vax-irate

This is the new word I've coined, silly as it may be.  If you've never read any reports on vaccinations or had super passionate mom friends, then you probably won't know what I'm talking about.  But here's what I've noticed: the topic of vaccinations is highly charged right now.  And that's fine...but what gets me is how really angry people can be - irate - on both sides.  If I'm reading about vaccines, I almost never read other people's comments anymore.  I just can't hear what people are saying for all the hormonally-charged,  finger-pointing, worked-up, angry accusations.  I mean really, if you want to make a point, do it calmly and intelligently.  I'm as opinionated as the next person - more so, I'd wager - but it amazes me how incendiary this topic is and the ridiculous way people handle themselves about it.  Go ahead, do a search and read some comments...you'll see what I mean.  If you are passionate about this topic, great! We should all be interested and passionate about research and health care and our children - and we should be willing to go to bat when necessary.  But there is a way to do that that is helpful, where people will actually listen to you, and you won't make yourself sound like an idiot. So, whether or not you vaccinate, please don't be vax-irate.  (And, gratefully, I haven't had any experience with this from readers to this blog so far, comments are welcome :)

Comments

[Audrey]

What a great term! I have read many, many posts where people are so amazingly angry at one another because they have differing viewpoints! My two boys have all their vaccinations, but I do not hold any anger or ill will for those who choose not too. This is simply what I chose to do, and if it's not right for others, than it's perfectly fine with me!

[Audrey]

What a great term! I have read many, many posts where people are so amazingly angry at one another because they have differing viewpoints! My two boys have all their vaccinations, but I do not hold any anger or ill will for those who choose not too. This is simply what I chose to do, and if it's not right for others, than it's perfectly fine with me!

[Kate]

Excellent point and well made! I think it really applies to everything. Both online and off. So much more gets accomplished through discussion that involves listening. Nobody learns anything from heated arguments where people are too busy plotting their next point of argument to hear a different point of view.

[Jenn]

Some vaccination posts or "debates" get nasty in a hurry. I only read real medical stuff now because some people are so alarmist that they tend to over state things or just make up stuff to try to scare you into their point of view.

[Sara Beth]

I have found that people who go against the "mainstream idea" (for lack of a better word) seem to think that they have a bigger platform for voicing their opinions than people who choose to do the more mainstream thing. It seems to me that people who don't vaccinate, choose to home school, etc (not that these people are the same, but people with a strong opinion against the normal flow) seem to think that they have a huge platform to voice their opinion, while those of us who choose to vaccinate, for example, just need to sit back and be quiet, or else we are being condescending, etc. Even if I vaccinate or decide to send my kids to public school, I still think that I can tell others why I made this decision for my kids--you know? This bugs me sometimes...

[Kirsten]

Haha--great new word! I agree with Jenn, that often the passion (to be nice) comes with people doing something alternative. I wonder if it's because often that's the minority so there is a need to communicate to be heard? I am often alternative in things like this (we're not giving Sawyer most vaccinations) but I tend to be a peacemaker--I want to encourage people to think about stuff, but do what they feel led to do, whether it's schooling or home-birthing or whatever. By the way, I think Christians are often the worst about this. (And I say that as a Christian, having often been guilty of that in those arenas as well.)