Summary

A father whose unvaccinated six-year-old daughter became the first U.S. measles death in 10 years remains steadfast in his anti-vaccine beliefs.

The Mennonite man from Seminole, Texas told The Atlantic, “The vaccination has stuff we don’t trust,” maintaining that measles is normal despite its near-eradication through vaccination.

His stance echoes claims by HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., who initially downplayed the current North American outbreak before changing his position under scrutiny.

Despite his daughter’s death, the father stated, “Everybody has to die.”

  • Queen HawlSera@lemm.ee
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    1 hour ago

    Sadly now that she’s dead he has no choice but to defend his stance, because admitting the truth would mean being left with the knowledge that he killed his own daughter.

  • Doctor_Satan@lemmy.world
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    1 hour ago

    “The vaccination has stuff we don’t trust”

    I would bet money this man could not name a single ingredient in a measles vaccine.

  • npcknapsack@lemmy.ca
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    2 hours ago

    This shit ought to be considered negligence and reason to at least remove any other kids from the home. Poor six year old was failed by her family and the state.

  • cool@lemmings.world
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    2 hours ago

    Texas are a whole 'nother breed of stupidity.

    It’s impressive how proud they are of it. And scary.

    • FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world
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      57 minutes ago

      They fought a war to keep slavery. TWICE. The only state in the union to do so

      Everything is bigger in Texas, including my middle finger to Texas twice

    • TheTurner@lemm.ee
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      9 hours ago

      He’s Mennonite. They don’t believe in any English medicine/science. If someone dies, it’s God’s will.

      • starman2112@sh.itjust.works
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        2 hours ago

        I’ll never understand the position. If a deadly disease is God’s will, then so is the vaccine which prevents it.

        Mennonites have no problem using blades to cut their hair, wearing glasses when their vision is faulty, or using soap after wiping their ass. Why are they against medicine?

        • A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world
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          2 hours ago

          Because they don’t like it, and like all religious groups… if They don’t like it, then its against gods will. And if they like it, then it is gods will.

          Which is why god hates vaccines, but loves child rape and wife beating, at least for these Amish-type religious communities. (and probably most of the republican party…)

          • InverseParallax@lemmy.world
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            35 minutes ago

            It’s because you can’t control doctors.

            The leaders of their community can control everything, except doctors who follow their own rules.

            Rather have children die than anyone who could defy them.

        • cool@lemmings.world
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          2 hours ago

          “It’s easier to fool a man than to convince him he’d been fooled.” - Mark Twain

        • cool@lemmings.world
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          Most that I know are pretty scientific and well-educated.

          Then why are they mennonites?

      • OpenStars@discuss.online
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        4 hours ago

        Unpopular opinion: I actually respect this. It’s a personal decision not put upon anyone else, has nothing to do with political mis/disinformation, and is entirely consistent with the rest of their beliefs.

        I don’t have to agree with them to respect how they choose to live their lives. Especially if they will keep their kids in seclusion if displaying symptoms and wear masks themselves when coming into town.

        Maybe they’ll die, but that’s not my call to make, nor can I force them to live my way (nor do I want to).

        • ultranaut@lemmy.world
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          3 hours ago

          Your premise is faulty. The dead child had their personal decision made for them. Its one thing to deny yourself medical care, its another thing entirely to deny a child medical care.

          • FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world
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            25 minutes ago

            Do, ingest or smoke whatever the hell you want. Bring a kid into it and that’s a whole different ballgame. PD tends to get involved, for better or worse

          • discount_door_garlic@lemmy.world
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            2 hours ago

            yeah the kid 100% had their dumbass parent’s decision ‘put upon’ them…how this is anything other than child abuse/manslaughter is beyond me - whether they’re in a fringe religious group or not, they are still killing people that didn’t have a real say in that outcome.

        • pyre@lemmy.world
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          what do you mean “not put on anyone else”? you think if it’s a personal decision the disease they catch becomes respectful and tries not to infect vulnerable people around them? yes it is put upon everyone else.

          and that’s for adults. in this case the decision was put upon the poor little girl who needed them to shield her from the most basic preventable ailments. what other personal decision would you respect? “yeah she ran around with that kitchen knife but we decided not to interfere with god’s will.” wow parents, at least she only hurt herself with that knife, good job on not stabbing other children with it.

        • Snowclone@lemmy.world
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          3 hours ago

          I’m not into being supportive of people that want to live in the 1500s for dumb reasons.

          • leadore@lemmy.world
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            2 hours ago

            1500’s? The measles vaccine was first developed in 1963. The MMR vaccine came out in 1971.

    • ZeffSyde@lemmy.world
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      He must have been a sinner, in that case. Mennonites tend to have enough children to tend to a farm, then they have enough children to attend to those children.

      It’s not so bad if one is taken by disease, you just make another one and hope it’s less weak.

      Women love bearing children, so it is they who are blessed in the end.

      /S

  • CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world
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    13 hours ago

    The conundrum here is that admitting his stance was wind would take a level of intelligence that would have had him vaccinate his child in the first place.

    I know that’s oversimplifying it, but the point still stands.

    • Bread@sh.itjust.works
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      12 hours ago

      At this point, I can’t say I would blame him for still refusing to accept it on an emotional level despite all evidence otherwise. As stupid as it is, how might you cope with knowing you are the sole reason that your daughter is dead? That if it weren’t for your arrogance, you would still have a child?

      I don’t agree with it, but I understand. I don’t think I could live with myself if I accepted reality if I were in his situation. Shutting down might be his method of coping. It is a sad situation that was easily preventable.

      • cool@lemmings.world
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        2 hours ago

        This is why it’s easier to fool someone than to convince them they’d been fooled.

        They don’t want to admit they were wrong and taken for a ride. It’s embarrassing, it’s humiliating. They would rather carry their misconceptions to the grave than admit they are incorrect.

        It’s a vicious cycle that at least 30% of Americans are going through.

  • imvii@lemmy.ca
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    14 hours ago

    You know what else has stuff I don’t trust? The fucking measles.

  • MehBlah@lemmy.world
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    15 hours ago

    You can only hope one day the asshole realizes he killed his kid and can’t live with his failure.

    • melpomenesclevage@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      14 hours ago

      do you understand how much this would destroy someone to acknowledge? that’s why they’re doing this. they need support to dismantle modern medicine, and that support will be built from tiny little coffins.

      • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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        2 hours ago

        Good, people thrive when they can acknowledge their failures. I hope he gets pushed into mind breaking anguish I want him to be pushed to his emotional limits and either do mankind a favor and remove himself or reforge himself better.

    • Huschke@lemmy.world
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      13 hours ago

      My favorite quote for situations like this is. “You’re never the enemy in your own story.”

    • NataliePortland@lemmy.ca
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      13 hours ago

      I don’t think he will. I think he’s lying to himself to avoid the feeling of shame and he needs that protection. He can’t let himself ever admit what he did.

    • slaneesh_is_right@lemmy.org
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      13 hours ago

      Eh, deep down i think these fuckers know. McDonald’s only haf stuff inside i trust. I know everything that is in aspirin. It’s all bullshit.