You would think that all US senators would agree that the healthcare system in America is not working because so many Americans, including children, are sick and out of shape! Nonetheless, instead of cheering on Robert F, Kennedy Jr, some senators felt that he should be mercilessly attacked at the Senate Confirmation Hearings.
I was shocked at how disrespectful some of the senators were towards RFK Jr. The Kennedy family has sacrificed more than any other family for this country. In addition, Robert Kennedy Jr has spent decades helping ordinary Americans. Given this background, he did not deserve such distasteful treatment. Nonetheless, RFK Jr stood his ground and fired back with a vast array of facts and statistics which created a shocking picture of just how bad America's health situation really is.
Many of the senators would ask RFK Jr. a question, but then cut him off as he would start to respond. I could not understand why those senators would bother asking him a question if they did not want to give him time to respond. Even worse, some of those senators chose to give speeches or dominate the time with their own comments rather than asking Mr. Kennedy questions. This happened most frequently when it came to the subject of vaccines.
Having followed Mr. Kennedy's work for many years, I know that he is a brilliant researcher and one of the few individuals I consider to be a multi-genius. Everything he publishes and everything he says, he backs up with extensive medical references. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. knows more about the subject of vaccines than all of those senators combined! I can say this with confidence given the fact that I have been researching the subject of vaccines for over 30 years, and I have had two books published on vaccines.
Out of all of the senators who chose to attack Mr. Kennedy, I was most offended by the African American female senator by the name of Angela Alsobrook. Not only did she attack Mr. Kennedy, but she had the audacity to try to imply that he was in some way a racist! The Kennedy family has been the strongest supporter of African Americans going all the way back to President John F. Kennedy who sent in troops to defend black students who were trying to get an education at previously all white schools. Senator Ted Kennedy was the one who stopped the notorious Tuskegee syphilis experiments on African American men. It was Robert F Kennedy Jr who won a lawsuit against the giant corporation: Monsanto on behalf of an African American man who became very ill from one of their products. For Senator Alsobrook to imply that Mr. Kennedy was somehow racist is an absolute disgrace! She is an embarrassment to African Americans and African people around the world who Mr. Kennedy has helped.
Her attack on Mr. Kennedy focused on the statement he made about African Americans should not receive the same dosage of vaccines as Caucasian people. Even though he cited a reference and was in the process of explaining the implications of that research, Senator Alsobrook immediately cut him off! She did not want the public to hear the science behind his statement.
It was obvious that Senator Alsobrook had not read the reference that Mr. Kennedy cited, because if she had, she would not have even raised the issue. After cutting Mr. Kennedy off before he could finish his response, the senator then asked him to explain what vaccine schedule would he recommend for her, implying as an African American. She then removed her eyeglasses for dramatic effect and smiled at him. He had less than 10 seconds to respond to such a ridiculous question. Again, as he tried to explain the research that had been done, Senator Alsobrook cut him off after he had only uttered a few words. Despite not having any knowledge about the studies that Kennedy was referring to, Senator Alsobrook made the absurd claim that the study that Mr. Kennedy referred to was “dangerous” and that she was not going to vote in favor of Mr. Kennedy's nomination.
Senator Alsobrook clearly did not understand the point that Mr. Kennedy was trying to make. The latest research now shows that there are some significant differences between black people and white people. In terms of their immune systems. In short, the immune system of black people is stronger than that of white people. This means that white people need a stronger dose of a vaccine than do black people. Put another way, giving black people the same high dosage of a vaccine as white people, could be harmful to the health of black people. Therefore, in her ignorance, Senator Alsobrook was actually advocating for all vaccines being of the same dosage despite the potential threat to African Americans.
In a report published by Dr. Gregory Poland and other doctors, entitled: Associations between race, sex and immune response variations to rubella vaccination in two independent cohorts, the authors concluded:
“Our study provides consistent evidence for racial/ethnic differences in humoral immune response following rubella vaccination.”
It is published on the website of the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Associations Between Race, Sex and Immune Response Variations To Rubella Vaccination In Two Independent Cohorts
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3980440/
A study published by the Mayo Clinic also found:
“Rochester, Minn. — Feb. 27, 2014 — Somali Americans develop twice the antibody response to rubella from the current vaccine compared to Caucasians in a new Mayo Clinic study on individualized aspects of immune response. A non-Somali, African-American cohort ranked next in immune response, still significantly higher than Caucasians, and Hispanic Americans in the study were least responsive to the vaccine. The findings appear in the journal Vaccine.”
“The significance of the findings is that in the future we may be able to create vaccines for specific groups…,” says Dr. Poland. “That may mean adjusting doses for some….”
Mayo Clinic Discovers African-Americans Respond Better to Rubella Vaccine
Robert Nellis, February 26, 2014
If Senator Alsobrook, had taken the time to actually read these reports she would not have embarrassed herself with her ridiculous attempts to make Mr. Kennedy out to be some type of racist. He was in fact trying to warn African people about this potential danger.
Mr. Kennedy has made it very clear what he wants to do with regard to vaccines. He wants to make sure that the vaccines are safe and effective. He wants transparency and the best science available regarding vaccines. This is what Americans want despite the attacks by some senators on the payroll of pharmaceutical companies that produce vaccines.
Curtis Cost
Well said, Curtis. It was shameful and petty the way many senators treated Mr. Kennedy. Why the rancor? So unnecessary. He met their attacks with the steadfast calm of a Buddhist monk! So zen like. I would never have been able to muster such restraint under similar circumstances. Vile behavior, but I think it backfired and woke a lot of people up to how bought by pharma many senators are.
Excellent article. Thank you so much.