ageofautism--2019-04-17--Vaccine Exemption Removal Bills ARE the War on Women

In all the articles and statements on “vaccine hesitancy” that are thrown at us, have you noticed how it seems to be a mystery to those conducting the “research” as to why these “parents” just won't do what they are told? Have you noticed that they never actually quote these “parents” on what their reasons for backing out of the vaccine schedule actually are?  If they actually told you why the WOMEN... the almost exclusively female primary care givers... were reporting about their treatment, it would force a change in the vaccine industry from top to bottom.  Because women who challenge the absurd “vaccines are safe and effective for everyone” claim in the office, even with the vaccine package inserts themselves, are often offered harassment, are subject to gaslighting and are treated like “emotional” children that need to be handled. That is what the vaccine industry has trained medical providers to do.  Last month I asked the moms in the Maine Facebook group to post a short comment on the mistreatment they have encountered while dealing with vaccine issues in the office. I thought I would get a few quotes that would make it easier for the Committee to see the flat out misogyny that women are dealing with.  The post had more than 500 comments in 24 hours. In a group of only 2,000 members.  I have whittled it down a bit, but the “highlights” below is still 15 printed pages long. You can see the raw data on “vaccine hesitancy” for yourself before it is filtered through the narrative of the medical industry publishing monolith.  I respectfully request that if you are a male, that you read the entire document so you can see what it is like to be a woman alone in a medical provider's office - something you will never experience in life.  If you choose not to read it all, please at least read the last quote from the Maine Medical Association testifying in 2015 at the hearings on LD 606 that they do not believe women's reports of poor treatment by medical providers on vaccine issues - then - remember that we all collectively decided in October of 2017 that we would #BelieveAllWomen  The vaccine exemption removal bills exist to control women who can see with their own eyes the damage that the current liability-free vaccine industry is doing to children, and read with their own eyes the official government documentation admitting that vaccines are “Unavoidably Unsafe” and cause harm.  We asked mothers in a Maine Facebook vaccine group to tell us about their poor treatment in the doctor's office surrounding vaccination. We selected some for you to read so that you may have a greater understanding of the true reasons for "vaccine hesitancy":    When pregnant with my 7th baby I went preterm (34 wks) I was sent to Maine med. My triage nurse every time she came in to check vitals would ask me if I changed my mind and would like dtap and flu shot. After about the 6th time I asked her to stop asking me. She replied "I am just trying to protect your baby from your ignorance "  My son was vaccine injured and vaccinated without consent. We chose to selectively vaccinate and office nurse lied and told me she was giving the course of the 3 vaccines we chose. He would always get a fever but the last time he got a fever and broke out in hives and was sick for a week, we stopped all vaccines at that point. Later I was told by the doc he had received all but the last set of his vaccines for his 1st year.  Our doctor told us my daughter would be stronger, smarter, happier, healthier if she had her shots, then informed us that he doesn't have to see our child as a patient because we don't vaccinate and we would have a hard time finding ANYONE with an office in the area that would take her at all.  Convinced us that we wouldn't be able to find another pediatrician if we didn't agree with him, and then he said we should reevaluate our research and get off google.  My daughter is 18 months old and hasn't had a checkup by him since 9 months because of this. I'm terrified to go back and be harrassed. I cried and left the office in a rush and he knew he had hurt us.  I will never forget the look on his face when i asked "how could she be healthier?" Because she's never been sick.  We see a naturopath for all of our well checks instead now because i am terrified to be scolded when having my daughter checked for something as simple as a cold.  "I lose sleep over your children and all the children they could potentially infect"  I had an old man pediatrician doing rounds at the hospital when I declined vitamin k for my son in September 2018. He said, “I am an expert at making babies mad and taking them away from their moms today.” And a few minutes later after we said we declined vit k, he said, “your baby WILL die without that.” I was in the middle of trying to do a weighted feed to please the nurses and he didn’t give one crap!  "As long as you're civil with us, you can stay at our office." I was civil. I just asked questions.  A doctor asked me what a titer is after I asked for one.  "Your son will do fine with his shots, just cause his sister had (in your opinion) a bad reaction, doesn't mean he will, just do it."  When I asked for the package inserts I was told that they didn't know what those were, and once I explained what they were, they told me that they had thrown everything away.  Any question I ever asked was met with "I cant answer that for you"or we'll agree to disagree."  I asked for a titer, and he said, "well that’s a needle . I thought you didn’t want him getting a shot."  f you don’t give your child the HPV vaccine she will get cancer, and they said it in front of my daughter so she was terrified.  “Don’t you want to protect your future sons wife’s life?” Regarding the hpv vaccine for my son.  If you don't have her vaccinated, you're hurting your daughter.  You're not going to be a very good mom.--said to me 2 days after giving birth to my daughter because I made known my stance.  I know we've discussed this before, but I wanted to let you know how important it is to vaccinate your daughter.  “I’ve seen cute babies just like yours die”  You're a good mommy, right? Good mommies vaccinate their babies. Sign the paper.      “Well she probably won’t have a reaction like that again, bc it’s a whole different set of shots this time.”  “Your baby will die if you don’t follow the vaccination schedule”  I shouldn’t have gone alone I figured I’d get some lecture, but that comment really hit me, I was clearly getting upset, so she stopped. She gave me some book to read (which went straight to the trash) and then assured me that her kids get all their vaccines and are fine we left that office.  Our current dr left abruptly, haven’t been to any well checks since.  You're not vaccinating?? Are you aware of the consequences of your neglectful actions.  "There is no evidence that suggests that this will harm you or your unborn baby." The insert stated no tests had been done regarding pregnant women or the unborn and it stated in bold capital letters not to use while pregnant because miscarriage could happen.  My very first experience was 11 years ago, i was in the waiting room with my daughter, and our ped was in the hallway and i hear her snicker to the other peds, "she's the one that don't vaccinate'. it wasn't what was said, it was their tone and talking behind my back, publicly in the hall.  I called with a question about fevers and was told by the nurse, reiterating the pediatrician, "because your child is not vaccinated she needs to be seen immediately. We need to do x-rays, catheter, blood work, and start antibiotics.  Me: "would you do the same for a fully vaccinated child who's only symptom was a fever?  Nurse: "no the risk wouldn't be as high."  I was shocked because her ONLY symptom was a fever and they NEVER answered my initial question.  “If you’re not going to directly protect your children then you could at least protect them a little by getting the Tdap yourself.” I was in the ER for bleeding during early pregnancy.  "You're just comparing her to her older sister who was advanced in her development. You need to look at the developmental norms". (In reference to my MULTIPLE concerns about developmental delay and regression between 4 and 11 months when looking at child development books NOT comparing her to her older sister)  Eye rolling and seeming annoyance with my questions and bringing in sources to validate my concerns and statements like, "I have a very busy schedule. I can't possibly answer all of your questions in this visit."  