Governor Rick Perry, usually quite conservative in his politics, seems to have been bought off today by Merck's $6000 campaign donation. Although Merck is upfront about lobbying state legislatures to add yet another vaccination to the already growing list of mandatory shots for children, they didn't have much work to do in the state of Texas. If the question of making it mandatory for young girls to be vaccinated against HPV, which is thought to be responsible for most cases of cervical cancer, was to have been brought before the Texas legislature, conservative Texans would have lobbied hard against it.
But we weren't even given that opportunity. Governor Rick Perry, who dreams of being a VP candidate in 2008, simply signed an executive order today requiring that all girls around age 11 or 12 and older be vaccinated against HPV. Since this is a sexually transmitted virus, Governor Perry has just made a very loaded statement about the morality of Texas teenage girls, and by implication, the boys as well.
Fortunately, for parents like myself who have an 11-year-old daughter but don't wish to have their parental rights taken away, there is an opt-out available for religious reasons, but that still doesn't excuse the fact that Rick Perry has made a unilateral decision making it mandatory for all young girls, most of whose parents don't even know about their rights to opt-out.
Rick Perry is essentially saying that we should take away any consequences to sin. If teenagers have sex outside of marriage and there's a possibility that they may contract a venereal disease because of their sin, then let's help make it easier for them to sin by removing one more consequence.
Standing in the way of God's judgment is a very serious move, and one that I would not want on my record.
5 comments:
Oh, yuck! I'm sorry to read this. I'm just glad for the opt-out.
Let's say a girl who is pure marries a guy who says he is pure but he is lying. He is carrying the HPV and passes it on to her. Is she in sin? I think not. I do, however, agree that Governor Perry is supporting another way of allowing sin to run rampant. However, every case of HPV is not a case of sin on the girl's part. In this scenario, obviously, the guy was in sin by lying, but who ultimately paid the price? Testing positive of HPV usually results in a hysterectomy.
I have been reading about this. It really scares me. For one thing, where are the long term tests on this vaccine?
I have been reading that this is going to be given to girls in middle school. No parental permission needed. It is making it's way to our state.
I am against it for the same reasons as you, Jen. But I think even others should look at the long term effects. It really does send a message.
Michelle, I pray for my 6 yr old daughter's future husband, Lord willing, every day. I have NO guarantees but I do have Faith.
I'm just glad for the opt-out.
I want to encourage you to REALLY STUDY the opt-out options you have if a vaccine is "Mandated". Opting out of vaccines is not as easy as one would think. Did you know your private insurance company can actually drop your coverage for failing tto comply with state "mandated" vaccines?
We should not be "glad" for the 'opt-out" but ENRAGED that Gov. Perry would do this and be up in arms about it!
There is so much misinformation about the "opt-out" laws, in Texas specifically...I may just have to write a blog about it... LOL!!
And...I do have a friend who has HPV and a few others things, because of an unfaithful husband. She hasn't had a hysterectomy...YET! But anyway it's not her fault that she has HPV ... but at least it can be treated - vs. the long term effects of the vaccine which have not been proven safe by Merckx own admission!
I am glad you mention this about the opt out. I heard a report about this same thing on the radio this morning and how complicated the opt out really is.
I cannot imagine that Texans known for their independence are going to take this? This who 'executive order' business should be a call to have him recalled. This is not representative gov and it should have been debated in your legislature.
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