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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAbout that comment by Chip Roy, R-OfCourse, his father and Polio...
Chip Roy, R-Texas, a man caught on a leaked video admitting Republicans want "chaos and inability to get stuff done" as a goal as long a Democrat is president - is also a colossal dick. To wit, from 06 Aug 2021:
"I will not comply with a vaccine mandate, vaccine passport, or other vaccine coercion."
We soon discover that Chip Roy's father suffered lifelong complications from Polio which, we can easily assume, Chip Roy was vaccinated against given that he attended public schools. Caught in the stew-pud of his own making, Roy argued back the next day:
"This is the radical lefts idea of freedom. My polio-stricken father agrees with me, by the way. And yes, I and my children were polio vaccinated but not because of mandates. We chose every vaccine on our terms."
His polio stricken father agrees with him? Yeah. Sure. I'm calling Bullshit!
As someone who was alive before there was a polio vaccine, let me say for all of us from that time period - Go Fuck Yourself!
Polio was a MASSIVE and recurring health scare going back thousands of years. EVERY parent was terrified of it, and so were their children who were told to stay out of public pools, lakes, beaches, theaters, and even churches, with many especially remembering sitting in class one day and the seat in front of them was now - empty. Their childhood friend gone, never to be seen again. No one told them why, but they knew why. And said nothing.
In 1952 57,000 Americans caught polio. Said a girl who remembers that time:
It was so frightening. Your first image was children just like you lying down flat on their back inside this big iron lung (Kidz - Google it!), and it looked like a metal cylinder. All you could see were their heads and their eyes looking out, and thats what you always thought about with Polio were these iron lungs, and you didnt want to end up in an iron lung. ... It was so scary. It was the scariest thing that was going around at that time.
Yes. The "scariest thing going around at that time." But there's more.
From what I can pull from the web, Chip's father was born in 1942.
In November of 1949 at about age 7, Roy's father contracted polio during an epidemic.
He was sent to a polio "camp" (Lions International camp in Kerrville, Tx) to recover and, hopefully, avoid a lifetime in an "iron lung."
His father survived polio but wound up with a permanent hole in his throat from a procedure that allowed him TO EFFING BREATHE! And maybe avoid a lifetime in an iron lung.
And Chip says his father agrees with him on vaccines?
And that we have a right to chose our vaccinations?
But more, Chip's father had no say in getting the polio vaccine because - it didn't exist in 1949!
The first testing of the vaccine took place in April of 1954, five years AFTER Chip's father contracted the polio that would affect the rest of his life, and another year to prove it was safe and effective.
So, Chip's grandparents and father had ZERO choice in getting the vaccine.
(And who lets a 7-year old choose much of anything, especially a vaccine?)
One year later, April 1955, University of Michigan researchers announced the trials that began in McLean, Va. had been a success - move to nationwide vaccination!
The impact of that statement had headlines of The Shot That Was Felt Around the World.
Over the next four years, the number of polio cases fell by almost 90%, (i.e., tens of thousands of Americans DIDN'T get polio.)
It was not long after that date that the State of Virginia made the Polio vaccine mandatory to attend public schools.
And so did Texas! Both states then and now required the vaccination (among others.) *
By 1970, two years before Chip Roy was born, the United States had pretty much eliminated Polio.
More...
Chip Roy is not a "native" Texan. He was born in Bethesda, Maryland.
Date of his birth, August 1972.
Soon after Chip was born the family moved to Lovettsville, Virginia, about 40-miles from the wealthy DC suburb of McLean, VA.
Why is that important? Here's the fun part:
The first nationwide Polio vaccine trial of the Salk vaccine first took place at an elementary school in - McLean, VA!
In that school in 1954, 114 second graders were vaccinated.
Ultimately, some 4,000 children received the Salk vaccine at that elementary school.
Chip Roy was brought up a short 40-miles away from that first vaccination test site.
Every parent I knew from those days got that vaccination for their children and themselves!