PCP insisted medically-fragile infant MUST have DTaP before scheduled heart surgery at 3 months, that it was "Required before surgery." (because, ya know, an instrument might fall in the manure on the OR floor). We went on to a new PCP: "Well, if you're never going to do anything to protect  her health (since you're declining vaccines), it's not worth ordering any tests for these other issues you're mentioning."  "You will have to vaccinate after this new bill passes, you will not have an option" She also told me that my thoughts on MTHFR were absurd.  At the ER once a doctor demanded I give him an explanation as to why my son didn’t receive certain vaccines.  It was very degrading and condescending, he backed off and actually laughed when I said “well we don’t do hep b because my child isn’t having sex or shooting IV drugs yet.”  “Do you have a thermometer? Being unvaccinated, your baby is much more likely to run a fever” this was in regard to a 2 day old.  If something were to happen, I don't know how YOU could live with that....  Every fever they will probably need to do a spinal tap.  With my unvaccinated son (10 months old) in the ER after an injury requiring a butterfly suture to close a gash resulting from his sister's dollhouse falling on his head...  "oh, he will definitely need a tetanus shot. You can get tetanus from dust"  My doctor told me my daughter could get tetanus if she ate any food from a can.  My son bit his tongue really bad. There was a flap sticking up. It didn't get sutures but they wanted a tetanus shot. I was like, "He bit it with his own teeth!!!"  Small gash from the corner of a kitchen cabinet above his eye. ER told me they would take extra precaution with the wound being sure to keep it “extra sterile” because he didn’t have tetanus shot.  “My plan to safely catch your son up would be to give all 9 shots in one visit to minimize trauma”.  Laughed in my face when I asked about the insert. Told me it was legalese and that it didn’t mean anything. My timeline of my sons health meant nothing to her.  We haven’t gone since my youngest was 4 months old. Our pedi flat out refused to have any discussion/conversation about the matter. They couldn’t answer any questions we had with anything other than, “they’re perfectly safe. Fever, rash, vomiting is a normal reaction.” So we quit going.  I desperately want to find a pedi that wouldn’t heckle us though.  "Do you not believe in death?"  Severe eczema flares are not vaccine reactions. Everyone has eczema dormant in their bodies, and it's completely random as to what causes the break-out.  Even though he has an allergy to eggs, getting vaccines that are grown on egg embryo's is completely safe.  Each time we were in the ER with 105-106 fevers with my kids. "nope the vaccines didn't do this" yet it was in the same week as the vaccines.  Where are all the doctors who don't pressure parents? I need one desperately :(  You haven't seen what I've seen. Children die from these diseases. I'm going to have to keep telling you about this every time you come in.  I was scolded in a room at Waterville pediatrics for over an hour with a patronizing male doctor. I felt like a hostage. I was yelled at, called ignorant and a terrible mother for wanting my kid to risk dying all while he stood in front of the door so I couldn't leave.  “What religion are you that can’t vaccinate ? Oh well I know for a fact it isn’t against Christianity to vaccinate so yeah right” Oh man this makes me livid when I think back on it. It was an ER nurse who kept badgering me when I had a sick baby and was a first time mom back in 2009... I WISH someone would try that crap with me now.  I was told vaccinations should not be my choice. My child would survive from the measles but would “randomly die in his sleep 10 years later as an after effect”.  Refused to have my sons titers tested upon my request.  We had a doctor who would roll his eyes there and when asked questions about vaccines in his office would only answer staring at a computer and would not look you in the eye. We left that office very quickly after the flags went up.  Do you know what you're doing? Do you know the repercussions of this? Where did you get your information from? Basically - think twice about your actions.  We were at a regular visit. Dr. wanted us to give him a flu shot. I wasn’t keen on the idea. I asked if they had thimerosal them. Her answer was, “it’s not going to give him Autism”. He already had an Autism diagnosis at this point and she knew it.  For any check up/visit the first thing they do is say if you were up-to-date on vaccinations or not. If you are not that must be the cause of why you were here. It's as if they are not even going to listen to why I brought my sick kid in if I do not have all vaccines on their schedule.  I brought my 20 m/o to the doctors 3 weeks ago to be tested for pneumonia because I'm positive that's what he has. They refused to test for pneumonia, and instead tested for pertussis because he's not vaccinated so he must have it. He tested negative for it btw, as well as RSV. He's still sick,  and still not diagnosed :'(  What is your intent when LD798 passes? (Maine General Express Care This past Saturday)  "You want to delay vaccines? Well you better keep her in a bubble then." My daughter was 1 week old at that point.  “So you want your child to end up with cancer? You’re just ASKING for them to die young. How unfair.” What the Dr told us when we denied vx at birth.  I saw a covering doc when mine was out when my youngest had his first cough/fever. As a new mom I thought I should bring him in for a fever.  The doc said " this child could have any possibility of sickness as he isn't vaccinated...some 3rd world disease for all I know!"....we didn't see him ever again.  I was never insulted or belittled. I had a great experience in NH where my 1st daughter was born and they never made it an issue. But recently, when my 3rd daughter had her 2 month well check I was given a “sub” doctor. Dr. Losey. When vaccines came up he said “ok, time for shots!”. I said “not today and likely not ever. And it isn’t up for discussion. This is my informed non-consent.” He turned, (literally) threw his hands up in the air and walked out on me and my infant daughter.  I’ve never been given a VIS... required by law...  "Have you ever seen a baby with pertussis?”  Around this time last year, I brought my daughter to her 4 year "well-child" visit. At this visit, I dare question how vaccines may affect children of different races (my children are biracial) and the answer was "There is no data saying it is not safe." ...doctor and nurse left room. Then 2 doctors and 3 nurses came jammed back into our tiny room. They were trying to show all the inserts they could, while each chiming in how they are safe. I felt cornered, I felt shamed. I was in tears! I almost gave in until I heard the doctor over everyone say "you are not a bad mom for not vaccinating because you can get her all caught up today!"  When I heard that, the feelings of meekness and shame left me, and I told them "I do not feel guilty for not being up to date. I feel guilty for allowing them to receive the previous onslaught of fevers, lethargy, bowel issues and allergies. I told them there would be no more vaccinations until someone shows me a verified study proving my child will not be harmed based on their ethnicity...  I left and haven't been back since. Now, I am afraid to bring my kids to the doctors.  I walked out of there with my head high and tears running down my face! No one should face that type of gang-like activity!  "Why cause you believe some young dumb blonde, by the name of Jenny McCarthy who thinks vaccines are linked to autism"...he laughs and said "your beliefs are ridiculous because it's been proven many times that there is no correlation between the two. "You would rather have your son die of a dangerous disease than get autism?"  Ours made a snide comment about putting them off too long or even not doing them in general, and they literally said “but you wouldn’t do that, you’re good parents.”  The ONE time my son has ever been sick with a fever (he’s almost 3 now and has only been sick twice in his life) I called and asked if he should be seen or not, and they said well it was urgent since he’s unvaccinated, it could be ANYTHING. He was perfectly fine the next day btw.  Found a great naturopathic doctor since then, all set with the fear mongering pediatrics.  