Dear Ms.

Brittany Stephenson,
I have thoroughly enjoyed this semester in my English 1010 class. I have
written many papers and have learned many great things about writing, reading
and about myself as a writer.

In composing my narrative I had a hard time figuring out which personal story
to use. I decided to use the story of my colon infection because there are great
details that I remember about this event, if you will. My intended audience for this
paper is preteen girls. I feel that they would relate to this the most. I read this
paper out loud to my husband over and over and over. I now realize the tribute that
authors to books make in their books to those that spent countless hours listening
or reading the book in the making. I later made additions to names of people in my
story. There were not many revisions that needed to be made. The purpose of my
narrative was to share a brief part of my history and to maybe help others see the
point of view of a twelve year old.
Writing the rhetorical analysis was the next big challenge. I loved reading the
Behemoth in the Bathrobe. I thought it was going to be a boring piece, however,
once I read through it I realized that there was deep meaning in it. I wrote this
paper three times. The first time I learned better what context, summary,
attributive tags, thesis statement, and main points were. I really didnt know what
any of these really were. I had a very vague idea, but learned so much when I went
to the revision lab. The first revision was huge. There was rearranging and defining
to do, I almost felt like I should rewrite my paper. I didnt, and I m glad I didnt.
The second revision and final draft was a lot less work. I had some rearranging to
do and some elaborating, but other than that it wasnt too bad. The target
audience is the same as the writer, the American people. This paper was so fun to
write. It gave me a great outlook on what I can do better as an American Citizen.
The issue exploration was tough. I really made it more difficult than it
needed to be. I still dont think that I am totally satisfied with it, but it will do. It
was really interesting to look up information about Autism and see how this war
has started and continued. I found it quite fascinating. I didnt make very many
changes to my issue exploration. There were some grammatical error that I fixed
and I added MLA headers. Otherwise it was pretty good. The target audience is
mainly parents. Sometimes you think you know a lot about a subject until you
really analize it. I hope that it gave a better view of the war between Autism and
vaccines.
I feel that I have really learned how to look at reading and writing in a new
light. I definitely have room to grow, however, I feel that I have learned so much
when it comes to rhetoric and ethos, pathos, and logos.

This has been a really fun class. I have enjoyed the labs and have found
them to be my most useful tool in the course. I appreciate all the help that I
received from teachers and staff.
Thank you so much.
Sincerely,

Michell Maynes

A Simple Chicken Salad

By Michell Maynes
April 25, 2015
Instructor: Brittany Stephenson
English 1010

A Simple Chicken Salad

In my family of seven my oldest sister Cherie was my favorite. I had three,
but I admired her the most. She was seventeen, pretty, smart, and seemed to know
where the fun was. She drove a baby blue, Dodge, Omni. It was a loyal car.
Cherie was a fast driver. That was probably part of the rush I felt to be with her.
When she wasnt on dates we would go everywhere together. We would drag
State Street, go to lunch, and sometimes I even went with her to her boyfriends
house. I felt pretty privileged to be around her because I was only eleven. She was
cheerful and funny, and my Barbie playing buddy, Ilene, just older than I had grown
out of our childhood fun and had moved on to bigger and better things. Cherie was
my new fun.
It was a spring day in Salt Lake City. The temperature was warm, maybe
seventy-five degrees. My new favorite sister had just pulled into our long concrete
driveway. She parked in her spot in front of the large rectangular kitchen window. I
was waiting there, watching for her return. She had gotten some lunch, a chicken
salad from Wendys. It looked delicious. She left it in her car when she came inside
the house. I eyed the salad from the kitchen window, wondering if she would let me
have a taste. I could see the dressing drizzled over the green lettuce, and the
cheese, it was calling to me. After an hour or so I got the courage to ask her. Can I
have some of your salad? I said. Not only did she say that I could have some, she
said I could have the rest. I was ecstatic. I relished each and every little piece of

