Posted on 09/14/2011 10:33:27 AM PDT by Scythian
But the story gets even more interesting when you start connecting the dots. A key Merck lobbyist, a man named Mike Toomey, actually served as the governor's chief of staff. In other words, a former top power person for the governor now works for Merck, the drug company that gave money to the campaign of the governor who essentially used dictatorial power to mandate, without any public debate whatsoever, the mass vaccination of young girls with a drug that will earn tens of millions of dollars in profits for Merck. Sound suspicious? It should.
The "dirty money connection" seems obvious to many readers who have been following this story, including one who posted, "Only a man, Rick Perry especially, would sign an executive order, bypassing legislation, to inject girls with chemicals made by one of his contributors even though most parents have never seen sufficient information about this vaccine.
Thanks to the opt-out provisions that Perry signed in 2003 and broadened as Governor, no Texas school girls or boys were forced to take any drug they didnt want to.
Unless they might want to go to private school.
Governor Rick Perry gave me an opt-out so my daughter woudn’t have to take the HPV vaccine if she/we so choose.
But Governor Sarah Palin gave me NO opt-out from paying my Federal tax dollars to pay for someone else’s freebie HPV vaccine.
Which is worse?
“He’s an alternative medicine quack who is against all vaccines.”
“Doesn’t he have that right in a free country?”
Yes. Loons have the right to pollute the airwaves and mislead people.
We have the right to call them out on their lies and lunacy.
This HPV vaccines covers the types of HPV that cause 70% of cases of cervical cancer.
A private school in Texas ALSO has freedom - freedom to make their OWN rules about what kids need to do in order to attend their schools.
Some insist on uniforms. Some insist on entrance exams. Some require parents to agree and understand the mission of the school.
With that freedom in mind, some private schools have decided that all children need to be vaccinated. THEIR CALL, not the Governors or the State of Texas. But probably a good call, since any decent parent would want to immunize their children.
With opt-out and health private schools, and homeschooling as an additional option, Texas gives parents a lot of choice and control over how to raise their children. I am proud and glad to be able to raise children in Texas.
I'm not.
The only reason Catholic schools were going to require THAT vaccine was because it was on the state's list. If it hadn't been there, they would not have required it.
Should State government be able to force private schools to accept non-vaccinated students.
If the private schools want to follow a state list, CDC list or their own list, they should have that right.
“It would be seen as a further sexualization of our children. It would be considered an affront to parental rights. It would be called a loss of civil liberties. We’d be fighting mad that he was medically experimenting on our vulnerable daughters.”
All those arguments WERE made in 2007, against the original proposal, and the big public debate on the issue is why the EO was overruled by the lege. I was here, this came up, the public got involved, the lege put in law.
So Texas conservatives were NOT hypocrites, they opposed this mandate in 2007 and made Perry back down.
However, its factually wrong to talk of ‘he was medically experimenting’ this was FDA approved vaccine and CDC recommended its use, and the TMA and other medical groups stated that implementing this policy would save the lives of women.
It’s also wrong to call this ‘criminal act’, when in fact state law gives the Texas HHS Dept. power to determine immunizations that might be required and/or recommended for schools and in medicaid, and the EO was lawfully pursuant to that charter.
This was a public policy decision made in the EO, Perry got overruled by the hue and cry from the people and the lege complied and Perry backed down.
When our catholic schools are doing something I think is wrong, I take it up with our bishop.
“I’m not.” Your issue is with whoever runs the schools, not the state. Schools can make their own rules.
I can understand why Catholic schools in Texas having the no optout position, if only because the many illegal immigrants raise risks of various diseases in schools.
there’s nothing that would have stopped the catholic schools from making an exception to the list if catholic parents made a point about it. They never had the dilemma on Gardasil as it never got implemented.
the list today:
http://info.sos.state.tx.us/fids/201102478-1.html
Perry used the power of his office to force your minor daughter to take a drug against a sexually transmitted disease or force you to fill out the necessary paper work correctly, file it correctly and then wait for approval to opted out of something she and you should never have been forced to do, not in a free country, not by your government.
Did Palin force anything like that on the citizens of Alaska?
Regardless, the Texas legislature asked Perry to repeal his MANDATE and he refused so they overturned it.
You are still able to vaccinate your daughter. You make the call.
I'm siding with the Texas legislature on this one for doing the right thing and upholding personal liberty.