My son was born at 27 weeks and weighing 2 lbs. The dr in the NICU wanted to give him a bunch of vaccines all at once. He was about 4 lbs by this point, and still on an high amount of oxygen. I said no, repeatedly. They said what if someone here is Hep B positive and infects your baby! Then  after me just saying no thank you, he's all set. The dr. said I hope you change your mind because I'd hate to see your baby die.  "I've been a doctor for 40 years and before vaccines patients were coming in by the dozens with measels and smallpox!! You should be thankful you have vaccines to protect your child!" This was said to me after our 2nd had an adverse reaction at his 2 month shots and the doctor was told me it was "totally normal" and "totally safe." 2 months after he had another vaccine reaction and since then neither of our children have had shots.  I declined whooping cough vaccine while pregnant (gave birth in January). OB said to me, "did you know if you give your baby whooping cough, they could die. Your BABY could die". When I explained I was well educated and wanted to take my time to give vaccines she said while patting me on the leg condescendingly "just so you know all the research will support vaccinating on the schedule we follow."  8 years ago- Tulsa's’ most famous respected pediatric gastroenterologist, “I think you’re overreacting. There is no connection between the stomach and the brain. It’s not related to his autism.”  When we were interviewing pediatricians ...  “You can do a delayed schedule but you WILL do them.”  My kid has never been to a pediatrician for all the reasons above, but when I was planning a pregnancy, at an annual exam, my doctor wanted to get me up to date on all shots because “it would protect my unborn baby...” Her nasty comments included: “Babies die all the time from vaccine preventable illnesses”...she’s actually “seen babies die from said illnesses... in Amish communities where they don’t vaccine, disease runs rampant,”  “If you think you need to follow the advice of a porn star...” (I’m assuming she’s referring to Jenny McCarthy.)  “You’ll never be able to go to Target.” This was from the first pediatrician I saw after my son was born. This is what she told me when I brought up my concerns about vaccinating him.  I never went back and I never vaccinated him.  Her stupidity literally solidified my decision not to vaccinate. Made me question doctors and the vaccines even more.  After the first reaction, “I don’t understand why we need to stop vaccinating, he’s fine, babies do weird breathing things. You’re a brand new, overprotective mom. You don’t know.”  After the second, “Do you even know what a seizure is? Babies have jerky movements, babies die from these diseases, you don’t know more than me. He won’t be able to go to school.”  When my oldest was a newborn (she’ll be 20 in May) I took her for her first check up. The Ped (who I found out later was on some sort of board that supports vaccines) told me that I was “not smart to not vaccinate”.  White I took my son into the ER when he was little because he hit the back of his head off from the corner of our coffee table. Before they would do anything about his bleeding head they lectured me for a long time about how sick my kid could be from not vaccinating.  Before my son was born, I wanted to interview pediatricians before making a decision on who would care for him and basically see what their stance was on vaccines. Ended up going to Intermed in Yarmouth... after about 15 minutes of pleasant conversation I took a deep breath and brought up my fears about vaccines and my thoughts of delaying and skipping out on some altogether. Her demeanor towards me completely changed, arms crossed across chest. I felt very uncomfortable. She proceeded to tell me that she has watched babies die from not being vaccinated and that she would not feel comfortable treating my son basically if I did not follow her protocol and it might be better to find a different doctor. So I did.  Having my daughter in Maine, the internal fetal specialist I was seeing was hella supportive. However, after she was out I made my husband go with her. Just to be sure. Surely enough, a nurse came in my recovery room a short time later, having a little conniption because my husband wouldn't let them vaccinate her. I confirmed the denial. And voila! Just like that my post OP pain med order disappeared. Took 12 hours, the next shift, to get anything. It was late at night, I was trying to nurse and in so much pain tears silently streaming down my face, when my new nurse came on. I never got an apology. But I did get pain meds.  Why do you want to decline vaccines? You know the doctor that claimed vaccines cause autism was discredited and lost his license.  Interviewing pediatricians when I was pregnant with my first. Asked about delay or altering schedule and he basically Said I was doing wrong by my child to do anything other than all the vaccines on time.  "I believe not vaccinating your child is a form of child abuse." Later on in the conversation he says "you know I am a mandatory reporter. If I feel there is abuse in a family I am required to report it to the state."  "The AAP advises all infants with an unexplained fever must be cathed, have blood work taken and a spinal tap done. Otherwise you're going against medical advice in which we would notify CPS."  "All of my kids have been vaccinated and none have autism."  A hospital doctor gave my husband a hard time about our daughter who has cancer not being vaccinated. Wanted her to get vaccines while in the hospital with pneumonia.  "I see your son is due for his IPV, would you like to get him up to date today?"  "He is due for all vaccines, but we are religiously exempt. I'm concerned you would vaccinate him while sick, though."  "What does the science say about giving a polio vaccine to a child with a fever of 103 that youre currently unable to diagnose?"  “What are you afraid of...autism or something”  If you don't give your kid the chickenpox vaccine he could die.  Told by the nurse I WOULD give my child her shots after speaking with doctor. I meet with the doctor, he “ agrees” to no vaccines at this time since my daughter is so ill.. nurse comes in and opens the shots, tries to guilt me into doing them because they are open and can't be used on another child now... with stern voice and face clearly expressing I am the problem.  Took my twins in for their 2 month checkup. I knew I didn’t want to vaccinate that day. Wanted to wait until they were a bit older and space them out. I wasn’t even against necessarily getting the vaccines (at that time). My twins were breastfed, not in daycare, and their 3 older siblings were vaccinated. The doctor lost his mind on me. Raised his voice, belittled me, threatened me and said if I didn’t vaccinate that day I would have to SIGN a paper that said if my babies died it was my FAULT. We didn’t vaccinate and it was the last time we saw that pediatrician.  I had forgotten that I also was told by my first pediatrician that I had to sign the paper handed to me stating that I was willingly putting my child in danger.  "I will treat your children, but every time you come into my office I will remind you of the terrible choice you are making to not vaccinate."  “Tell me why were holding off on vaccines?”  “I can promise you vaccines do not cause autism if that’s what your worries about”  “Were gonna have to have a come to Jesus moment before he starts school”  Not a doctor for my child, but one of the nurses at the OB's office :  "You'll be getting the flu and tdap today."  "No thanks, should be a note in the chart from last appointment when it was mentioned, I will not be receiving those."  "You HAVE to get them."  "I don't HAVE to do anything, and I will absolutely NOT be getting any vaccinations."  "Well, we'll see what the doctor says."  " the doctor can say and make any recommendations that she wants, I'm still the one who gets to make the decision.... I am 100% unvaccinated, and I'm certainly not going to start while I'm pregnant."  “I hope you are ok with you child dying because that is what you are doing by not vaccinating him and if that happens I hope you can live with yourself.”  Went in for a sick visit with a ped who was not my ours many years ago. Nurse and dr wanted to vax even though she'd had a fever less than 12 hrs before. I had to school her on the CDC guidelines and even then she argued with me till I flat out told her she shouldn't have even asked that day due to the reason for our visit. (I was already not vaxing at that point and was at several rounds behind schedule.) Since then I've found most of the family has genetic mutations and possibility of congenital lyme etc. No way will I vaccinate.  “I want you to know that you are risking your child’s life and if they die from something preventable, you will have to live with that”  "If you don’t vaccinate I’ll have to fire you from the practice."  I don’t recall the belittling exactly but it was there. A doctor who basically talked at you, and repeated the “vaccines are completely safe and they prevent disease “ laughed at us when we asked questions or voiced our reluctance and continued to repeat the vaccine mantra.  We asked for vaccine inserts but never returned.  “I’ve seen soooo many kids die of measles.”  “Why don’t you want to give her the vitamin k drops? But why? But why? What is your evidence?” - A nurse literally while pushing in labor  When bringing my then 7-year-old son to the surgeon for a follow up exam after his hernia repair, the surgeon told me, "He's all set! As long as he doesn't die of a communicable disease." In front of my 7-year-old.  When my youngest was 2 months old the pediatrician told us, “she could be bitten by a baby with hep b.” A couple weeks later I had to reschedule a follow-up because I was called into work (1st time cancellation) and we were dropped from her practice.  "Vaccines have nothing to do with religion."  "Your child will not be able to attend school."  "Don't believe everything you read on the internet."  "We do not accept patients who are unvaccinated."  "Come back when you change your religious beliefs."  She told me two varicella vaccines were required for school.  I was pregnant with my first, it was swine flu scare. I had four doctor's including the OB corner me and say I'm a bad mother for not protecting my child. I took the shot, immediate remorse. Also switched to midwife.  I was told that I was ignorant and a terrible mother for wanting my kid to die. This was yelled at me while this Doctor blocked the door. This was 7 years ago This visit unfortunately I caved since I was cornered and yelled at. My son was hospitalized less than 12 hours later with reaction to  Generally the office I go to is pretty good about it, but a couple of the Dr's and one nurses have said things. Both Dr's said something like “Can you tell me why you are not getting vaccines?”  I usually answer with "I am confident with my choice, so we don't need to talk about it." That is followed by randomly throwing out "facts" to discredit the reasons that are generally assumed as why people choose not to vaccinate, like “Vaccines don't cause autism, if that is one of your concerns.”  The nurse made a comment at the end of an appointment for my 5 year old. She said "I don't think he will be able to go to school with out the MMR vaccine." I started to tell her that he would be able to due to Maine's exemptions, but she cut me off part way through saying "I know about those" as she walked off.  We actually had a PA write on a script for one of our kids, “not to expect this filled because they’re anti-Vaxers"  When looking for a doctor for my first child I talked with a doctor and when we asked about vaccines and the inserts the Doctor proceeded to repeat “ well it’s not like I’ll report you to the police if you don’t but ....”  At our first appointment with an osteopath (who told me she would work with us regarding not vaccinating), she laughed at my comments about vaccine injuries and she literally stuck her finger in my face and said “it’s because of people like YOU that pertussis is making a comeback!” I packed up all three girls (7, 3 and 1) and walked out. I never took them anywhere for Well Child visits after that. They’re now 19, 16, and 13, and healthy.  At every appointment I wasn't asked I was told "oh today you WILL be getting the tdap and flu shot, not sure why that didn't happen yet" every visit. I was never once asked. They just assume because its recommended they don't need to inform and get consent.  Just because your older son had a vaccine reaction (according to you) that’s not a reason to not vaccinate your youngest, or to stop continuing to vaccinate your oldest. Vaccines are very safe and effective, and you shouldn’t listen to google.  When our pediatrician announced he was retiring last summer, we were told that no other doctors in the practice would be a good fit for our family - after we had been patients since April 2002, and my kids are almost 100% vaccinated (one missing the MMR, and the other two missing tdap /  This may be the saddest thread I’ve read in our group in a long time. The belittling and bullying that happens to (mostly) Moms is astonishing.  No we don’t get belittled or bullied. According to the media we are the ones doing the bullying.  As soon as we get in the room the nurse usually says something to the effect, today’s going to be rough you’ve got a lot of shots today. When I say I’m deferring I get the uncivil look and asked what the date or age I plan to give them. Education that diseases are “ in pockets” and that I will have to have extra nurse visits between physicals to get her caught up.  The doctor and nurse wore masks when I took my son to a different pediatrician for a referral because his sister isn't vaccinated and she was with us.  Vaccines are safe and effective. My kids are fully vaccinated and I've never seen a bad reaction with anyone I've treated. There is so much false information out there and that Dr's (she didn't know his name) license was revoked because of spreading false information. I really want to be your  son's Dr but you need to trust me.  "You might as well fill out your sons toe tag if you don’t vaccinate for chickenpox"  He also said that parents like me was the worst part of his job.  My daughter had a severe cough. Saw another doc not our usual doc.  Pediatrician: Has she had her flu shot?  Pediatrician: She has the flu.  Me: She doesn’t have the flu.  Him: Yes she does (barely examines her).  3 days later back at doctor who is our regular doc.  Good Pediatrician: Well good thing you brought her back. Her lungs are wheezing and she has bronchial pneumonia.  Me: Not the flu?  Good Pediatrician: God no. Why do you think that  I’ve had a few that just don’t listen to me and use fear mongering. They try to tell me my kids could die from chicken pox, but then I ask basic questions like how many kids die from the vaccine or what are the ingredients and they have no idea. I quickly realized I knew more about vaccines  then they did. Also while I was in labor several nurses were badgering me about vitamin K and hep B after I asked them to stop. The doctor called me in the middle of the night at the hospital to try to pressure me right after giving birth. I also speculate that they retaliated on me by referring my newborn to the nicu. Nothing ended up being wrong with her they tried to tell me something could be wrong with her intestines because of spit up and then tried again to get me to get vitamin K. She was the healthiest baby in the NICU. It was a horrifying experience though.  "As a medical professional you should know better than to deliberately put your child at risk for preventable diseases. At least give her the MMR vaccine."  Tried to ask questions .... "excuse me, i forgot about something" walked out and probably saw 2 more patients before coming back. I should have left, but i felt so awkward...  My pediatrician was transferring care of my 3 1/2 week old to a large hospital and told them I was biased and unreliable in part because I chose not to have the Hep B vaccine for my baby when she was discharged from 12 days in the NICU. He didn't know I could hear him talking.  Subsequently every doc and med student I encountered at the large hospital questioned my about why my baby ( 3 1/2 weeks old) was not vaccinated when she was there because she had a digestive issue requiring surgery!!  My almost 3 year old gets measles and autistic symptoms from MMR shot and her pediatrician said: "It's not from the vaccination. She started preschool three weeks ago, correct? She's either stressed from that or probably coming down with something."  I was a brand new mom with tiny 2 week old at first week child. Baby received her hep B shot, Afterward nurse told me 'oh she might have a reaction to this'.... I stopped all further vaccines until I learned more..... got an threatening letter in the mail from me doctor telling me I was negligent and could be calling on CPS.  My child contracted pertussis when she was 2, from a recently vaccinated child at a birthday party. When I had her tested, I was told that I was negligent in regards to not vaccinating and that I was responsible for adding to the “disease problem” in the area. I was then lied to and told my insurance wouldn’t continue to cover visits unless my child was up to date on vaccines. I left the practice.  