Shieldmaiden of Scotland

The outer manifestation of my inner 12-year-old geeky fangirl, though I swear a hell of a lot more now. I tag so you can blacklist. :-) Like looking at pictures of thistles and Highland cows? Thistles and Hielan Kine

[writertobridge-deactivated20230]

Measles making comeback as parents opt out of vaccines

A Texas medical researcher is raising concerns about a potential large-scale comeback of the measles.

I am. So angry.

Listen to me.

I do not care whether or not you believe vaccines cause autism. Even though studies have shown time and time again that vaccines don’t cause autism and the original study stating that there was a link with autism and vaccines was fraudulent, it does not matter.

The reason that people are concerned about vaccines causing autism is because they’re not thinking of the long-term. Here’s the truth: when you are choosing to not having your child vaccinated because you’re afraid of autism, you are actively choosing death over a neurodevelopmental disorder. Let me phrase that in another way – you are either picking autism or death. It doesn’t have to be the death of your child. It can be literally any child. And death is the worst case scenario. Autism is not the worst case scenario. Death is always and will constantly be the worst case scenario.

There are children who are too young to get vaccines. There are kids who have compromised immune systems that cannot get vaccines. Your child getting vaccinated prevents these illnesses from spreading and keeps those children safe. It’s called community immunity and it’s important to maintain that so people don’t die.

tl;dr - Stop being a selfish asshole and get your kids vaccinated. There are worse things in the world than autism.

And before anyone starts coming to my inbox screaming about how “I don’t know how bad autism can be”, I know. Not only do I have a neurodevelopmental disorder, but I also had a friend with a severely autistic brother that could not talk when he was fifteen. I know. And even after witnessing him and being through my own shit, I would still get my kids vaccinated because I want them, and other kids, to live.

[shrewreadings]

WTF, people.

Why the fuck do you think that your fear of autism (ungrounded, btw), beats someone else’s RIGHT TO LIVE?!?!

You don’t want to vaccinate your kid. Goody gumdrops.

You expose your godchild - who’s too young to be vaccinated.

You expose your sister-in-law - who is going through chemo (because having cancer isn’t bad enough), and immunocompromised.

You expose everyone they come in contact with - BECAUSE MEASLES STAYS ACTIVE FOR UP TO TWO HOURS ON SURFACES AND IN THE AIR OF A SPACE.

Number of people killed by symptoms associated with autism diagnoses: 0.

Number of people killed by measles in 2015: 134,000

Number of people killed per annum before vaccination became widespread in 1980: 2,600,000 (paraphrased from WHO).

(Source: World Health Organization. http://who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs286/en/)

VACCINATE YOUR FUCKING KIDS.

[orgy-of-nerdiness]

Measles is not harmless. Researchers noticed that after the measles vaccine came out, kids started dying less from other diseases as well. It turns out that measles suppresses your immune system for YEARS (and no, no amount of vitamin C or zinc is going to make up for that).

Source (on mobile so these are going to be ugly links) NPR article (easier reading, you don’t have to be a scientist): http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/05/07/404963436/scientists-crack-a-50-year-old-mystery-about-the-measles-vaccine Article in Science (a very highly ranked journal): http://science.sciencemag.org/content/348/6235/694

VACCINATE YOUR FUCKING KIDS

[shieldmaidenofscotland]

Really. Death is not as bad as autism, huh? Explain that to your dying child. Or better yet, vaccinate.

[reginaeinferos]

Nothing is going to change. Americans love their guns more than they love people and after Sandy Hook we decided that killing over 20 children was acceptable and not outrageous enough to make reasonable restrictions on guns. This is America, a country that has been around for 200 years, a superpower, a 1st world nation, and one of the wealthiest countries on the planet and we refuse to protect our own people. We respect guns more than we respect the lives of people. 

[therevenantrising-deactivated20]

What specific gun control measures would you propose and how would they directly and effectively make society safer?

[reginaeinferos]

Absolutely get rid of all AR-15′s and the like.

Intense background and criminal background checks and anything violent automatically disqualifies you.

Make getting a gun/gun permit more like getting a driver’s license:

permit to learn

includes an exam with 18 or more questions on the policies, laws, and etc of guns and gun ownership

if you get more than 8 questions incorrect you must retake it.

30 hours of practical experience at a gun range with a licensed teacher

Must take a 5 hour class on the dangers of guns and how to use them safely which will then yield you a certificate that grants you to take the practical exam and lasts for one year. If you don’t gain the license within the allotted year you must retake the class.

A practical exam with a licensed instructor who will grade you on various skills. If you pass you may be granted a permit on the weapon of your choice, the exams may differ on the type of firearm you want.

Follow the Japanese model where you must have two gun safes in different areas of the house, one to store the gun and one to store the bullets and you must provide the police with information on where those safes are.

No concealed carry and only handguns may be allowed to be out in public.

If transporting a weapon, it must be in the trunk of the vehicle, in a bag or some other case, safety on and unloaded and may not leave the vehicle until you are at the destination.

If you’re a hunter or some other gun hobbyist that requires a functional weapon other than a handgun then the gun must stay on the premises, whether that is a gun range or the Fish and Wildlife facility.

