Sunday, October 14, 2007

Vaccinations for NASCAR?!?!?!

Seriously? Seriously?!?!?!?! From an article on Yahoo News:

"In an e-mail, a staffer who works for committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., noted an "unusual need for whomever attending to be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B," as well as "the more normal things — tetanus, diphtheria, and of course, seasonal influenza.""

Well, Representative Thompson, I seriously wonder what you are thinking? Are you attempting to say that NASCAR fans are more likely to be carrying these diseases? That is the only logical explanation I can come up with for such an assinine statement. And I can't help but wonder why you would happen to think that these fans would be so much more likely to be carrying these diseases than the average person in the South.

Is it because they are "rednecks"? Or maybe it is because you are certain that they lack the education necessary to have a knowledge of such diseases and immunizations. No wait! I know...I bet it was because you assume that these diseases are spread by simple contact with "simple" people, right?

Getting special immunizations before international travel is a common thing, primarily because in various parts of the world, some diseases are more prevalent than they are here. But this was not for international travel, it was for domestic travel. In fact, I would imagine that a number of Representative Thompson's constituents are some of those NASCAR fans whom he feels such a disdain for.

Mr. Thompson, that was both uncalled for and tacky. I would say that you owe NASCAR and their fans an apology.

No comments: