Sunday Poll: Should All Children Be Required To Get Vaccinations Against Diseases Like Measles, Mumps, Whopping Cough?

Measles, once largely eradicated in the US, is back:

Ninety-four people have now been infected with measles across eight states; 67 of those cases are linked to the Disneyland park.

“We don’t know exactly how this outbreak started but we do think it was likely a person infected with measles overseas,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Schuchat says the reason for the outbreak is because people are failing to get vaccinated. (Time)

This recent outbreak has intensified the debate on vaccinations, making it a great topic for today’s poll.  Here’s the exact poll question:

When it comes to childhood diseases like measles, mumps and whooping cough, should all children be required to get vaccinations?

I’m trying something different today, for each of the three answers I’m asking you to select one based on your political view (Democrat, Independent, Republican) — this will permit comparison to a national poll.  The Sunday poll is at the top of the right sidebar, is open until 8pm.

On an unrelated health note, it was seven years ago today that I had a massive hemorrhagic stroke, the statistics aren’t pretty:

• Stroke is the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S., behind heart disease (with which it is closely linked) and cancer.
• Stroke affects more than 700,000 individuals annually in the United States (approximately one person every 45 seconds). About 500,000 of these are first attacks, and 200,000 are recurrent attacks.
• Someone in the U.S. dies every 3.3 minutes from stroke
• Stroke is the leading cause of disability among adults in the U.S.
• While subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) represents only about 7 percent of all strokes, it is the most deadly — with more than a 50 percent fatality rate. Of the survivors, approximately half will suffer permanent disability.

I was very fortunate, enjoy today’s game!

— Steve Patterson

Readers View On Area Race Relations Different From Two Years Ago

No surprise, but two years ago readers were more optimistic about race relations than now:

January 2013: The State Of Race Relations In St. Louis Are…

1. Improving Slowly 62 [38.51%]
2. Holding Steady 35 [21.74%]
3. Declining Slowly 29 [18.01%]
4. Declining Rapidly 18 [11.18%]
5. Unsure/No Answer 13 [8.07%]
6. Improving Rapidly 4 [2.48%]

January 2015: The State Of Race Relations In [the] St. Louis Region Are…

1. Tie  8 [25%]
   1. Holding Steady
   2. Declining Slowly
2. Declining Rapidly 7 [21.88%]
3. Improving Slowly 6 [18.75%]
4. Unsure/No Answer 2 [6.25%]
5. Improving Rapidly 1 [3.13%]

Note that two years ago polls were open for 7 days, now the polls are only open for 12 hours — that’s what the vote count is lower now.  Of course, these polls aren’t scientific.

I actually think things are improving now — because of the events in 2014. Let me explain, I think many more white folks, like myself, now have a much greater awareness of the problems faced by blacks, browns, & tans. There’s more dialog now about problems and solutions. Awareness…

The percentage of Americans naming “race relations” or “racism” as the most important problem in the U.S. has climbed dramatically to 13%, the highest figure Gallup has recorded since a finding of 15% in 1992, in the midst of the Rodney King verdict. In November, race relations/racism was cited by 1% of the public as the most important problem. (Gallup)

Hopefully today’s youth/Millennials will continue to keep these problems in the spotlight so they’ll get addressed rather than swept under the rug.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: The State Of Race Relations In The St. Louis Region Are…

Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr. Day — much has happened in St. Louis since this time last year. The poll today is simple: rate the state of race relations in our region: improving, declining, steady?

The poll is, as always, at the top of the right sidebar. Mobile viewers will need to switch to the desktop layout at the bottom to vote in the poll.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Reaction to the following: The public should build & own a new stadium to keep the Rams in St. Louis

Friday the two men appointed by Gov. Nixon presented a bid to keep the St. Louis Rams in St. Louis, the new stadium would be publicly owned:

The financing, they acknowledged, is now just a pitch: $200 million from the National Football League. As much as $250 million more from Rams owner Stan Kroenke. Perhaps $130 million from the sale of personal seat licenses to fans. Some tax credits. Plus as much as $350 million from an extension of the $24 million a year in tax dollars that still pay down debt on the Edward Jones Dome, where the Rams now play. (Nixon team proposes open-air stadium, and no new taxes)

Opinions on their proposal are varied, from support to opposition.  Perfect for the Sunday Poll. There are many issues within this, I’ve picked one for the poll: Reaction to the following: The public should build & own a new stadium to keep the Rams in St. Louis.

The poll is in the right sidebar, it’ll remain open until 8pm.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: What should the voting age be in Missouri?

In the news last month was a report that a Missouri legislator wants to change the voting age. I’m being vague on purpose, so as not to influence today’s poll: What should the voting age be in Missouri?

The poll is in the right sidebar, mobile users can switch to the desktop view at the bottom of the mobile layout (not visible within apps like Facebook). Check back on Wednesday Tuesday for the results, specifics on the current & proposed voting age, and a bit of local political history.

— Steve Patterson