My pediatrician harassed me at every single visit and each visit I told him I was delaying all vaccines until 2 years old. I got a lot of eye rolls and snarky comments from the nurses but my doctor was always civil. Over my twins' first year we learned…  I was cornered in our Pediatrician’s office (by the dr) as she told me if I didn’t sign the form saying I’m knowingly harming my child that she will call the police and have me arrested.  We fired her as our dr and changed to another dr in the office that respects our wishes.  We were told by cds after they had rescheduled us several times (waited over 6 months just for an eval) that the evaluator is canceling our appointment because our children are not vaccinated. Then they told me I’ll have to wait while they found an evaluator that would be willing to “take the risk” of coming to our home. I cancelled all services with cds and paid for an independent evaluation.  I was told my child wouldn't be allowed to attend public school (he does) and was told that he would die a painful death and I would have to live with knowing I was responsible.  “Would you like to watch a video so you can become educated?”  I have a son with a rare disease. He is approx. 1/900 in the world. We went to a new pediatrician on our new health plan. During our visit I was told his case was too complicated, why didn’t I schedule more time and that I could vaccinate. I declined. No questions about my son, his condition and our choices. I then received a letter in the mail stating I could come back only if I was willing to follow the CDC guidelines. We were fired.  At an appointment to confirm pregnancy with my now 3yo, I declined the flu shot for myself.  When I wouldn’t give in, the PA very forcefully said, “If you don’t get the flu shot, your baby could die!” I was so furious.  “The Hep B is the least harmless. That’s the one I would recommend if you’re hesitant.”  "DHHS investigates for neglect if you wait too long to catch up" (wic office Bangor)  I always lied about my sons vaccine status after that. My biggest anxiety when he got sick or hurt was the doctors asking his vaccine status and whether they could read through my lies.  I hate hate hate when they ask me if my kids are up to date. Major anxiety.  I grew up a lot in that moment. That was the first time I had to physically advocate for my son I had to push the nurse away who was holding the needle and make her leave to check his chart to confirm he just had that shot. While she lunged at him insisting I was wrong.  "Is there a reason why we're only giving one shot today?"  I was told “that’s fine, if you want to take the chance of your child to dying of a preventable disease that’s your choice.”  When my child was injured (which is why we no longer do vacc  My daughters PCP looked my 11 yr old daughter in the eye (in front of me) and said, “I’m sorry your mother is putting you at risk for cancer.”  I refused the HPV shot for my 11 year old SON. She told me I needed to give it to him to protect the girls he's going to have sex with. When I told her I did research and didn't want him to have it, she said here's some websites only use these websites to research vaccines because other websites aren't accurate. She wouldn't drop it until I promised I would research through her websites.  "I guarantee nothing bad will happen because of these vaccines." Dr Howard Silversmith, June 20, 2003. 27 hours later he would advise a panicked mom who was a licenced Emergency Medical Technician, that the seizure she witnessed while taking Cyndimae out of her car seat was probably REM sleep. Her next seizure was less than two hours later while sitting in her high chair eating.  In the hospital when my 7 month old had a high fever.. the ER doctor, “Because of your ignorance, your son could die from meningitis!” (He hadn't been tested and I had the sense to refuse the spinal test and leave.)  "Your child will most likely die from one of these diseases"... I told her that was enough and she said "I just need to tell you this from our side" whatever that means.  My last pediatrician visit ended up being an hour long debate when I told him that I was no longer vaccinating my 11 year old that had already had ALL the 50 something vaccines on the schedule. He wanted to give her 4 more different injections at this visit!  I was considering a delayed schedule with my youngest a year ago and the pedi at the time told me I would be traumatizing her to bring her in and have her get shots so often instead of all at once. I can’t remember all the details but she basically made me feel like a horrible person for even  Our PA wanted/insisted on doing my sons Chicken Pox vaccine, it was a heated debate over why I needed to do this. I said, Fine I'll think about it between now and our next well-child check. My son came down with chicken pox on his own before the next well-child check. (I will add, that when I  offered to bring him in so that they could verify it, they said no that was fine they'd just make a note in his chart.)  I was told that if my son ever had a febrile seizure again from a high fever it would be my fault and if he died it would be on me. This was after I confronted him about my son having a 8 min long febrile seizure after the MMR shot. He said that was not a side effect of the MMR vaccine. Haven’t taken him back since.  I am literally honestly afraid to take my kids to the doctors!  My 10 year old started getting seizures after her 4 month shots, was diagnosed with epilepsy at 5 months old, she had her last seizure when she was 6. None of this ever dawned on me until I went back and looked at her chart and it all made sense. One time my husband found her and she wasn’t breathing, by the grace of God she’s still here. I so wish I knew what I know now. But those eight minutes holding my son was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced in my life and the doctor said it was no big deal.  It is so crazy. My son started stopping breathing in his sleep after 2 mos shots only dtap because my gut was telling me no more. Dr dismissed it. At 4 mos bullied me into hib and Pneumococcal and seizures for the next 5 months. Dr told me babies have jerky movements and I didn’t know what a seizure was the joke was on him since I have a BA in neuroscience. Fired him!  When I look back I can definitely see how each of my five children all had different reactions, but yet the doctor never believed me which is so infuriating. But now my children know and no longer want shots, my oldest speaks out a lot about them. I just wish more people would understand  My mother was harassed to the point of crying and feeling she couldn't leave and eventually consented to one vaccine (DTaP) when I was 13 months old. She was told to leave the room while they did it and locked out.  I’ve been called multiple times about my daughters mmr and to schedule. I have been told that I am not a doctor and these decisions are important for my child’s life.  I went to the pediatrician because my daughter had a severe diaper rash and nothing I did was helping. The dr we normally see wasn’t available so we had to see a different one. What should have been a 15 minute visit ended up being over an hour of this man telling me over and over how uneducated I am and that I’m clearly too young to be a good mother (I’m 25) that if I wasn’t going to “properly care for” my daughter I should give her to a family who will, how autism isn’t caused by vaccines (I never said it was)and they are COMPLETELY safe and no one is ever harmed, he went on to say that my daughter’s rash was DEFINITELY a reaction to “lack of vaccinations” he ended the conversation with me in tears and said “when your baby dies don’t come to us looking for answers.”  My son was bruising his head, banging it incessantly after 6 month vaccines. Our pediatrician laughed and said it was "normal baby behaviour." Um .... or not. Obviously left that practice.    During the 2015 hearings on LD 606, the bill to remove the philosophical exemption, Peter Michaud told the committee, "As you know I represent the Maine Medical Association. I have heard a lot of horrible things about doctors today. And you'll believe what you believe based on what you've heard. I refuse to believe that so many doctors in this state are unfeeling, are horribly rude, are bullies, don't have the best interests of their patients in mind.”     Keep in mind that it is the policy of the Maine Medical Association not to believe any of the stories that you just read from Maine mothers.