lettuce, cheese, and chicken in the salad. The chicken was the best part. I ate and
ate until my little tummy was full. My sister had now topped her already high status
of best sister, in my book.
The following day was Easter Sunday. My mom had invited her parents over
for dinner. I had been in pain all day, my stomach hurt. It felt like someone was
tying my organs in knots and stabbing them with a knife at the same time. My
mother was quite concerned and wondered what was wrong
with me. I curled up in a ball on the golden colored plaid couch in the basement. It
was cold down there and the uncarpeted concrete floor kept the family room even
colder. The room was dark and away from any noise. My mother entertained my
grandparents and continued with the preparations for the dinner as my sisters
asked me about my pain. Where is your pain?, Could it be cramps? theyd say. I
didnt want to answer questions. I wanted the pain to go away. The pain was
intense and didnt give any pause of relief. My mom suggested a warm bath in our
deep claw footed bathtub. I tried the bath; it failed as a cure or even a temporary
cure. While in the bathroom, the echoes of my crying bounced off of the plain white
walls and traveled to the kitchen, just above me. Everyone was gathered there
enjoying their meal. I could hear my mother talking to my grandparents. Their
conversation was muffled, but between my screams and while taking deep breaths,
I could hear parts of clear words. They were discussing my condition. It was
decided that the dinner needed to end and my mother would take me to the family
doctor.
My mom and I waited in the outside lobby of the doctors office. I suppose
my screaming and clenching of my stomach was disturbing to the other children

and parents waiting for their own doctors appointments. I stared at the bumpy
brown carpet that lined the lobby, while sitting on the hard vinyl bench. There was
no one around us. My mother came prepared with a garbage bag in case I needed
to throw up. I did throw up. The acid coming up my esophagus was not helping the
disgust I felt. I was weak. I couldnt eat anything and didnt want to. There was
nothing to throw up, other than stomach acid. I had not eaten all day.
After what seemed like hours, we saw the doctor and were told that I would
be fine. Take her home to rest he said. He felt that I probably had some sort of
stomach bug. My mothers instincts clicked in full throttle. No! she said, I want a
second opinion. Finding a second opinion doctor on a

Sunday was not easy. We were referred to a doctor across the street from our
nearest hospital. From his office, I glanced through the large glass window that
faced the north side of the hospital. All I could focus on were the words
EMERGENCY ROOM. My mother discussed my symptoms with the receptionist, I
was seen right away. The doctor took one look at me and said she needs to go the
emergency room right now. But our pediatrician said that she could just go home,
are you sure? my mother questioned. Somehow my mother seemed a little
uncertain. Our pediatrician had said I would be fine if I went home and now this
doctor was telling her the exact opposite. If she goes home she may die the
doctor said.
I was taken to the emergency room and questioned by many nurses, and
aids. So many questions, I hated to hear them. I didnt want to answer any more
questions. I felt exposed in the white and blue dotted gown. Please just take the

pain away I would say in my head. One nurse asked Could you be pregnant?
No! I answered. Im only eleven! When was your last period? she asked. My
family was very private about matters like this and I didnt want to answer anything.
My answer was short and not very convincing. I dont know. I muttered. As most
girls are, in the beginning, things werent quite regular in my female neck of the
woods. I was embarrassed. I stared off at the white curtain that separated me, only
visually, from any other person in the emergency room that wanted to overhear our
conversations. The nurse asked my mother to come out of the room. Another
nurse came in and asked me the same questions. I couldnt believe it. Did they
really think that I could be pregnant? They didnt believe me did they?
I was finally admitted to a room in the hospital where I would be further
inspected and tested to see why I was in so much pain and what was happening
inside of me. My assigned room was kept dark, trying to keep me calm. At least it
has walls, I thought to myself. The room was just big enough for a

bed and one chair to the left against the wall. There was a shelf and a mirror on
the right of the bed and a large window with built in vertical blinds above the
leather like chair. It had a small bathroom to the right just past the main door. I
climbed onto the bed and into the cold, stiff sheets.
My dad was notified that I was in the hospital. My parents were arguing,
again. They had been separated for a few months. I asked my mom to have my
dad come because I wanted him there to help me with my pain and to comfort me.
I didnt want the arguing to come too. I sighed in frustration and now my tears were

not just from the pain in my stomach but the pain that my parents couldnt just put
their hurt and anger aside for a moment while they are with me.
There were two or three people in the room trying to put an IV in my arm. I
was so dehydrated that they had no immediate success. My arms were feeling like
pin cushions. How many times do they have to poke me? I thought. The noise of
the nurses discussing how to get the IV in, and my parents arguing was not helping
me stay calm at all. Finally success, the IV was in.
My pain had subsided due to the drip of medication given through that
annoying tube now strapped to my arm by clear tape. I couldnt have anything to
eat. The only nutrition I could have was through that same tube. The questions
hadnt stopped. However the pregnancy question had somehow dropped. My nurse
asked When was the last time that you had a bowel movement? I looked at her
puzzled. A what? She recognized that I didnt know what she was talking about.
She changed her wording When was the last time you were able to have stool in
the toilet? I was even more confused. What is stool? The only stool I know of is
the one that you sit on. Maybe its some sort of doctor words for toilet. I thought.
Finally, the plain question, When was the last time you were able

to poop? she asked. I hated these embarrassing questions. I didnt want any
more questions. I hated having everything measured and evaluated. I felt like a
science project.