Like every one of my classmates, I lined up at my town's Board of Health to get that vaccination.
For the booster and refined Sabine vaccine that came later - no waiting in line, no appointments. The Board of Health came into every school and did EVERY student, EVERY teacher, and EVERY administrator in EVERY school all in a day or two.
And no one complained. No one brought up rights, or religion, or effectiveness, or big government, or nefarious plots by foreign governments, or alternative cures, or anything else.
In closing, this story.
In 1969, three years before Congressman Chip Roy was born, Dave Garroway (Kidz - Google it!) was the host of this enormously popular show on NBC called "The Today Show." Fifteen years after that vaccination test in McLean, Va. Garroway had been tapped by the March of Dimes to MC a banquet to honor Jonas Salk. At the dinner, Garroway began his hosting duties with, As I was leaving to come here tonight..., and described his getting dressed to go to the testimonial dinner.
His 11-year old son, Dave Jr., saw him getting dressed and asked his dad where he was going.
Garroway Sr.: To a dinner for Dr. Salk.
Garroway Jr.: "Who's Dr. Salk?"
Garroway Sr.. Hes the man who found the vaccine for polio.
Garroway Jr. (puzzled): Whats polio?
And the room went silent. And hearing that Dr. Salk was reported to have been visibly moved. And why not? You are, too.
* And who DIDN'T want to make the polio vaccine mandatory in 1955? Republicans. Because it was "Soshilism!"
luvs2sing
(2,220 posts)You got your damn shots! I remember getting the sugar cube and something that was like a little cup of clear water. I remember the needles.
The only thing I dont remember is the smallpox vaccine, and that was because I couldnt get it. I have a lifelong history of eczema, and there is a strange and terrible reaction with the smallpox vaccine. My doctor said my chances of losing an arm because of this reaction were much greater than my chances of getting smallpox. But every year, till about eighth grade, my doctor faithfully wrote a letter to the school board explaining why I was not and would not be vaccinated for smallpox.
patphil
(6,024 posts)The vaccine was given to all of us at school. If there were any objections, or children who didn't get it, I don't remember.
What I do remember was all of us being lined up and marched through the vaccination stations for each of the shots the regimen required.
Back then polio was a very fearsome disease. People were very happy and relieved to have their children protected. As a result of this massive national vaccine program, polio was all but eradicated.
According to the CDC, the United States has been polio free since 1979.
And now these Republican jackasses would rather see over a hundred thousand people a day, including a growing number of children, endure pain and suffering and even death from the Covid virus than do the responsible, adult thing to help rid this nation of the devastation the virus causes.
The actions of people in positions of power to sway large portions of the population to, not only not get the vaccine or even take minimal precautions to help prevent spread of the virus, but aggressively attack those who are trying to help us get through this pandemic is tantamount to first degree, premeditated murder.
agingdem
(7,754 posts)Last edited Thu Aug 12, 2021, 03:34 PM - Edit history (1)
my mother kept my sister and I close to home...and I remember my mother going door to door with a March of Dimes box asking for donations...and then miracle of miracles...a vaccine...first grade, standing in line with my classmates, more afraid of crying than the needle, and the ice cream bar waiting for us as a reward...that's when our world opened up..public swimming pools, birthday parties, vacations...
and now we have the rabid anti-vaxx imbecilic human covid Petri dishes screetching "not me/not my kid"..well, then how about a mandatory Scared Straight class for the self righteous anti-vaxx/anti mask crowd: water boarding followed by a ventilator tube threaded down their throats ...as for those dying covid infected anti-vaxxers and their "oh shit I was wrong" testimonials..I feel nothing but contempt because I know if they could go back in time they would still scream "liberal propaganda" and refuse the jab
Grins
(7,128 posts)Moms went door-to-door collecting for the the March of Dines! By the thousands! Often with their kids. Good catch!
Texaswitchy
(2,962 posts)We went house to house.
I seem to remember a little card the dimes would be placed on.
I do not remember polio being a scare.
To young.
I remember the sugar cube.