ForgottenWoman

Not Really – I Was Just Kidding

Unless you have been living completely separated from all news and cultural information, then you are aware of a current discussion concerning vaccines, the rights of parents, and mandated shots. Among the talking points are some pretty ‘in your face’ comments toward prolife advocates. The one that I’ve seen repeatedly this week is calling us hypocrites if we believe that parents should have a say so in which vaccines are given to their children and we are also prolife. Their belief is that when a woman is pregnant, she has the right to abortion because the baby is housed within her body. But they also believe that the government has the right to mandate what is injected into our bodies.

Why am I taking the time to write about this today? Because in talking with some of those sharing these memes, or making their social media posts with these kinds of accusations, I’ve found myself ‘debating’ many ideas, and I believe it is important that every single adult has the capacity to reason, to listen to what others are saying, and to be able to draw our conclusions only after serious consideration! What we are witnessing and sometimes participating in are heated, childlike fights that accomplish nothing – the kinds of disagreements that lead many to just step aside and quietly accept what is happening in our country without trying to make a difference. How do I know this? Because many of you who are reading this are actually asking yourself, “Why is she writing about this? These discussions make me uncomfortable! I’m not going to talk about these things because they are so sensitive and upset people!” You may have even already stopped reading.

I hope you’ll stick with me.

When I commented that a baby inside a mother’s womb is a separate living human being, therefore he is not her body, I was told that it is her body because as long as the baby is inside the mother, he is dependent on her – cannot survive without her. My response: Once outside the womb, the baby still cannot survive without her; he is still dependent upon her. To reiterate, this was the lady’s explanation for believing that the baby is her body. Her response to my answer was that once outside the womb, anybody could sustain their life; others could feed them, protect them, etc. Note: This does not mean that the baby is her body while within her… the argument doesn’t hold up, but it is their argument.

The next one to argue with me simply said, “If you don’t want your children vaccinated, then homeschool them and keep them away from others!” First of all, I never stated that I am against vaccinations, and this wasn’t even the topic of the discussion. These types of ‘debates’ will veer off into many directions and will include assumptions made and eruptions of off-topic remarks when people have passionate opinions. That is why they often end up in shouting matches, hateful arguments, and childish mudslinging, accomplishing little.

The truth is, though, that if you and I approach these situations with grace, patience, and facts while bringing the topic back to ‘ground zero,’ we may be able to make a point or two that someone might listen to. We may even be able to encourage better reasoning and adult-like decisions among our peers.

In this case, I thanked the ladies for the calm discussion, and then I shared that I am not anti-vaccine. I am anti-mandates for the overabundance of vaccinations that are currently required, I am FOR the education and factual information given to parents, and the right for us as individuals to determine what is injected into our bodies. I shared my personal experience during the Covid fiasco – yes, I just called it a fiasco. My experience? I researched. I made personal choices that weren’t popular, and I was screamed at, chased through stores by women screaming, “You’re going to make me sick,” or “You are the reason people are dying!” I lost business from people who wouldn’t enter my shop if everyone who was volunteering there was not vaccinated and masked. I never took the shot, never masked, and never got sick, but the pressure to comply during those months was incredible and should not have been. I firmly believe that none of us should blindly trust anyone when it comes to what we inject into our bodies – and so I AM “my body my choice” in that regard.

As they tried to turn the discussion back to pro or anti vaccine, I endeavored to take it back to the rights for individuals to be given the truth and have the option to choose for themselves not only which vaccines we take, but also the scheduling – parents choosing to have their children given one at a time (those that have been proven to be safe, helpful and needful without destroying our God given immune systems) and without overwhelming a child’s body.

All of that to say that my point is that you and I should figure out what we believe, and stand firmly for what we believe in. What we believe should be based on truth, factual information, and wisdom. Of course, I stand against humans being the guinea pigs of a government system, against decisions being made for us. We should also stand against the lives of the unborn being slaughtered, and then the masses screaming, “My body, my choice!” How incredibly ill-informed, selfish, and unthinking have we become!?

What I’m sharing with you is just an example of an epidemic that I call, “The inability for children in adult bodies to think, discuss, and make informed decisions!” The Bible says, “Come, let us reason together!” Don’t be afraid to discuss hard things. Don’t be drawn into shouting matches, emotional drivel, and senseless quotes. Research. Study. Listen. Learn. Be sure you are informed and then stand up for what you believe is right – with grace!