It had been three days since my emergency room visit and still no answers.
Even though I had been nourished by the IV, I was hungry. I wanted something real
to eat. My sister and old Barbie buddy Ilene, got to stay with me that day. She
went downstairs to the cafeteria to get something to eat. She brought her food
back to my room. She had a nice, juicy, hamburger with lettuce, tomatoes, onions,
pickles, the works. My heart sank. I could taste it. I watched as she took her first
bite. The hamburger was so big that she had to squish it to fit it in her mouth. Oh,
how badly I wanted her to share with me. I knew that I couldnt have it. I was too
sick.
Despite the questions and lack of real food, I kind of liked staying in the
hospital. I didnt have to hear fighting at home, I got my own TV, and I got to pick
what I wanted to watch. The silence could sometimes be deafening, though. I
usually had someone from my family with me during the day, but both of my
parents worked so there were times that Id be left with only the companionship of
the hospital staff. The answers were finally coming, but I needed a colonoscopy to
make sure. The test results were clear. I had a colon infection. The salad, that
delicious chicken salad from Wendys had made me sick. How could a simple salad
possibly make me sick? I thought. Never again would I eat anything that was left in
a car.
I was in the hospital for two weeks. Sure I got flowers, a banner, balloons,
stuffed animals, and my own TV, but all in all it was miserable. I had to eat a liquid
diet of broth, Jell-O, and juice for days and even some when I got home. I was very
embarrassed by the questions and the tests that needed to be done. The
colonoscopy was the worst. The way I remember it, it was no picnic. If you ask my
family members Im sure there would be a whole new twist.

Now over twenty years later, I dont mind staying in the hospital too much. I
find it a way to escape all of the responsibilities that I have at home. I look forward
to being in the hospital more often in my future, not as a patient, but as an RN.

Lets All Suit Up!

By, Michell Maynes
May 4, 2015
Instructor: Brittany Stephenson
English 1010

Let Us All Suit Up!

Behemoth in a Bathrobe was published three times. First, in the Christian Science
Monitor, February 4, 2003. Second, in The Impossible Will Take a Little While by Paul Rogat
Loeb, in New York, 2013. Lastly, in the Huffington Post just last year on May 12, 2014.(1) The
author, Carla Seaquist is a writer and a playwright. She has had several careers in political
positions, has a major in international relations, and is well educated. She also now serves on the
board of Humanities Washington.(6) She has written a book called Manufacturing Hope: Post9/11 Notes on Politics, Culture, Torture, and the American Character that came out in 2009. She
is in the process of a new book called Can America Save Itself From Decline?: Politics, Culture,
Morality, due to be released in the near future.(1) In a time that Americas President was
campaigning for the country to go to war with Iraq, the supposed cause of the 9/11 attack on
America, and the tragedy of 9/11 still fresh in Americas minds, Seaquist writes Behemoth in A
Bathrobe as a post in the Christian Science Monitor, hoping to plead with the American people,
to put aside their fears, and take a political stand.
Carla Seaquist, in her essay Behemoth in a Bathrobe-The Small Voice of Conscience
Converses with the American Psyche, suggests that America needs to find courage and become
once again united and suit up for what seems to be facing our country. The text is written in
dialogue form. The Small Voice of Conscience is known as Voice, and the American Psyche is
known as Behemoth throughout the essay. A Behemoth, is an animal, any creature or thing of
monstrous size or power.(2) The essay addresses the state that America is in now. It points

out that the American people are fearful and passive and avoiding whats going on. The
essay encourages the American Psyche to stop being passive, change direction, and take control
of the future.
The conversation starts with the voice startling a very uninterested Behemoth that is distracted by
television and food. The voice is determined yet annoyed by the lack of interest and the
direction that the Behemoth has taken. The voice says Were in bad psychic shape. The
behemoth is still in his bathrobe.
Seaquist starts out by saying that even a decade after 9/11 we, as Americans, have lost our can
do spirit. That we have put a man on the moon, yet we let the Bush administration lead us into
war with Iraq. She talks about scandals and financial crashes that our country has witnessed and
we, as she says, sat back passively while they happened. She says that we are avoiding what
really needs to happen in America. She says that America has retreated to our bathrobe and any
terrorist, any declinist would be thrilled that weve done so. Seaquist addresses the wars that
we as a country have been united through and that we have now reduced ourselves to fear. She
says that we have become narcissists and need to come together again. She pushes for
existentialism and encourages selflessness. She finishes quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson in saying
Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of our own mind, suggesting that if we dont do
something about our countries psychiatric state and let our integrity take over, then our country
will crumble.
The Behemoth slowly becomes interested in what the voice is saying and wants to know
what he can do. The voice continues to motivate and encourage the Behemoth and wants to
know if the Behemoth is ready to suit up.

On the surface Behemoth in a Bathrobe may seem an immature dialogue between a

biblical creature, the Behemoth, and what some may consider their conscience, the voice. The
essay shows otherwise with an aim at the American sensitivity. Pathos is used in a shot at
Americas painful memories of 9/11 and other events in American history. Ethos is used to
address the current situation of America, using fairness combined with facts. The essay is
intertwined with logos to encourage America to change. The dialogue between the Behemoth
and the Voice is an effective way to get under the skin of the intended audience, the American
people, to inspire and motivate us to action.

Seaquist uses pathos by mentioning a painful yet vivid event for all Americans, a day that
transformed our hearts and racked our souls, while creating fear in our minds. The essay brings
these memories of 9/11, the day everything changed, to the surface. She seems to imply that
through the event of 9/11 America worked together to get through the tragedy that had struck the
nation, but has somehow lost our spark. She addresses the motivation and intelligence of
America, mentioning the first man on the moon.

She addresses well known early American

thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson and his essay called Self Reliance about how people should
say what they are thinking and use it for good not waiting for another to speak up, because then it
is no longer our thought that we have to go with, it is someone elses(5). She also mentions
early American, Emily Dickinson and her poem The Snake earlier called A Narrow Fellow
in the Grass(3), talking about fear. Seaquist then mentions the fear that America has once had
through the Revolution, the Civil War, the Great Depression, two world wars. She says there

was fear, but we faced it together. Throughout her essay she addresses known Americans and
mentions the word Americans, even though we know that the Behemoth represents us as
Americans. This reminds us that this is not a passive notion or merely a cute little dialogue
cartoon, but something that applies to us.
Through ethos Seaquist talks about how too many Americans have stayed passive when
events like the war in Iraq and the Enron scandal were happening. She talks about how we did
do something about the 2008 financial crash-with Occupy Wall Street- but then slunk back to our
sofas. She talks about how we sit out Congressional elections, then complain about a do-nothing
congress. She uses great insight by saying, any terrorist, any declinist would be thrilled weve
retreated to our bathrobe. By making this claim, she leads the reader to see that our country is
currently weak, and anyone that wants to wage war with us, would benefit from our decline.
She mentions how this has slowly but surely happened in saying, we are consuming trash
TV and reality shows that exalt humiliation, violence, sex-a tawdry reality to convey to our
kids. The use of the word tawdry-meaning gaudy; showy and cheap, really emphasizes her point.
Seaquist says that instead of admiring real heroes like the rescue workers of 9/11, weve reverted
to the unreal kind-celebrities-who behave ever more moronically- The emotion of what is
happening to your country certainly links to your ethics and what is right. When mentioning the
heroes of 9/11, the author pulls at the readers memories, of that horrific day that has impacted
Americans months and years later, and the thoughts of those that showed true love of our country
by putting their lives on the line to rescue their fellow men. The author uses a Behemoth- a
creature of monstrous size or power, to represent America. She could have used some other
effect such as Homer Simpson, lazy, sloppy, etc., etc., but instead she used something that should

