If there's one blog that I want you to read, it's this one. The reason is that there is a serious issue going on in the State of Washington right now. Our governor, Chris Gregoire, has initiated a bill to the state House and Senate that would abolish a right of choice of it's citizens. House Bill 1015 and Senate Bill 5005, if passed, would do away with the right of the parents of a child to choose whether or not to have their child vaccinated for religious or philosophical reasons.
Now, I'm not going to argue that I want these bills to be shot down because my son isn't vaccinated or because of the potential harm that vaccines pose to people, especially infants with a developing immune system, that can be found in my previous blog. This blog topic is going to focus on the principle of the presented bills.
First, these bills would take away the right that parents do currently, and should always have, to make a decision on what they deem best for their child. Whether it is because of religious views or philosophical views, you should never be forced to do something to your child that is potentially harmful.
Secondly, if these bills are passed, the governement is saying that they know what's best for your child and that your child needs to be protected via vaccination which has been proven to be harmful. I don't know about you, but I think I know a little bit better what is best for my child than a group of politicians being lobbied by pharmaceutical companies.
Thirdly, the proposed bills, if passed, would be in contradiction to the 1st and 14th amendments. Whether you are religious or not, you know that we have the right to religious veiws, and if your religious views go against vaccination, the governtment isn't able to usurp those views (1st Amandment). Also, "no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States" is directly from the 14th Amendment. It sounds like if these bills are passed and become law, then the law would be in violation of the US Constitution.
I know this blog sounds very political. However, whether you are liberal or conservative or somewhere in between, whether you are against vaccination or for it, the principle is that we should never be forced to do something that is potentially harmful to ourselves or our children.
If anyone would ilke some more information on what you can do to help defeat these bills and keep the law the way it is, please feel free to e-mail me and request more info at menstad@nwhealth.edu.
I have heard about this bill and I am outraged! I do vax but on a very delayed schedule, be/c of issues in the past with my own children. If it starts with vaccines, it will infiltrate on other levels, such as discipline, religious upbringing, education. The government needs to butt out of the home's micromanagement.
ReplyDeleteThe more I have learned about vaccinations, the more convinced I am that everyone be encouraged to educate themselves about the mainstream's current "requirements". Learn about pros and cons from many resources - not just those from the MD's clinic or the pharmaceutical companies. We have vaccinated our children, but at a modified rate and opting out of some. If I had known then what I know now, I might have opted out of more. We definitely need to have the freedom to make an educated decision as to what to do with our own and our children's health.
ReplyDeleteLaurie