To the editor,
On Tuesday, March 3, Mainers head to the ballot box to decide an important referendum, whether to repeal a law that removes religious and philosophical exemptions for vaccination for children to attend Maine’s public and private schools, colleges and daycares.
I will be voting “yes” on Question 1 in order to preserve our basic civil liberties. These civil rights that have been basic to our country include: 1) the right to informed consent for you and your children to medical procedures; 2) the right to body autonomy and integrity; 3) the right to an education; 4) the right to religious freedom. This law positions these rights against each other.
A “yes” vote does not mean you are anti-vaccination. Many in the media, or perhaps even your own physician, have exaggerated the claims of vaccination, causing you to believe that this new law will make a significant difference in public health, and that the science is settled when it comes to vaccination. I encourage you to do your own due diligence. One of many resources is Miller’s Review of Critical Vaccine Studies. I can assure you that the science is not settled, in fact in some respects, it is unsettling. Good science is available, it is just buried under a mountain of bias and big money. Big pharma is protected by The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which takes away all manufacturer liability [in civil actions] related to vaccination. Shouldn’t you maintain the right to make a decision of a medical treatment that may injure you?
We have seen these laws passed in other states, such as California, Washington and New York, none of which has affected their rates of disease. Join me in voting yes on question 1. A “yes” vote defends parental rights. A “yes” vote protects religious freedoms. A “yes” vote preserves informed consent and medical freedom. A “yes” vote restores equal access to education for all. A “yes” vote rejects government overreach. I urge you to vote “yes” on Question 1.
Christopher Bell, DC
Houlton