represent the American people, something to help us see that we are strong and powerful if we
would just get out of our bathrobe.
Through logos Seaquist talks about getting over our narcissism, or fascination with
ourselves, and come together again. There is great bluntness and passion here. She then
mentions that the carnival of fear is a step in the right direction. Using the word carnival, the
author creates a seen of chaos, noise and calamity, great examples of what egocentric people tend
to look like. She continues, while protesting, to think-and think clearly-is capital-A Action.
Question the use of labels-good, evil. Question premises, motive-Main Street must get much
better at questioning Wall Street, and the politicians in its pocket. And question any
administrations resorting to national security as justification for use of force, for snooping and
spying on us- She creates such a passion, such motivation for the reader to not want to let fear
overtake them and for them to get out of their bathrobe and get moving.
The essay uses events in American history that shaped our country, events that hit
Americans to the core. The author started out strong with an event that was over a decade ago
but still very fresh in many Americans minds, 9/11. Mentioning these sacred events makes the
reader more engaged and passionate, because these are events that hit home, that draw emotion
and personal feelings. The author addresses fear, this time through the Behemoth, now
believing in the cause, says and dont let our fear be manipulated. History is replete with
people manipulated by fear, which is why so much history is tragic. She continues with saying
that we will earn our smile once again. She ends with another quote from Ralph Waldo
Emerson, Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of our own mind. She mentions this

knowing that no one is to blame for Americas condition other than America herself. Then she
again addresses the bathrobe and says Shall we suit up?
The style is quite unique as a dialogue. The dialogues helps the reader to see that the
power to improve is within themselves and that they need to be the one to make a change. The
organization is smooth and well organized. The Behemoth starting out to seem lazy and
uninterested seems to make the reader interested, wondering if there will be a change or if the
voice will be as if, talking to a wall. The emotion is empowerment and encouraging. The main
points are well put as that America seems to do great things and then slunk back to our sofas.
The text implies that America needs to be consistent and take action. The author added italics to
words that needed emphasis throughout the text helping the reader to feel the passion in the
wording. The text has a metaphor of an uninterested Behemoth that seems to not be listening.
Or is he? The text implies that although people seem as though they are not listening, the more
you talk the more they may start to listen.
In all, the text is a unique way to address the political and social issues in a strong
Behemoth type country. It conveys its point well and uses all of the appeals to present the
message in a rhetorical way. I do however wonder why, when she published each of her three
copies of the essay, she changed some of the dialogue. Something Id like to ask the author if I
ever had the chance. Possibly, the minor changes and the multiple publications, could be
implying that we, are even still, in our bathrobes.

References:
1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carla-seaquist/behemoth-in-a-bathrobe-americanculture_b_5278150.html
2. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/behemoth?s=t
3. http://www.cswnet.com/~erin/ed10.htm
4. http://www.economist.com/node/940091
5. http://youmeworks.com/selfreliance.html
6. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carla-seaquist/

Michell Maynes
Stephenson
English 1010
May 4, 2015

Autism and Vaccines, the Controversy

Michael age 12, sits on the church bench while the opening song is sung. He
begins to plug his ears and has an irritated look on his face. He starts humming to
himself, with his ears still plugged, seeming to try and drown out the noise of others
singing around him. His humming gets louder and louder as the song progresses.
His mother, very patiently, recognizes Michaels irritation and gently leads him into
the hallway until the song is over.
Michael has Autism. What is Autism (also known as Autism Spectrum
Disorder or ASD), you ask? According to the Department of Health and Human
Services, or the HHS,
Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that results in difficulty with
social interactions and problems in communication and imaginative play. It is a
life-long disorder often diagnosed

in toddlers aged 18 to 30 months. More

common in boys, autism characteristics can include a

dislike for human touch,

social isolation and repetitive interests and behaviors. Some children

diagnosed

with autism also experience sensitivities to sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.
Epilepsy also occurs in about 30 percent of individuals with autism. There is
considerable

variability in the severity of the symptoms, and intellectual

function can range from profound

mental retardation to above average

performance on IQ tests. In the majority of cases, no

specific underlying cause

of autism can be identified. However, research suggests that it could

be a

genetically-based brain disorder that develops during the first few weeks of fetal
growth.
What causes Autism is still up for debate. The numbers are rising of the children
that are diagnosed with autism. Unfortunately they are rising quite fast. In 2002,
ASD affected about 1 in 150 children in the U.S., according to the CDC; by 2010 the
amount climbed to about 1 in 68 (Healy).
We as Americans are problem solvers. We want answers. So, what or who is
to blame for this disease? Many years ago in the late 1990s, a doctor at the time,
Andrew Wakefield, stepped forward to shed some light on the subject. Wakefield
purposed that the cause of Autism was vaccines, mainly the MMR, one shot that
combines vaccines for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. Wakefields study was later
retracted in 2010 by the U.K.s General Medical Council, giving Americans and
others plenty of time to accept or reject the theory ( Ziv).
Wakefield scared America, and has since continued to push his anti-vaccine
view. Was Wakefield right? Is there reason to worry about vaccines and the risks of
Autism in our children? What is causing the rising numbers of Autistic diagnosis?
Has Wakefield scared America into thinking something that is not true or is there
something to be said about the amount of vaccines that are injected into our
children at a young age? If Wakefield is wrong, can America trust the medical
sciences? After all, Wakefield was part of the medical sciences.