If you live in a rural area where police (and people, for that matter) are few and far between, something akin to a deer hunting rifle should provide plenty of protection from predators and poachers, you still have to follow the aforementioned steps.

This doesn’t cover everything but I think it’s a good place to start.

[therevenantrising-deactivated20]

Can you show me evidence that this would directly and effectively create a safer society?

[reginaeinferos]

[oh-snap-pro-choice]

I have never laughed so hard at a gun law post. Like seriously, the evidence is in fucking reality. The proposed restrictions are just fucking logic.

[shieldmaidenofscotland]

"When you're going through hell, keep going."

Someone said that to me recently. It's nice and all, but would someone like to tell me HOW?

[zenshipper]

#filibuster #holdthefloor

[famouspeoplelovingdachshunds]

Ian McKellan

[shieldmaidenofscotland]

Are you back?! I've missed you!

Full time, the way I was? Probably not, but I’ve missed this place and all my lovely friends on here so much!! I’m going to try to be around at least a little more. :-)

[michaelmoonsbookshop]

The Herb Robert Fairy from Flower Fairies of the Summer

by Cicley Mary Barker

[shieldmaidenofscotland]

I am neither anti-gun nor anti-gun ownership (there's a hunting rifle in my hall closet and I've had the privilege of shooting several different handguns (safely, at a range) and I've looked into purchasing a Glock), however... I see a sign like this and I think "yeah, what's your point?" I mean, I get it - a ban on assault weapons won't stop people from killing each other. They'll still find a way. But...so? We shouldn't make it harder for that to happen? By that logic, we should probably make having nuclear weapons in our houses legal, too, right? I mean, if people are going to kill each other anyway... And this isn't apples to apples here. "Cain killed Abel with a rock". One guy. Killing one guy. With one rock. Definitely not comparable to Orlando, or Sandy Hook, or Colorado, or any of those other places. It's not like Cain showed up at the old agora with a sack of rocks and something that allowed him to throw multiple rocks at multiple people per minute. Not convinced? Imagine a man walks into a first grade class with a rock. How many 6-year-olds do you think he can kill before the teacher clocks him with a fire extinguisher or a globe or stabs him in the eye with a pencil or something? One? Two? Tragic, yes, but how many can he kill armed with an assault weapon? Oh wait...THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENED AND THE ANSWER IS TWENTY. Twenty 6-year-olds that had presents waiting for them under their Christmas trees that they never got to open. Or how about we make this more personal? Suppose you're walking home at night and you're without your arsenal. Your route takes you down one of two dark alleys. Neither will save you either time or distance. In one, a guy is lurking with a rock. In the other, a guy is lurking with an AR-15. With which one are you going to try your luck? Which one gives you the better chance of making it home? See the difference yet? This "people will kill people anyway" thing is a fallacy. And let's not argue about what the founding fathers did or did not foresee. Unless Doctor Who swoops in with the TARDIS, we'll never answer that question accurately. I suppose it's possible there's some reasonable explanation that it should remain easier to obtain an AR-15 than it is to get a driver's license or more than one box of Sudafed at a time, but I've yet to hear it. If you've got one, hit me up. But please try not to be abusive or rude. My inbox is open.

[singingjennie]

[fresh-fallen-leaves-blog]

sweater weather

[shieldmaidenofscotland]

Glorious.

[demelzahcarne]

[shieldmaidenofscotland]

Probably wouldn't have posted this today, but I don't take kindly to people policing what "should" or "shouldn't" be posted. I highly doubt that anyone thinks that this was all there was to this show or to Aidan Turner's performance. If I get pissed enough, I may post the shirtless scything picture every hour.

[armitageadmirer-deactivated2019]

Is he gonna read David Copperfield for Audible?

[shieldmaidenofscotland]

Or there's yet ANOTHER fight in the fandom.

[shieldmaidenofscotland]

Oooh the sweet new chapter ! I missed this so very much and it got my mood from desperate to happy giggling phase at 6.30 am thank you a LOT for that. Waiting for chapter 21 is so exciting (claps hands and smiles uncontrollably) :D

Yay! I’m so glad you found it! Even gladder that it gave you a giggle or two! That’s honestly the greatest compliment I could ever get. :-)

[shieldmaidenofscotland]

To the readers of “Another Unexpected Journey”...

...I don't mean to alarm any of you, but I've actually posted a new Maggie chapter. This is not a drill. Or a sign of the Apocalypse. That I know of.

[toriffic]

[fightblr]

“Dillhole” 😂

[wrath-the-furious-deactivated20]

HOT FUCKING DAMN

READ THIS EVERYBODY

[bottomthorin1-deactivated201508]

[fallingforouy]

IF YOU ARE READING THIS,  YOU HAVE SURVIVED YOUR ENTIRE LIFE UP UNTIL THIS POINT. YOU HAVE SURVIVED TRAUMAS, HEARTBREAK, DEVASTATION, THE DIFFERENT PHASES OF LIFE. AND HERE YOU GO, MOTHERFUCKER. YOU ARE AWESOME.

[liamrimmington]

www.instillmotion.co www.instagram.com/liampea