By Guthrie “Guff” Worth
I am glad to live in a country that allows discussion, opposition and lets people express themselves without placing themselves at risk. But I also think this assumes fairness and honesty. Sadly, as I read comments about a number of subjects ? health care, flu shots and GMOs, for example, I see instances where people are using scare words to stir up fear in a lot of people.
Might, could and may are all true ? given infinite time! But to be relative to any argument, they have to be qualified by an estimate of the odds of the might, could or may be happening. I might live to be 150 years old, which is absolutely true. But the probability that I will is far less than 1,000th of a percent! Not hardly likely.
Whether we like it or not, we live in a world determined by random chance. Things do go wrong, or go differently than we predict. I think it is reasonable to presume that people do not purposefully and voluntarily act badly. But accidents do happen. Sooner or later I may hit someone with my car; sooner or later the pharmacist may give me the wrong medicine; for every vaccine ever developed there will be some few that may be badly affected; an attorney may give honest, if inaccurate, advice. On the other hand, I accept the odds that I will not hit someone and keep driving; I trust the pharmacist, so I accept the medicine; I know that a very miniscule percent of the people receiving vaccines may be badly affected, but I accept the odds ? and hope that those who do not, won”t spread diseases to others, and so on.
I am thankful that the use of vaccines has reduced diseases such as polio, typhoid, smallpox, yellow fever and others to levels that can be lived with. People have died from these vaccines too, but, from the world”s view, it is far better off even with the sacrifice. The concept should not be limited to vaccines. Listen or read carefully to the advertisements for virtually all medicines and not the possible side effects. Scary, but relatively low probability. And most of us happily accept that the potential benefit far outweighs the probability of risk. I suspect we will have to deal with GMOs in the same way. It is part of the way we have to live our lives!
Guthrie “Guff” Worth
Lakeport
Bee
