Conspiracy Theories Pros And Cons

William Welsh

Candace Deal

Engl 1101

03 October 2017

Conspiracies: The Unseen Harm

When most people think of conspiracy theories the first thought that comes to their head is a crazy old man who lives in a shack in the woods or their crazy uncle who thinks chem trails are real. The truth is, almost anyone can believe in conspiracy theories, but why? The most common explanation is that it’s due to a lack of control in the person’s life. (Oaklander, Paragraph 3) Conspiracy theories tend to show up when people are afraid and feel they are in a helpless situation they can’t control. Conspiracy theories make people feel like they are in control of their life. They make people feel that if they know the secret that the big scary man is keeping from

Before the vaccination was introduced, up to 500 Americans died each year (from the measles). (Szabo, Paragraph 6) The introduction of the measles vaccine was a huge success for the whole world. However, this once officially eliminated disease is now coming back. This is a result of people choosing to avoid the vaccine. This is not just a few cases of people going against the grain, but a movement called the “Anti-Vaccination Movement.” These people believe there is a link between the measles vaccine and autism. This link is commonly attributed to a belief that there is mercury inside modern vaccines. Historically, people have avoided vaccines for a multitude of reasons including religion and hysteria, but the link between autism and the measles vaccine was first proposed by Andrew Wakefield. (Novella, Paragraph 7) He conducted a controversial study in 1998 that has been accused of falsifying information. This study claimed to prove that the measles vaccine caused children to develop autism. The conclusion paragraph of the paper was the most controversial part of the paper. Ten of the paper’s original thirteen authors have since retracted their conclusion. (Novella, Paragraph 7) The link between vaccines and autism has been debunked plenty of times by a wide range of people. These people who trust the anti-vaccination movement believe that the pharmaceutical companies are falsifying

The anti-vaccination movement has not fully gotten out of hand yet and can still be stopped. There are people out there who try to spread the word and end the movement but it’s a complicated issue. The only way to solve the issue is by legally requiring children to be vaccinated up to a certain age or separating the unvaccinated children from the rest of the children so they can't infect the populous. The movement has been losing traction in recent years due to being debunked so frequently but it’s not dead. The anti-vaccination movement affects everyone and is something that needs to be solved together. To conclude, the anti-vaccination movement is a very complex issue. It is accused of fear mongering and spreading false science, but is not impossible to understand why it is gaining popularity. It is only natural to believe in conspiracy theories and be interested in them. The problem is that this conspiracy theory results in the contraction of whooping cough and measles in young children. The movement has been debunked extensively and shown how truth got foggy. The movement is a result of not researching thoroughly and can be stopped with the