Comments

1
That's so disturbing and bone chilling. What state(s) might be next to have such rabid legislation?
3
They demand the freedom to ignore current medicine and technology so that they can enslave themselves to witchcraft written thousands of years ago.
4
@2 The Antii-vaxxers count many progressives, liberals and democrats among them. Stupidity is orthogonal to political viewpoints (though I would agree, when they rely on it, Republicans use stupid to great effect).
6
5: Blue State Washington has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country.
7
"You get that child back five, eight, 10 days later, and they've now had that surgery or they've had these vaccinations," he said. "That's an issue of liberty."


Liberty or property rights?
8
@5 The stupid is strong with this one.
10
@5: Why can't you just pause and do a search: list of anti-vaxer celebrities - instead of being so relentlessly binary on every issue?
12
@11: Exactly! I've heard he moonlights with a government gig.
14
@13: No, I voted for Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
15
@4 - Yes, there are a lot of left-wing anti-vaxxers. But there are also a lot of right wing anti-vaxxers, too. Too many people (even Neil DeGrasse Tyson) make it this false equivalency -- right wingers deny climate change but left wingers deny vaccines. And it's not a fair comparison because unlike chlimate change denialists, antivaxxers span the spectrum but it sure seems that progressives are the most vocal about being pro vaccination. In the last election, Trump, Johnson, and Stein all pandered to antivaxxers and only Clinton as unequivocal in supporting vaccinations.
16
@10 - Wow, quite a lot of Scientologists on that list.
17
Vaccine banning? Are you sure it's Texas and not a publication out of Vashon Island?
18
These laws remind me of the forced conscription of Russian Jewish men during the reign of the Czars, the forced "breeding" of Native Americans to American-owned slaves and the enslavement of their progeny, the eugenics as practiced by the Third Reich, and the forced sterilization of mentally handicapped and African Americans. It is a means to prevent the reviled group of the present moment (e.g., Muslims, LGBTQ) from living as free (e.g., free to practice their religion, freedom from abuse, freedom to be sexual beings, freedom to self-determination) American citizens to life, liberty, and the pursuit of (their own) happiness.
19
Welcome to America where insane shit happens every day and people act surprised.
20
@18 "forced conscription"? Is there any other kind?
21
Not that I would EVER defend these assholes, but I read this as only new foster children who's parents DO NOT want them vaccinated are the only children that will not be (until they lose parental rights)
That seems like it should be a pretty low percentage of them. ????
22
@18:

Not clear from your comment whether you're pro- or anti-vaxx, but in any event it's not an issue of personal liberty, because, as for example looking at the recent outbreak of measles among the immigrant Somali population in Minnesota, not vaccinating your kids has widespread social, economic, and public health consequences, that extend far beyond one's personal beliefs. It's one thing if a parent believes their children should attend a certain church every Sunday (or Saturday, or whenever), because their attendance or non-attendance doesn't impact anyone else. Not protecting your kids from easily preventable, yet potentially deadly communicable diseases that can be spread around an entire population, are a completely different matter, and the State clearly has a vested interest in minimizing contagion.
23
Authoritarianism comes in many colors, and is equally available to both Left or Right.
Liberty is also not the sole province of either political stripe.

Texas on the other hand... o_O
And religious types *do* have a strong tendency towards paternalistic authoritarianism.

I think ⊥rump & co. are anti-vaxxer because their disinfo policy of trying to keep people confused and capable of believing conspiracy theories effectively stifles dissent, and allows them to do whatever the hell they want... which is basically handing more of the country to the corporations. Or rather, the "politico-corporate elite".

("Corpo-political"? Hm. "Corpolitiion"? "Polorporation"? ...)
24
@22

My comment was not pro- or con-vaxx, although I am definitely pro-vaccine. My comment was in regard to how these actions and types of law are a means to prevent a target group from reproducing, practicing (or not practicing) their own religion, and/or **living their lives as they see fit.

**It might seem that this is an anti-mandatory-vaxx statement but science has proven again and again that not vaccinating one's children exposes those children and everyone else's children who aren't vaccinated to potential harm. I believe that one person's freedom should not endanger another person's wellbeing or freedom.
25
#7 - property rights, def.

OK folks, I have been a foster parent in WA state, where I was required to have the child in my care, who I later adopted, go to the doctor for what DSHS deemed appropriate medical care, including vaccinations, regardless of my views on the matter. DSHS would have removed her from my care if I had refused to have her vaccinated.

DSHS was not the only decider; I had to get permission from both her birth parents, one of whom was incarcerated, for her to get a haircut. It seemed odd to me that a person can neglect or abuse a child so badly that the government takes the child away, and yet that person can veto a haircut.

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