This Has to Stop

[Rev. Rye]

Honestly, creationist broilerplate is nowhere near the worst sort of picture books I've ever heard of.

Just to use two examples:




This was written by Richard Cohen, famous ex-gay "counselor," telling the story of a boy who gets molested by his uncle, but it's all good because a counselor told him it doesn't mean he has to be gay. Yes, the trust issues, the warped family dynamic that comes across as a direct result of getting outed (seriously, they don't even arrest the uncle who molested him), and even the potential physical issues that would come from adults having sex with children, are really just small potatoes. Just tell him he doesn't have to be gay, and it's all good.

And another book I discovered recently is Melanie's Marvelous Measles by Stephanie Messenger. It's an anti-vaxxer story that flat-out encourages people not only to not vaccinate their kids, but to actively encourage kids to court infectious diseases; the plot involves a girl named Melanie who is sick due to measles. A friend of hers, named Tina, hears about it and her mother encourages her to have a slumber party at Melanie's house. Yes, just like that episode of South Park. No, there's no "ooky mouth" scene. Surprisingly, she doesn't get infected, and later says “Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to catch measles next time someone we know has them!” Yes. This book is actively encouraging kids to court diseases that could potentially kill them.

Case in point: Roald Dahl had a daughter named Olivia who died of measles; apparently, in 1962, there was a local outbreak, and, at the time, they were honestly more concerned about their son Theo (who was, after all, a baby, and one who had had enough health scares in his life so far that Dahl actually stepped in and helped invent a device that could actually help him). A friend in America sent them gamma globulin, the closest thing to a preventative measure, and at the time, far more widely available there than the UK. That friend said “Let the girls get measles. It will be good for them.” Then, Olivia wound up getting it. At the time, they expected the disease would run its course and she'd eventually recover. She died on 17 November 1962. Dahl eventually wound up being an outspoken proponent of vaccination, at one point, even writing an account of Olivia's last days as an object lesson as to why it's a good idea. Fans of Roald Dahl may remember that he wrote a book called George's Marvelous Medicine. If Messenger titled her book specifically as a shout-out to George's Marvelous Medicine, this makes it even more enraging than it is already. If she knew about Olivia's death and still gave it that title intentionally, she has earned my undying fury. Part of me seriously considers emailing her to confirm or deny it, but, given that Site Advisor treats her website as a "Malicious Site," it's probably for the best I don't ask.

Seriously, creationist kid's books aren't that horrible by comparison.