ageofautism--2019-05-16--Undue Burden Abortion Rights V Vaccination Rights

Undue Burden: Abortion Rights V. Vaccination Rights

Alabama has all but removed a woman's right to choose to terminate a pregnancy, even in cases of rape and incest. As a Mom of three disabled daughters who face a lifetime of sexual assault, this ruling appalls me.     Undue burden means significant difficulty or expense: In the field of reproductive rights, having the purpose or effect of placing a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion of a fetus that is not yet viable. Laws that impose an undue burden on a fundamental right are unconstitutional under current Supreme Court cases.( https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/undue_burden)    What about the undue burden of vaccination rights?  How far will a parent have to travel to find a doctor willing to give a medical exemption to a child, when that doctor knows his license will be at stake? We're creating a new back alley. In 2019. Not to mention the threat of vaccine injury to every single child. That fact is swept under the rug because most politicians, heck, most Americans, simply do NOT believe vaccine injury exists beyond the redness at the injection site. Vaccine injury is as mythical as the Jabberwocky. And if vaccine injury does not exist, there is no reason to ever say "no" to a vaccine, therefore exemptions are not needed. Find me a bottle that says "Drink Me," please.    Maine removed a woman's right to choose to say "no" to pediatric vaccines for her children, even in cases of previous family injury, religious belief or scientific research having convinced her that to delay or deny a vaccine is in the best interest of her child.    Women who rally against Alabama's law are considered Handmaid Heroines.    Women who rally against Maine's (and New York and Connecticut, and California, and Oregon et al) law are considered dangerous, selfish, obnoxious threats to be silenced.    Here's a clever way to sum up American politics today.    Republicans  = Guns and Buns (in the oven.)    Democrats = Vaxes and Taxes.    "Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe. All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome wraths outgrabe." (Lewis Carroll.)  This is not, as our Dan Olmsted would have said, a "frabjous" day for any of us.


