Vaccination exemption in CA, personal down, medical up

[Joods]

Splashing around in a pond without alligators = not inherently dangerous
Splashing around in a pond known to have alligators = inherently dangerous.

Not vaccinating your kid when there aren't common, dangerous preventable diseases around = not inherently dangerous.
Not vaccinating your kid when there are common, dangerous preventable diseases around = inherently dangerous.


You're right CL, splashing around in "a pond" isn't dangerous, but it is when we know there are alligators around.  And preventable diseases are the alligators in this case.  We know they exist and they infect kids, so not vaccinating them is inherently dangerous, unless you're planning on keeping them in a bubble and away from all human contact.

I'm sure the parents of that boy knew alligators existed. (1)They probably just didn't figure they would be a threat within that situation - in Disney World, at a Resort. Likewise, parents who don't give their kids the polio vax (2)I'm sure just assume polio is not any sort of real threat within their lifestyle and location. If their kid ends up with polio, obviously it means they were wrong and had incredibly bad judgement. Just as the parents of the boy in Orlando. (3)But they were not criminally culpable for what happened.

emphasis's mine. 

1. Because gators on Disney property are more friendly than gators on property not owned by Disney? Isn't that really just dumbing down the parents? Signs were posted. Captain Obvious shouldn't have to stand there verbally telling parents to watch their kids. Sorry, but that sort of logic is the reason warning labels are on shampoo bottles.
2. In this day and age, with all we know about polio or meningitis or the measles or mumps or any other preventable disease, I'd like to see you provide some actual statistics on the number of parents who "just assume" to know nothing or next to nothing about what polio (for example) can do to a child. Ignorance is no excuse for not providing the proper vaccinations for a child. Pediatricians have numerous sources of information regarding why vaccinations are crucial. For a parent to not be educated about any of them is just absurd. 
3. Parents don't get a free pass for being ignorant. They should be held 100% completely responsible on a criminal level because there were warning signs posted all around that lake. Likewise, parents who refuse to vaccinate their children based on some misguided principle and not because of a medical reason, should be held criminally responsible when their kid infects another kid with a totally preventable disease, that wouldn't have taken a life, had the first child been properly vaccinated. Similarly, if their own kid dies as a result of their blatant ignorance, they should be held criminally liable for that too.  

Do you think that parents should be held criminally responsible for a toddler getting a hold of a loaded gun, sitting on a table and killing themselves or someone else with it? Or do you think that's just an unfortunate accident and the parents shouldn't be charged with manslaughter?

Ever hear of the saying "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"? There's a reason that saying exists. Because it's true.