RFK Jr., vaccines, and why this hits home

I’ve said it before: the “Kennedy curse” isn’t fate—it’s RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine crusade. My family saw what preventable disease can do. In 1965, my grandmother had rubella (German measles); my uncle was born Deaf. Congenital rubella syndrome maimed and killed thousands of babies before vaccination was routine. Watching people minimize these risks is infuriating.

He also grew up when many Deaf kids were encouraged not to learn sign language and instead assimilate into hearing culture— which often employed tactics we would now see as child abuse. If you want context on that fight, check out the Gallaudet movement—Apple TV+’s Deaf President Now! is a good introduction from the Deaf community..

What U.S. vaccine advisers actually did (and didn’t) do

Headlines made it sound like “advisers voted against MMR for little kids.” That’s not what happened. CDC’s advisory committee discussed the MMRV combination shot (measles–mumps–rubella–varicella) before age 4 and did not add it as a routine recommendation. The standard MMR (plus separate varicella) recommendations remain in place. However, many young parents may not understand what this means for their kids.

Separately, they revisited details around hepatitis B at birth—a highly infectious, potentially fatal liver disease. Newborn HepB vaccination remains pivotal; the debate was about schedule mechanics, not whether HepB is “serious.” Bottom line: measles can kill; rubella devastates fetuses; HepB can be lifelong and deadly. Vaccines changed that story.

Autism, politics, and bad “silver bullets”

Sweeping claims about “discovering the cause of autism” keep surfacing in politics. There isn’t a single proven “cause,” and efforts to pin autism on common medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) run contrary to medical guidelines and the weight of current evidence. These narratives stigmatize autistic people and distract from supports that help.

On Gaza, “genocide” language, and reading the law

The U.N. Commission of Inquiry’s long report argues Israel’s actions meet multiple prongs of the Genocide Convention. The hardest, most contested element is intent. I don’t agree with the report’s conclusion on intent, but it’s crucial to read the documents themselves and understand the legal thresholds before slinging labels. Hamas’s indoctrination and use of civilians—including children—are real and documented; Israel’s current government has also made grave errors that have cost civilians dearly. Durable peace requires de-radicalization, credible governance that excludes Hamas, and real education—not propaganda—on both sides.

Charter note: Hamas’s original Article 7

Whatever later political updates say, Article 7 of Hamas’s 1988 Covenant contains an eliminationist passage (the “Gharqad tree” hadith): “The Day of Judgment will not come until Muslims fight the Jews…”

This is plain evidence of genocidal intent in the founding text. See the English translation via Yale’s Avalon Project.

• Avalon Project: Hamas Covenant (1988), Article 7

Media read: the Tyler Robinson coverage

A Vox analysis notes how quickly audiences try to sort perpetrators into tidy left/right boxes—often with misgendering his roommate/girlfriend and bad-faith leaps about people around them. The sober take: we don’t know enough to claim a neat political narrative, and certainty mostly serves tribal comfort.

Public grief and rhetoric

Public grieving gets amplified and distorted. “Battle-cry” language—whoever it comes from—lands like a call to vengeance, and kids will one day read it. That isn’t a legal point; it’s an ethical one about what we model when the cameras are on.

Where I land

• Don’t nostalgia-wash measles, rubella, or HepB. Schedules should stay clear and evidence-based.
• Stop selling a single “cause” of autism; fund supports that work.
• Legal terms like “genocide” have exacting thresholds—read the primary sources.
• End states matter: de-radicalization, credible governance without Hamas, and real education on both sides.