I feel profoundly disrespected.

And you should too.

Friends,

A reminder that NPNR will start publishing more often this month, and at the end of the month, will go premium. That is, you can choose to pay for more content, or continue with the current format. Either way is fine with me, and I appreciate you all no matter what.

That said, aside from the usual screed, a friend wrote something that is included in today’s edition about what’s happening in Texas. Whitney Riek lives in West Texas, and is a mom—so, she has some thoughts on the measles outbreak going on down there, and who better to weigh in, really? I’ve known her for more than 20 years, and appreciate her thoughts. Hopefully, she’ll continue to contribute.

But first, who else feels…disrespected by what’s going on?

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I feel profoundly disrespected

Like many of you, I’ve been trying to grapple with what’s going on. Frankly, there’s too much to comprehend—that’s partially by design. But more so, as I’ve written to you all before, I’m just trying to get an idea of how I actually feel about it. 

Mad? Sure, but not really. But in another sense, really.

Sad? Yeah. Maybe “disappointed” is a better word, but that’s in the mix.
Discouraged? You bet. 

But I think that if I were going to sum it all up, I’d say that more than anything, I feel absolutely and completely disrespected. I think you should, too. It’s been pretty clear that the people in charge don’t have much of an idea about what they’re doing, but when asked for solutions or even ideas to remedy serious problems, we’re getting absolute nonsense in return. 

Here are some of the ones that have particularly irked me:

Brooke Rollins, the Secretary of Agriculture, on grocery prices: For some reason, egg prices are a big deal to a lot of people. And while reducing egg prices was one of the administration’s big promises during the past election, we’re apparently on our own. Rollins’ advice to the American public on how to handle egg prices? Get some chickens.

Great. Thanks. Of course, the whole issue with egg prices is that avian flu is killing all the damn chickens, and we all know how well these people handle pandemics.

Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense: It feels like we’re inching closer to World War III, but the Secretary of Defense has bigger things on his mind. Namely, getting rid of “woke” stuff—whatever that means. In an effort to purge the Department of Defense of anything that may promote inclusion or diversity, Hegseth’s minions are removing content from social media profiles and more that may make some people a tad uncomfortable.

That includes removing images of the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Japan. Because, you know, it has the word “gay” in it. These are serious people, folks.

J.D. Vance, the Vice President of the United States: One thing I’ll never forget is the non-answer that J.D. Vance offered up when asked how the administration might help with child care costs. For reference, my household pays thousands of dollars per month for child care. It’s a mess. So, I was interested. Vance’s suggestion? Get grandma and grandpa to work for free, assuming they’re available, or just get rid of standards for daycares. See his answer for yourself.

“I think one of the things that we can do is make it easier for families to choose whatever model they want, right? So one of the ways that you might be able to relieve a little bit of pressure on people who are paying so much for daycare is…maybe grandma and grandpa [want] to help out a little bit more, or maybe there’s an aunt or uncle that wants to help out a little bit more. If that happens, you relieve some of the pressure on all the resources that we’re spending on daycare.”

I would expect at least a half-ass answer out of him, but I guess that expectation was a bit too lofty.

United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: There’s a measles outbreak in Texas—read below for more—and RFK Jr., worm-eaten brain and all, says we should eat more carrots. Seriously, though, read below!

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick: Most recently, when asked why the stock market is falling and the economic data hasn’t been rosy in recent weeks, Lutnick said that Biden “left [Trump] a pile of poop.” And that all the bad data is “Biden data.” What we’re seeing, of course, is a reaction to a new trade war that we’ve waged for some reason, and frankly, the data isn’t even that bad. Not yet. Give it a few months. Either way, we’re already well into the blame everything on Biden campaign, so that’s neat.

I also appreciate when adults use phrases like “pile of poop,” it really garners a sense of maturity.

These aren’t answers. People have real concerns. Real problems. And this is what we’re getting from the people in charge? Say what you will about the current administration’s opponents, but at least they pretend to have some actual answers or solutions, even if they’re not necessarily what you want to hear (like, everybody needs to pay more taxes to implement a national child care system, or something like that).

Hopefully, these people get a bit better at what they’re doing, or explaining their rationale, or telling Americans what to do or expect. I suspect they won’t, as they’re not serious people. And I don’t like the fact that I don’t respect them, or think that they’re serious people. I wish they were. But they’re talking to me like I’m a gosh-darned idiot. A pile of poop.

As a result, I feel disrespected.

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Dangerous and divisive advice, from the top-down

By Whitney Riek

Measles is surging in West Texas. Proliferating anti-vax misinformation, spread by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy (RFK Jr.), is to blame for declining vaccination rates, and thus, the current outbreak.

While this current outbreak should serve to prove the efficacy of vaccines, RFK Jr. provides a weak recommendation that focuses more on vitamins and lifestyle than the life-saving vaccine that once eradicated the very disease threatening to plague us again today.

During the recent measles outbreak, RFK Jr. wrote this in a recent opinion piece for Fox News:

“As healthcare providers, community leaders, and policymakers, we have a shared responsibility to protect public health. This includes ensuring that accurate information about vaccine safety and efficacy is disseminated. We must engage with communities to understand their concerns, provide culturally competent education, and make vaccines readily accessible for all those who want them.

It is also our responsibility to provide up-to-date guidance on available therapeutic medications. While there is no approved antiviral for those who may be infected, CDC has recently updated their recommendation supporting administration of vitamin A under the supervision of a physician for those with mild, moderate, and severe infection. Studies have found that vitamin A can dramatically reduce measles mortality.

Tens of thousands died with, or of, measles annually in 19th Century America. By 1960 -- before the vaccine’s introduction -- improvements in sanitation and nutrition had eliminated 98% of measles deaths. Good nutrition remains a best defense against most chronic and infectious illnesses. Vitamins A, C, and D, and foods rich in vitamins B12, C, and E should be part of a balanced diet.”

Rather than recommend vaccination against measles by way of the MMR vaccine, he urges parents to merely talk with their doctors and consider it, since the “decision to vaccinate is a personal one.” An avid anti-vaxxer and historical spreader of misinformation, RFK fails to acknowledge the proven efficacy of the MMR vaccine. 
While RFK's recent "call to action" in the wake of the measles outbreak in West Texas should have been a recommendation to vaccinate, it was not, and instead, was a weak suggestion to consider vaccinating, riddled with misinformation and subtle notes of karma. He seems to say that if we had all been eating healthy to begin with, this never would have happened in the first place. 

As a parent of young children living in Texas, I find this absolutely infuriating. 
Not only does his response fail to address the measles problem, but this narrative also perpetuates a dangerous dichotomy between nutrition and medicine. While not surprising to most, RFK continues to prove himself unqualified at best and a threat to public health at worst.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness. Symptoms include fever, cough, congestion, and eye irritation, followed by a rash. While most cases are mild, severe symptoms include pneumonia, blindness, and encephalitis. Infections can also lead to lifelong health consequences. Measles was declared eliminated in 2000 but has recently reemerged in a Mennonite community in West Texas. 

According to the CDC, 164 total cases of measles have been reported so far this year. Of those, 95% are unvaccinated (or have an unknown vaccination status). Of the total cases, 20% have resulted in hospitalization and one death has been confirmed. The current outbreak has predominantly affected children.

Kennedy almost gets it right, as he acknowledges that "vaccines not only protect individual children from measles but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons." 

He also acknowledges the decline in measles cases immediately following the vaccine, yet he attributes the elimination of 98% of measles deaths to "improvements in sanitation and nutrition". Moreover, he claims that "good nutrition remains the best defense against most chronic and infectious illness". 

Vitamin-rich foods should certainly be part of a balanced diet. Since measles does not have a specific anti-viral treatment, vitamin A may be appropriate when administered by a physician as supportive care. While it is true that sanitation and nutrition are critical for overall health, it is not a replacement for vaccines. Both are true - overall health is important and vaccines reduce the risk for infectious diseases. 

The nutrition versus medicine dichotomy is not only false but dangerous and divisive. The resurgence of an eliminated illness is no doubt due to the declining vaccinations, thanks to the dangerous dissemination of misinformation. And what's happening in West Texas now is a prime example of the consequences. 

Our community should be doing everything we can to keep our families safe and healthy. The MMR vaccine reduces risk by 97% and has been proven effective for stopping transmission and reducing the risk of severe illness. RFK's call to action is not to vaccinate, but "for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health", whatever that means. 

The decision to vaccinate is not personal, it's communal. And our children's lives depend on it.

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As always, remain vigilant. Reach me at sammbecker@gmail.com.