Bachmann Can't Pony Up

[Shell B]

We already live in a country with mandatory vaccinations. Unless you don't want your kids receiving an education. Vaccinations or rights? We have rights or we don't? I'm not really sure that those are the only choices.

Mandatory vaccinations for particularly dangerous and contagious diseases.

There's nothing here that even remotely violates our current understanding of "rights".

Sure it does. Forcing people to put a foreign substance into their bodies to prevent a disease that is preventable by other means kind of steps on your right to do what you want with your body, doesn't it? I agree that sometimes those "rights" have to be trod on. However, I don't think that is the case here.

Deciding to become a potential host for a virus we would like to take a crack at eliminating is crossing that line in front of your nose. I am putting you at risk, without your consent (or even your knowledge).

I have the option to use a condom or request that you we have std tests before having sexual intercourse. If I were to dismiss that option, I knowingly take that risk, giving you my consent.

I don't see vaccinations as sissy hand-holding.

Nor do I. I see forcing people to have vaccinations as sissy hand holding. If HPV becomes airborne or transmittable through casual contact, I would agree that forced vaccinations have become necessary. However, I don't see it going that far. Some people have refused all kinds of vaccinations or not had access to them. Mankind has somehow managed to survive.

It's common sense.

Agreed, but stupid people endanger other people everyday in a myriad of ways. Are we going to regulate all of that and allow the population to get even further out of control?

I'm sure I won't get any disagreement that sometimes people don't leverage that common sense and they need to be reminded, especially when the rest of us are involved. Just attach it to middle school attendance. Done deal. (Or High School, can't remember, is it 10 yr?)

Alternatively, we could offer it to teens without parental consent, like birth control. If my doctor had asked me that as a teen, I likely would have said yes. Of course, I am too old for it now, so someone is probably going to kill me with their penis. hock: