I’m pretty sure that Beck and Limbaugh have either been misquoted or taken out of context . Lets not have another NFL debacle.

To much crap in media and on websites. Let’s raise the standard. If anyone wants to say that someone said something – prove it! Give us a link to the exact source. Otherwise, u r suspect in my book.

Rush has made his choice about the vaccine. My choice is different than his (I do my own thinking!) I’m grateful to live in a country where we can make choices.

#106 StevoR, can I get you a bottle of Hater-aid?

Nah, think I’m right thanks all the same!

That’d be stuff Limbaugh’s selling though yeah?

They’re like the mildly insane guy on the streetcorner begging for change. Except they’re begging on behalf of their advertisers.

You put coins in their hat by watching their shows (via Neilson ratings). The “value” they provide in return is to amuse, enrage, or confuse you.

But inform you? Don’t be silly.

Oh, and by the way? The reason educated people tend to be moderate (or call it “left” if you happen to be that far to the right of sanity and it makes you feel better) is BECAUSE they are educated. And, yes, educated people often come off as smug relative to those who are less educated. This is not arrogance, however. Arrogance is smugness without the justification. As in a radio talk show host pretending to be able to educate the public about anything other than being a radio talk show host.
There is a solution to feeling talked down to by those more educated than one’s self: education. Works wonders for self esteem and rightly so. As does a job well done.

H1N1 is not yet broadly available because the disease reached pandemic status just after the normal flu shot preparation time (yes, there is a 6 month lag time from start to finish of the new vaccine). So, those who are also eager to get it: realize this is a major endeavor and they are moving fast but wanted it to be safe – thus the extensive testing prior to delivery.

But it is being shipped rapidly and everyone is scrambling.

H1N1 is a particular difficult new illness. Essentially, it is fairly widespread already and few people under 64 have ANY immunity. Therefore, even though it is as ‘mild’ as regular flu – mortality rate of .1%, roughly – the infectiveness is unreal. And, the general immune response – high fever, myalgias, etc – is often intense. Pregnant women appear to be at high risk, as do children with chronic conditions.

By offering their opinion that they won’t get the vaccine, Limbaugh and Beck are increasing the rate at which others won’t get the vaccine since they are public figures (entertainers) whose followers tend to imitate their attitudes. With fewer people vaccinated, more people in society will have the illness. When more people have the illness, the more it spreads and the number of people – children, pregnant women, others – who die will increase.

These deaths will be actually due to the failure to get the treatment (as opposed to the low numbers and spurious correlations of the antivax folks). So, yes, you could say that Rush and Glenn Beck are helping to create a society where more people die from preventable causes and we are less safe. Good work. They should be so proud.