ageofautism--2019-07-11--Families Sue New York State to Stop the Repeal of the Religious Exemption to Vaccines

Albany, NY—Attorneys Sussman and Kennedy filed a lawsuit today in New York State (NYS) Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the NYS legislature’s June 13, 2019 repeal of the religious exemption to vaccination, Public Health Law Section 2164(9). The plaintiffs, 55 NYS families who held lawful religious exemptions, request that the court enjoin the enactment of the repeal temporarily, preliminarily and permanently.     The plaintiffs are of diverse religious faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. As a result of the repeal, these families can no longer educate their children in any schools or camps in New York without violating their religious faith. The parents who bring the suit seek to represent thousands of other families likewise affected by the repeal.    The complaint argues that the repeal violates both state and federal law. And, the repealof this longstanding religious right, without a single public hearing, unreasonably interferes with religious freedom. “To deprive families of the rights to freedom of religious expression, parental rights, and the right to either a public or private education, the state must demonstrate a “compelling state interest” that the state has failed to prove here,” said Sussman. Furthermore, the state must act with neutrality towards all religious faiths and may not display impermissible animosity or hostility to religion. Yet, in this case, many NYS legislators showed great animosity to those with religious exemptions, calling the nature of the exemption “utter garbage,” “a myth and fabrication,” “a loophole,” and many other slurs.     While irreparably harming plaintiffs and similar families, the state has failed to prove even a rational basis to mandate all the vaccines on the NYS schedule to those who hold genuine, sincere religious beliefs against them.     Kennedy, Chief Legal Counsel for Children’s Health Defense, stated, “Religious rights are fundamental. It is unconstitutional for the state to deprive people of such important rights when religious animus has played a key role. To enact such harsh legislation without any legislative fact-finding, and with the legislators’ open display of prejudice towards religious beliefs different than their own, is simply un-American; it is essential that we fight this.”


ageofautism--2019-08-14--Judge to Hear Oral Argument on the Repeal of theReligious Exemption to Vaccination for New York Chil

Judge to Hear Oral Argument on the Repeal of theReligious Exemption to Vaccination for New York Children

Judge to Hear Oral Argument on the Repeal of the  Religious Exemption to Vaccination for New York Children    After the Wed., Aug. 14th, 10: 00 a.m. hearing, Attorneys Michael H. Sussman and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Chairman of Children’s Health Defense, will answer questions on the Albany County, NY Courthouse steps, 16 Eagle Street.  Albany, NY—On July 10, attorneys Sussman and Kennedy filed a lawsuit in New York State (NYS) Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the legislature’s repeal of the religious exemption to vaccination. Suing on behalf of 55 NYS families who held lawful religious exemptions, Sussman and Kennedy requested that the court enjoin the repeal temporarily, preliminarily and permanently.    The Honorable Denise Hartman, Supreme Court judge, will hear oral argument Wednesday, August 14th. With school only three weeks away, plaintiffs present their case that on June 13, 2019, NYS halted more than fifty years of lawful religious exemptions from vaccination for those with genuine and sincerely-held religious beliefs. The law, which became effective immediately, threw more than 26,000 NYS families into chaos, barring their children from school and daycare. A representative group of affected families, from different regions and diverse faiths, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam, challenged the repeal as constitutionally defective and unlawful. They seek judicial intervention to enjoin the repeal and permit their children back to school and camp throughout the state. The ruling will not only affect the 55 plaintiffs but the thousands of other similarly situated families.


ageofautism--2019-09-12--9/11, California, New York and Maine, Terrorism eighteen years on.

