A reader is struggling with the ‘unsafe choices’ her brother makes for his kids.
What is interesting about this is that they are willing to do it when it seems rather necessary:
My brother and his wife refuse to vaccinate their children—unless they’re forced to, like when their kids were kicked out of school for being unvaccinated, specifically for not having the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) jab.
This is not super extreme. Obviously, you maynot agree with him, but… I don’t even know where one gets off disowning family.
“Are you willing to toss out your brother because you picked different sides of a debate on which neither of you is especially qualified to render a judgment?”
Should really be
“Are you willing to toss out your brother because he picked a sides of a debate on which qualified scientists have already rendered an accurate judgment and pointlessly risks his children’s life? YES!"
Science beats identity politics.
Are you a conservative? If not… “Would you disown your brother for going trans because science beats identity politics?”
But really, my whole thing is… why disown anyone over their politics?
Yes.
Politics isn’t some imaginary concept, it has real world implications that affect peoples lives.
Trans people have nothing to do with conservatism, that’s some weird Anglo thing.
So you are saying that culture war issues are not really a conservative thing… Because in your country trans people are just a fully normal, integrated part of mainstream politics, or…?
I’m saying we have real issues to focus on. Only a weird person would spend their time and energy caring about what’s in peoples pants.
It’s not about individuals, but about the public consensus around basic social norms…
Which falls into both liberal/conservative camps.
