A new report out of the Research Association of the West Fremont Data Service (RAWFDS) takes a fresh look at the overlap between two fast-growing groups of cranky parents: Those opposed to school testing and those opposed to human vaccination. RAWFDS analysts label the former “anti-testers,” the latter “anti-vaxxers,” and explain that both have a penchant for “opting out.” Based on this shared tendency, the report poses an important, fascinating, and novel question: Are these two cliques actually different, or are the same people just refusing tons of stuff? Taking a representative sample of twelve parents in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Fremont-based researchers conducted a simple survey comprising three questions: (1) Do you allow your kid to take tests in school?; (2) Do you allow medical professionals to administer vaccines to your children?; and (3) What else do you refuse to do? To demonstrate the overlap for the first two questions, the RAWFDS report offers a venn diagram:
Incredible overlap! Wow. (And who knew that blue and yellow make green?) But the more important question, no doubt, is why? Why are so many flippin’ the bird at common practices? That’s where that third question comes into play. Scouring the incredibly numerous and varied responses, researchers conclude that some people just love to rebuff. For example, 73 percent of these same respondents steadfastly refuse to curtsy. Another 45 percent have stringent no-shoe-horn policies. And a full 97 percent refuse to sit in anything but a chaise lounge. Bunch of contrarians, they buck prevailing trends for the sake of the rush. Which raises one hell of a head-scratcher: If the country goes Bizarro, will these folks be the first to opt for hypodermics and #2 pencils? Hmm.
