And now, vaccines

From equal pay to vaccines… What other third rail can I touch this week?

I think kids should be vaccinated. We vaccinated our kids and I’m more than thankful for the scientists and doctors who made the medical breakthroughs possible so tetanus, whopping cough, diphtheria and other potentially deadly illnesses have, for the most part, vanished in our country. If I had a baby tomorrow, I’d follow the vaccination rotation all over again. I am pro-vaccination.

But I am not pro-forced-vaccination.

No parent should be forced to vaccinate her child. If a parent believes, for whatever reason, that vaccination is not in the best interest of her child, that parent should have the right to withhold vaccines.

It gets back to parental choice. I believe I should have the choice to raise my children as I see fit, something I feel strongly about. I wrote about this last June and people came out of the woodwork to support the position that parental rights are not to be tampered with. Others came right out and said the state should decide what's best for children. Some used those exact words, others were more nuanced, but the bottom line was some people truly believe the government is in a better position to care for my child than I am.

This blew me away then and continues to boggle my mind.

I’m not entirely sure how these White House petitions work, but there’s one up right now titled: PROHIBIT ANY LAWS MANDATING THE FORCE AND REQUIREMENT OF VACCINATIONS OF ANY KIND. The needed signatures have been reached, but adding a few more wouldn't hurt. If you believe the care and nurture of children belong to the parent, I encourage you to sign the petition. It expires on March 6, so don’t delay.

________________
Thanks to Valerie McDaniel for bringing this to my attention.