I have come to believe this, because if I don't believe this, I must face this horrifying, overwhelming idea that some people are just evil.
Now, I could list some examples of people who underestimate their actions, and the list would contain tons of politicians, corporate bigdogs, and bad parents, but that's for another time. My rage tonight is against Michele Bachmann.
I am terrified of her potential. Her words get much attention from the right and left alike and she is, after all, a presidential hopeful. I fear that people will hear her lies, or ambiguous fear mongering speech, and never hear the people who call her out on it.
I'm afraid she will never be held accountable for her actions, the impact of which she cannot possibly know.
Enough being vague; what brought me here tonight are her recent statements about the HPV Vaccine. Now, I'm not going to defend Governer Rick Perry for what he did. In fact, I also would critique it.
He should not have passed an executive order requiring girls the age of twelve to be vaccinated against HPV- he should have presented the bill to the legislature. It does look very suspicious that Merck gave him money for his campaign (although it was $5000 out of $30 million). I don't know whether he was bought or not, but I think he should have declined that contribution if he was going to try and pass this bill as a matter of principle.
If I were a Republican candidate, I would say these things. I would probably lose, because no one these days are principled or "plays fair", but enough cynicism... What I'm trying to say is that is enough. That is the truth, and telling the truth is a sign of responsibility. What is not responsible is twisting the truth to serve your own purposes, and telling dangerous lies.
Michele Bachmann has called this vaccine "potentially dangerous" now several times, saying Perry put the lives of twelve year old girls in jeopardy. Yesterday she crossed another line.
“I will tell you that I had a mother last night come up to me here in Tampa, Fla., after the debate,” Bachmann explained. “She told me that her little daughter took that vaccine, that injection, and she suffered from mental retardation thereafter. The mother was crying when she came up to me last night. I didn’t know who she was before the debate. This is the very real concern and people have to draw their own conclusions.” http://www.mediaite.com/tv/doubling-down-michele-bachmann-claims-hpv-vaccine-causes-mental-retardation/
Human papillomavirus is, thanks to this vaccine, almost fully preventable- and yet unprevented it can lead to cervical cancer. Reports estimate 6 million people are infected with HPV every year, and 4000 women die from cervical cancer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/richard-adams-blog/2011/sep/14/michele-bachmann-republicans-hpv-vaccine
This vaccine has been administered widely, and tested thoroughly. I've taken this vaccine- many girls around my age are strongly encouraged to.
Here's the thing: This vaccine could save my life, and the life of many many others.
But Michele Bachman repeats this story of a woman who claims the vaccine caused her daughter's mental incapacity. She mongers fear in order to sell her story, a story which doesn't even need to be further sold!
She's gone from making a case against Rick Perry to making one against a vaccine that protects women from cancer. She's gone from politics to medicine.
I am so afraid that people will listen to her. I am so afraid that there will be people who think, "Maybe I shouldn't vaccinate my daughter, I heard it's potentially dangerous..."
No one has said this but Bachmann.
It's so ironic, too, that here she is trying to make out Perry to look like he was trying to hurt America's youth when she is the one doing the most harm. His bill had an opt out system, after all, but fear has no opt out system. Lies cannot be unheard.
So tonight I say, fuck you Michele Bachmann. Maybe you are unaware of the impact of your words; but that's a poor excuse for someone trying to be the President of the United States of America.
Maybe you are just evil.
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