Since the vaccine war began there have been many parents that have chosen
not to vaccinate their children at all, and some that have chosen to delay the CDC
recommended schedule for child vaccines. Are these parents afraid of Autism or
have they pulled away from vaccines for different reasons? What about the parents
that have children with Autism, how do they feel about vaccines? Do the risks of
vaccines outweigh the benefits? If we, as Americans, choose not to vaccinate will
the age

old diseases of Polio, Measles, Rubella, etc. find their way back into American
society? If so, whos responsible? You decide.
Who is Andrew Wakefield and why did his study cause such an uproar?
Andrew Wakefield is both revered and reviled. To a small group of parents,
hes a hero who wont back down from his assertion that the measles, mumps and
rubella (MMR) vaccine can cause autism, says Newsweek reporter Stav Ziv. Ziv
continues,
To most, however, hes the man who authored a fraudulent study that has
been refuted many

times and was retracted by the journal that published it, a

man whose views carry dangerous

consequences for all of us. They will tell you

that the former doctor-stripped of his license in

2010 by the U.K.s General

Medical Council for ethical violations and failure to disclose

potentially

competing financial interest- has derailed public confidence in vaccination programs

that were safely eradicating serious and highly contagious diseases.

Zivs view of Wakefield is obviously very strong. Many agree with Ziv and others
support Wakefield.
Wakefields report was published in 1998 and is as far as I can tell the beginning of
the war between vaccines and autism.

What do parents with children that have Autism say?

I interviewed to moms with children that have Autism. I specifically asked
them if they felt that there was a link between their childs Autism and vaccinations.
Michelle a mother of a six year old
autistic child said that while she was pregnant she did some research on
vaccinations. She says that being a scientist has helped her learn to sort through all
types of research and she felt like she did some heavy research on the subject.
Michelle continues to say that she found no good scientific evidence that made the
risks of vaccinations be greater than the risk of not getting vaccinations. She goes
on to say that she does not feel that her child became Autistic due to vaccinations.
She talks about other family members that attribute their childs autism to
vaccinations, due to accidental double injection. She says that she cannot object to
that thought as she cannot say one way or another.
Tammy a mother of an adult son with Autism also does not attribute
vaccinations to her sons Autism. She says that there was something different
about her pregnancy with her son compared to her other two pregnancies. She said
that something just felt strange. She goes on to say that she noticed distinct

differences in her Autistic son from the time that he was born. She says that she
feels that her sons Autism started in the womb.
Not all mothers agree with Michelle and Tammy. You can google Autism and
vaccines and you will find many opposing stories. Research is still unclear of the
cause of Autism, however much is to be said about the research done to prove that
Autism and vaccines have no link. Some recent research seems to go along with
Tammys theory of her sons Autism. Melissa Healy in a report put out just days ago
had this to say,
Over the last decade, the search for autisms causes have shifted definitively
away from the

infant and toddler years and focused increasingly on factors at

play mostly in utero and even before, said Margaret Daniele Fallin, director of the
Wendy Klag Center for Autism and

Developmental Disabilities at the Johns

Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Fallin was part of a team that studied the sperm of men whose children had
early signs of

autism. They found a distinct pattern in the epigenetic tags

that help regulate the activity of

genes, especially those that play a role in

brain development, according to results published last

week in the International

Journal of Epidemiology.

Why do some parents still choose not to vaccinate or delay vaccinations?

