Interesting. You are a real estate man lecturing to a scientist about science. I've only bought one piece of property, 26 years ago, and wouldn't think of telling you anything about real estate.
I review the scientific work of others to make sure it is correct and supportable by objective evidence. I've learned that greed, politics and power can influence scientists as much as politicians. Science and politics are one and the same. There is as much politics in science as there is science in politics. Scientists can be as irrational as any human. Are you old enough to remember cold fusion? Linus Pauling and the vitamin C hoax vs. genius science? Hosts of scientists with "hard data" have said the currently banned pesticides were good to go. These are just some examples of flawed science to show that it is not irrational to be skeptical about vaccination.
We just had a scientific political statement that the Pfizer vaccine is good for humans. Between Sunday and today there was no change in the science, just the politics. Between Sunday and today, there was a change in where politics intersects an individual's life, you can now be fired if not vaccinated. You just watch, there will be a surge in vaccinations now that the politics has said the vaccine works.
Well, you fooled me Tom, because you sure approach a lot of thigs unscientifically for a scientist. You make assumptions without evidence all the time. Just like you did about me. You donāt know what training that I have, and letās just leave it at that. And, as much as youād like to stand on your laurels and dismiss the views of anyone who does not have your credentials, if you make illogical assumptions, you are subject to criticism, as much as anyone else. But, what the heck do I know, Iām just a real estate man.
I will continue to criticize the people that thumb their nose at science and claim that taking Covid precautions shows fear and that if we have faith in God we should ignore all guidelines from the experts, not wear masks, nor get vaccinated and instead trust in God.
Certainly not all religious folks are taking this approach. Our pastor has encouraged folks to follow the guidelines from our health officials- to wear masks, social distance and get vaccinated. He is not alone. Those you defend are not just practicing vaccine skepticism. It is a spectrum of behavior with misinformation at its roots, which they enthusiastically propagate. There is a church a couple of miles away that has taken the position of the folks that you are defending. They opened illegally when inside gatherings were not allowed. Before the vaccine, they verbally attacked those wearing masks and those who practiced social distancing- claimed it was showing fear and we should trust in God instead. They were propagators of false information about the virus and masks and now they spread false information about the vaccine and discourage all to receive it. Trust in God, not science they say, with all kinds of satanic references to the guidelines, as well as condeming health officials as evil.
But it is interesting to see what happens when one of these folks comes down with Covid-19 and they canāt breathe. Rather than stay home and ātrust Godā, they suddenly become believers in medical science. They call 911 and my friend, who is a paramedic, comes to treat them and gets exposed to their virus. He got it last year after treating sick patients, before the vaccine, but recovered fine. And then he usually takes them to the hospital, where they gladly take up a bed in ICU. This often ends up denying someone else a bed, depending on how overcrowded the hospital is. I would have more respect for them if they were consistent and stayed home waiting for faith healing, rather than take a bed in ICU, but would still say they are foolish. You want to defend these folks, fine, weāll have to disagree on the reasonableness their behavior
As I have argued, I see these folks as fools who are preaching a false dichotomy and are spreading misinformation, spreading Covid and death unnecessarily. And please donāt tell me that they are just wise vaccine skeptics, because it is far more than that, with the foolish behavior they participated in prior to the vaccine and the misinformation they have consistently spread througout this pandemic. And yet, I do not wish ill on them. I know that many have said that they feel that these folks get what they deserve when they succumb to the virus. I don't feel this way. Some of these fools are even family members that I love deeply. Our extended family has paid a very steep price due to misinformation and failure to take this virus seriously.
But again that is a relatively small percentage and when you look on the other side with the percentage of Republicans that seem to believe in Q'Anon conspiracies. Who actually believed that Joe Biden gets up in the morning and eats a baby before his daily defense briefing..... Well that's just another level all together. I mean could you see someone like Mitt Romney winning the nomination now? The only way that would be possible is if there were like five or six Q'Anon trumper candidates who split up the crazy vote.
