Wednesday, January 03, 2007

This would be the "anti-harlot" platform

Back from vacation. Leaving again soon. No time to blog, but I'll make some.

Thanks to Archpundit, I've found out that John Bambenek is running for school board. This is the same John Bambenek that recently published an anti-feminist screed in the Daily Illini. When asked to produce evidence for some of the ridiculous claims he made, he quoted a conservative think tank's unscientific "study," then distorted the research of nine actual scientists.

Bambenek complained in the DI earlier this year that UIUC doesn't teach creationism in its science classes. That's not particularly surprising; crystal healing isn't taught at medical schools, either. To be fair, he has said that creationism will not be part of his platform, which he hasn't decided on yet. On the other hand, if he pushes his religious ideology into the schools, I don't care if it was part of the platform he ran on or not.

Not surprisingly, Bambenek is against any sex ed other than demanding celibacy. In an absolutely stunning display of boneheadedness, he also seems to be against the HPV/cervical cancer vaccine. How someone can be against something that can have such horrifying consequences yet is so easy to prevent (or at least protect against) is simply beyond me.

Couldn't we just put lead in the water? It would be so much more efficient.

UPDATE I: Run! The feminists are invading. Err, um, that is I mean to say: Greetings, Feministingers!

UPDATE II: OK, to be fair, Mr. Bambenek comments that he isn't against the HPV/cervical cancer vaccine, just against calling it a "cervical cancer vaccine." Frankly, I think it's a distinction without a difference, since no one really cares much about HPV infection itself, but rather about the fact that it causes cancer. I bet if you asked random people on the street if they would get an "HPV vaccine," they'd give you a blank look. If you asked them if they would get a "cervical cancer vaccine," they'd answer in the affirmative. "Vaccine against the virus that causes cervical cancer" is a bit of a mouthful, anyway.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

So the deception begins...

See this...

Specifically here is my position laid out in the very page you cited:

I am not against this vaccine. I am not against parents having their children get this vaccine.

I am for calling the vaccine what it is, an HPV vaccine.

I am for letting parents decide whether they want their children to have it or not.