And, just out of curiosity, who would have paid for the Texas program? I don't know.
Others have said it was Federal. If true, then we all paid, whether we have kids or not, but at least our kids weren't forced to take an STD drug nor were we forced to opt them out.
Honestly? Bypassing the legislature and forcing with an EO like Perry did is something I'd expect from a Clinton or an obama, not from a Republican President...or even a Republican Governor, for that matter. Are you sure this guy isn't a demonrat?
***So Texas conservatives were NOT hypocrites, they opposed this mandate in 2007 and made Perry back down.***
I am not saying that Texas conservatives are hypocrites. I’m saying that the FReepers who lightly wave and hum ‘bygones’ are the hypocrites.
This would never be forgiven or forgotten had Obama done this.
There is a huge wave of good, decent people in America, just waiting to take on the Obama regime, once we get a candidate. We must have real ammunition.
If, the GOP decides to run Perry, I have no ammunition. I have always taken conservative stands on issues, and am not afraid to try to change other peoples minds. I am part of the resistance. What's our ammunition? If the candidate is Perry how do I in 15 sec. or less take on Obamacare? I can't. How about illegal immigrants? Nope.
The best asset the GOP has going for them is the American people, the true patriots who believe in the constitution and can explain it like nobody else. I may not need a perfect person for the candidate, but I refuse to be a hypocrite.
This policy was never implemented, discussed and dispatched in 2007 so is a 4 year old issue, and doesnt represent Perry’s long-time support for pro-life issues, social conservative issues (like marriage and be willing to stand up for Christian belief a la 10 commandments case), parental rights (such as his veto of CPS bill), etc.
This issue shouldnt be dismissed, but it also shouldnt be distorted nor should the bigger picture be missed.
And yes, even Freepers have forgotten MUCH WORSE done by Obama. Obama is flinging poo every day that freepers dont even pick up on. There are 200 agencies in theFederal govt and most of them are daily being twisted into minions for his leftwing agenda.
If you have a better candidate, fine. You are entitled to your opinion.
Who on the stage on Monday was a better candidate than Perry to defeat Obama? Go with that candidate!
Just don’t make up facts and pretend that state-level immunization programs equate to obamacare. That’s crazy-talk. And lets not keep distorting the story, acting like girls are ‘forced’ when there is an optout (which many states done have), etc. If you are not in Texas: Check your OWN state laws - chances are Texas has more parental choice and rights than most other states.
“I see the issue as one of personal liberty and freedom.”
Isn’t my liberty and freedom violated when I am forced to pay for things against my consent?
So how is it so much more wonderful to be the conscripted taxpayer than to be the parent with the opt-out. Who is really the un-free slave in this equation?
“I’m siding with the Texas legislature on this one for doing the right thing and upholding personal liberty.”
The Texas lege passed laws requiring immunization of schoolchildren.
The Texas lege passed laws allowing the Texas Dept of Health to determine immunization schedules.
The Texas lege passed laws giving the Texas executive branch power to make determinations to change those immunization schedules.
Do you support those laws?
“to force your minor daughter to take a drug ... or force you to fill out the necessary paper work correctly, file it correctly and then wait for approval to opted out of something she and you should never have been forced to do, not in a free country, not by your government.”
Do you feel that way about polio vaccine shots too?
That said, we're really going too far afield with this. I object to the state compelling this vaccine to whatever degree. The public health issues, in my opinion, are not compelling enough to warrant it. Sexual activity is as private as it gets, and the state should only tread there when absolutely necessary.
Make info available, recommend it...sure. I understand the health insurance implications of making it compulsory, and I am not one of those accusing Perry of cronyism. Heck, I'll accept others' argument that he was motivated only by altruism.
And that's my probblem with Perry. I want politicians motivated by a desire to protect my rights, not those who want to force me to do things to make my life better.
But I will say that I have learned a great deal from the discussion. My wife and I had decided against having our daughter vaccinated when this controversy first came out.
Reading the opinions of ssome freepers, particularly the physicians, about the efficacy and safety of the vaccine has caused us to give it a secondd look.
What argument with dems do I have for this overreach? Hey, at least the legislature made sure we dodged that bullet? Thanks for that great bit of ammunition.
And the vaccine isn't 100% effective.
It provides a false sense of security, given all of the other risks associated with promoting promiscuous behavior.
and provides a false sense of security, regarding all STD’s, for those taking it.
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