It has been about 2 months since I last typed up a MAM related blog post. This has due to both choice and circumstance. I haven’t read anything particularly rage inducing posted by MAM, but I have also made an effort to avoid posts from MAM. Too much MAM exposure is dangerous to one’s mental health and stability. I’ve quite enjoyed the break, to be honest. However, like most things in life sadly, all breaks from idiocy must come to an end. Let’s reacquaint ourselves with the Hypocrisy Known as MAM.

No one likes to be proven wrong, especially in a debate or an argument. When it comes to something that we believe to be true we can often take it personally when we are shown that our intuition, our hunch was wrong. When our philosophy is found wanting, we can feel like a fool. However, in matters of science, most of us aren’t personally invested in what the facts are. Most of us are only vested in finding the facts. We don’t create our own theories and then look for information to support our conclusions. Instead, we form our conclusions from the information presented to us at the time. This information can change or grow. When this happens we simply take into account the new or additional information, and then adjust our conclusions as needed. Most of us are not personally invested in ignorance. Most people don’t become upset because they better understand an issue. Most people don’t turn away additional information simply because they don’t like it. And most of us do not threaten death, rape, physical harm, or wish disease on a loved one because you shared important information backed by evidence and study data. Those of us who aren’t anti-vaccine believers, that is.

Last week I came across a video that I found most disturbing. There are many ideas and actions that trouble me from the anti-vaccination movement, though I rarely find a new one that shocks me. Last week was one of those rare moments. In response to the NYC state of emergency public ban on those not vaccinated, Del Bigtree dialed up the drama. In a YouTube video, Del Bigtree gives a speech on March 28, 2019, to a crowd in Austin, Texas, and specifically to the Rockland County Orthodox Jewish community that has been most impacted by the county’s recent measles outbreak since so many have chosen not to vaccinate. At the end of his speech, Del then grabs a yellow piece of, what appears to be, fabric shaped like a Jewish Star of David, and then pins it to his lapel. While he did this, he likened himself along with all other anti-vaccination supporters, to being in danger of the same type of persecution that Jewish people tragically endured during WWII. He even went as far as to say, "I stand with you. I stand with a nation that said we will never oppress the minorities. We will stand with your religious conviction. We will let you believe in your God, we will let you raise your children the way you see fit. I stand in a nation that does not bring hand sanitizer and hand it out referring to innocent children as though they are dirty. We have ween that before and we will never let that happen in this beautiful country. You know who washed their hands with hand sanitizer? Pontius Pilate. That's who did as they sent the lamb to slaughter. We will not let our government state capitals send our children to slaughter. Certainly not in Texas. Certainly now where liberty reigns supreme. Certainly not where parents call the shots. We stand now together." The video then fades to black showing the hashtag "#StandWithRocklandJews."

Over the past couple weeks I have been asked in media interviews for my opinion on what actions should be taken to combat the spread and harm from the anti-vaccine community on-line as well as off-line. Though I try, this is not a question I can properly answer in a 15 second window. I have thought about how to stop anti-vaccine zealots from time to time these past two years, though I haven’t done much reading on the issue or explored many options. Due to media attention from current measles outbreaks, this subject has been popular and often discussed. This is a list of those suggestions made by myself, but mostly colleagues,  that I believe hold the best possibility of being implemented, as well as the most potential for some success. Luckily I am not limited in time and length here in this blog so get ready for a whole lot of opinion.