in a discussion, and then give your
evidence, is a mark of the best of discussion/learning. But the growing trend to not just dismiss, but name call (you "bragger" about your education and experience), or "know it all". These are the types of replies that make one wonder what is happening to "us", to this democracy, to rational discourse ? I have spent years in a university environment, once an exemplary example of a democratic republic, unbridled freedom to present all the evidence even if was not what one "wished" it would show.

But colleagues confirm that is no longer possible, contrary views are dismissed out of hand and regardless of evidence and examples, just as many are maligned and "trashed" here, on a "friendly" (compared to Facebook), small, community, social bulletin board. And as you pointed out, it's a no win situation. If one attempts to back up their legitimacy by giving their education or experience in a subject, they are immediately labeled a "braggart or ego maniac", if they do not lend legitimacy, they are of course accused to having no back ground or experience in the topic !
I am much more concerned about this frightening tendency to "fight" fiercely against any evidence to the contrary on any subject, and to diminish and shame anyone who tries to bring opposing evidence to the attention of all and allow EACH individual the FREEDOM to make what boils down to a personal decision after all.

I have stated this before, the more fearful a person becomes the more they will oppose anyone or any thing that challenges the comfort zone they have established to protect themselves. What are we doing to each other and what will the end product of all this be ? Not good I fear ![/QUOTE]

That is just how people work. That is just being human. We decide what entities we can reasonably trust and trot along in life. If someone decides something to present to us that seems very unreasonable because of our research and convictions, generally we reject it. Most people continue to read and hear new information about important subjects in order to enlarge their views.

This whole subject is intense and for good reason. People ARE dying that might have lived had they had the vaccine. Wishing for people to be safe and healthy is a good thing. Define the problem, gather facts, come to a trial conclusion, check the trial conclusion come to a final conclusion, and then continue to gather facts. Be sure your facts are from dependable and reliable sources.