Although the Wakefield project was retracted and the link between vaccines
and autism has been debunked in many, many studies, parents are still choosing
not to vaccinate. Laura Blaisdell, a pediatrician says,

Doubt about the safety of vaccines has spread from the fringes to
typical parents who have read sophisticated anti-vaccination messages on the
Internet. The anti-vaccination movement started in the late 1990s, stemming from
a study linking autism to vaccines that has since been debunked. National surveys
report that people choosing to opt out of vaccines tend to be upper middle class
and educated, and autism is only part of the reason for the skepticism(qtd. in
Lawlor).
In Maine the amount of children being vaccinated is declining and declining fast
(Lawlor). Mainers question the safety of vaccines and have one of the highest rates
of unvaccinated children in the US (Lawlor). One belief of this reasoning comes
from Chelsea Kidd or Rockland, saying that this is due to the earth friendly, natural
ways of most Maine residents (Lawlor).
From the view of those that approve vaccines, some parents choose not to
vaccinate, not because they are anti-vaccine, but rather vaccine-anxious says Mark
Largent, author of Vaccine: The Debate in Modern America(Paulson). Many
parents wonder whos right in the debate and worry about doing the right thing for
their child.

Pediatrician, Laura Blaisdell, states, Patients who doubt vaccines are

most often not anti-vaccine crusaders, but people who are misinformed(qtd. in
Lawlor).
Other parents delay vaccines due to the worry of overwhelming their childs body
with too many vaccines at one given time. (Lawlor) Some parents have read books
that give a delayed schedule as an alternative to the recommended CDC schedule,
helping parents feel that this is a safer alternative. (Lawlor)

Others feel that they have the freedom to choose when to give their children
vaccines and that they dont want the government or anyone else to tell them when
or if they should get their children vaccines. (Lawlor)
Parents choose not to vaccinate or delay vaccinations for religious reasons, ethical
reasons, and personal reasons. Their main plight is that its their child and they can
choose for themselves.

Are those that are choosing not to vaccinate or to delay posing a risk to
others in society?
Parents who choose not to vaccinate their children, public health advocates
say, are engaging in irresponsible behavior that puts the most vulnerable members
of society at risk (Paulson). Earlier this year a large amount of people ended up with
the measles, about twice as many cases as in all of 2012(Paulson). In 2000, the
disease was officially declared eliminated in the United States (Paulson).
Could this possibly show that those that are choosing not to vaccinate are helping
this debilitating disease and possibly others to make a comeback? Blaisdell says, If
youre in the same room as someone who has contracted measles and youre not
vaccinated, youre pretty much going to get measles (qtd. in Lawlor).

Paulson

reports,
The recent measles epidemic has some parents rethinking their choices.
Heather, a Boulder

parent of two who chose to use a pseudonym

because the rhetoric has gotten so hearted, has

largely refused vaccinations for

her two daughters. Among her community of friends, her choice

is

hardly

unusual. And she goes to a respected local doctor who supported that choice-but
who

recently e-mailed his patients to say that he is now recommending the MMR

vaccine and will be

giving it to his own children. Heather is considering

getting the vaccine, at least for her older

daughter, and is thinking about the

risks to other members of the community.

This is a new twist to the Autism, Vaccine debate. First people were worried about
vaccines and Autism. Now many people are worried that the population that has
delayed or refused to vaccinate will be causing age old diseases to make their way
back.

In Conclusion
There is still a lot to uncover about Autism and its causes (Michelle). There
has definitely been a scare in America and the scare is now growing with other
diseases that are beginning to resurface. I dont know that I feel that forcing
everyone to get vaccinated is the proper route to go. That being said I dont know
that I am encouraging others to not vaccinate their children either. This is a hot
debate that doesnt seem to be ending anytime soon. However, it does seem to be
steering away from linking Autism to vaccines. I feel that there are now two
different debates, what causes Autism? And, should vaccinations be mandatory?

Works Cited

Healy, Melissa. "Vaccine Threat in At-Risk Kids Is Rejected." Los Angeles Times. 22
Apr. 2015: A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.

"HHS Leads Efforts in Autism Research." HHS Fact Sheet. 28 Apr. 2000: n.p. SIRS
Government Reporter. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.

Lawlor, Joe. "More Maine Parents Opt Out of Vaccines for Kids." Portland Press
Herald. 10 Aug. 2014: A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.

Michaelson, Michelle. Personal Interview. 25 April 2015

Paulson, Amanda. "Why Do Some Parents Choose Not to Vaccinate?." Christian

Science Monitor. 03 Feb. 2015: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.

Wright, Tammy. Personal Interview. 25 April 2015

Ziv, Stav. "Andrew Wakefield, Father of the Anti-Vaccine Movement, Responds..."

Newsweek. 20 Feb. 2015: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Apr. 2015