That horrible day generated thousands of questions. One key question was, “Why?” A week or so later President George W. Bush offered an answer in a joint session of Congress. He said, “They hate our freedoms — our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.”  Later, that awful day, my wife and I received the devastating confirmation that our fears about our younger son Luke were correct, and that he had autism. We didn’t know it at the time but our experience with Luke was a common one. Following a fever after getting a group of shots, Luke lost his few words, began to appear deaf, lost any sense of pain, and began odd repetitive behaviors. That news turned our personal lives upside down, on 9/11 the entire world seemed upside down.  Eighteen-years ago today hijackers transformed two airliners into cruise missiles and crashed them into the World Trade Center. As we all know, thousands died. Anyone who is old enough to remember that day will never forget it. That morning I heard a report on the radio that a “light plane” had crashed into one of the towers. Even from a distance of 18 miles, the World Trade Center was normally clearly visible from our kitchen window, and as I looked toward lower Manhattan on that crystal blue day, I thought it strange that there was a weird cloud obscuring the towers. Then I realized it was billowing smoke.  THANK YOU, to John Gilmore, whose Autism Action Network fights deep in the trenches every day for our rights. Below is his editorial from his site (please consider a donation to his work) that says what so many of us are thinking. AAN, like AoA and so many of the "A" orgs relies on donations from concerned citizens, readers, friends, family. Our work may look grand (we hope!) but we are Davids among Goliaths. Thank you. KIM ### 9/11, California, New York and Maine, Terrorism eighteen years on.  This morning I was thinking about that day 18 years ago, and what is happening now. Several days ago, three brave parents in Sacramento took the step we all knew was coming, just like Rosa Parks more than half a century ago on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, they refused to comply with injustice and conducted civil disobedience leading to their arrest. No doubt this this will be the first of many to come.  The parents were in Sacramento attempting to stop the passage of a law that will muzzle physicians from straying from the medically orthodox line that, “Vaccines are safe!” The people who are always telling us to suspend our own judgment and listen to doctors are now telling us not to listen to the doctors, and taking away the doctors' right to think, use their judgment, and put their patients’ interests first.  The same day in Albany, the state capital of New York, 500 parents were locked out of a normally public meeting of the Regents, our state board that sets school policy. In a few days 26,000 students will lose their right to an education because their families have religious beliefs the State will no longer tolerate, and our Regents had nothing to say about it. In Albany and Sacramento thousands of parents had the same chant, ‘Let us in!”  The Autism Action Network fights for you and your family every day, please keep us in the struggle. If you value the advocacy and information brought to by the Autism Action Network, please make it possible for us to continue our work by donating at our one fundraiser of the year we do in conjunction with the Autism Community Walk here: https://grouprev.com/autismactionnetwork2019  A few months ago, New Yorkers had our right to a religious exemption from vaccine mandates to attend school taken away. Our legislators took away a fundamental right we have always had in this state without a single public hearing or opportunity for the people to be heard. Our Assembly Health Committee re-voted at the behest of our Speaker when the first vote came back to kill the bill. Our Senate conducted their vote behind locked doors.  We now have internal religious refugees in the United Sates, thousands of families have fled, or are planning to flee, New York, California and Maine for states where they will be able to live in accord with their religious beliefs and exercise their God-given right as parents to care for their children.  Dozens of states are considering bills to limit our rights and force more vaccinations on unwilling people. Measles outbreaks are used around the world as a pretext to eliminate any right to refuse vaccines.  The political party that claims, “My body, my choice,” as one of its most closely held values, leads the charge to take away any choice at all to decide what will happen with our bodies or our children’s bodies.  Presidential candidates try to one-up each other to show how ferocious they would be in doing the vaccine cartel’s bidding.  We have members of Congress calling for censorship of any criticism of the vaccine industry. The giant tech monopolies are more than happy to oblige.  The US House of Representatives is considering a resolution denying that vaccine injuries even happen, a mantra that we hear repeatedly in the media and from our elected officials.  This is a global fight between the parents of the world against the cartel that controls 90% of the world vaccine market: Pfizer, Merck, Glaxo and Sanofi. We tend to focus on the politicians, but they are just the hired help in this war.  These four are also the largest drug manufacturers in the world. They are the largest source of campaign money for politicians in the US, and they are the leading source of advertising dollars as well (the two largest recipients of advertising revenue in the world are Facebook and Google.)  In our efforts to keep our rights in New York we were called Nazis, lunatics, and every expletive you have ever heard. Far more troubling, a former Obama administration official in an editorial published in a newspaper owned by the richest man in the world called parents who question the good intentions of the vaccine cartel, “terrorists."  “Terrorists.” Just like the hijackers on 9/11. And we all know what happens to terrorists.  This battle for our fundamental human rights has reached a place most of us probably never imagined it could reach. But here we are. And we will be in it for the long haul. Let’s look to those brave parents in Sacramento, and the long history of Americans fighting for our rights, and know that we have truth and justice on our side, and if we persevere, we will prevail.


ageofautism--2019-09-19--September is for the FIRST Day of School NOT the Last Except in New York

September is for the FIRST Day of School NOT the Last, Except in New York

Note: We doctored the photo for privacy. Atty Palma posted it publically on FB.  This darling, healthy, American boy has been kicked out of school in New York because of the removal of the  religious exemption. His teacher and classmates made him a goodbye card. Look at his face. His tears. Imagine telling your child he is not welcome in school because of your religious beliefs. This is 2019, children of every race, creed, color, illness status, and gender orientation are to be welcomed and embraced. Alas, vaccination status is "exempt" from logical or rational thought.  Or kindness.


ageofautism--2019-09-20--Was CT DPH Commissioner Strongarmed into Removal of Religious Vaccine Exemption

Was CT DPH Commissioner Strongarmed into Removal of Religious Vaccine Exemption?

A message from our friends at HealthChoice Connecticut:  Was the DPH Commissioner strong armed into supporting a draconian push to create an unnecessary solution to an imaginary problem?  On Monday September 16, 2019, Governor Ned Lamont and DPH Commissioner Renee Coleman-Mitchell held a press conference to announce their support for the removal of Connecticut’s long-standing religious exemption to school immunization requirements. Recently, Coleman-Mitchell was quoted as saying, “I am not able, nor should I weigh in on anything that’s public legislation that comes about as a result of any of the work we do. That’s not in the purview of my role.” A month before, in a prepared statement to the CT Mirror, she stated, “In Connecticut, we have only had three measles cases so far in 2019 and the last case was in April. Given that we have not had any further measles cases since April and because the immunization rate for the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines in Connecticut remains above 95 percent statewide, we will not be releasing immunization rates by school for the 2018-2019 school year at this time.”  Though she was subsequently overruled by the governor to release this data, this clearly shows she was not concerned about a public health crisis, because one does not exist. Health Choice CT asks Coleman-Mitchell and Governor Lamont how CT went from the Commissioner seeing no need to release data, to the state demanding the removal of healthy kids from school by eliminating the religious exemption from vaccines.  The alleged 25% increase in religious exemption rates has not been verified, and while it sounds like a lot, 25% of a very small number is still a very small number. CT boasts one of the highest vaccination rates in the country and has for the past several years. The unnecessary and illegal release of school level data was a political move to create a non-existent crisis. To so flippantly strip children’s rights to attend school due to their religious beliefs is appalling, and the idea that healthy kids pose a threat to others is wildly misguided. Unvaccinated children cannot spread an illness they do not have. Are the medically unvaccinated an equal risk? Or does the threat only arise when a child is exempt for religious reasons? And what about the adults in our school who are not up to date on their vaccines?


ageofautism--2019-10-11--Children Banned From School: Attorney Statement on Sullivan-Knapp v. Cuomo (Steuben County)

Jim Crow laws have returned from what should have been the fully, totally, unequivocally dead in the form of vaccination status discrimination. From New York State:    October 9, 2019    Attorney Statement on Sullivan-Knapp v. Cuomo (Steuben County)  We are extremely disappointed by the fainthearted and incohesive decision filed today by Judge Wiggins, but we are encouraged by most of the content of the Judge’s decision.  Judge Wiggins acknowledged that the New York legislature “callously disregarded” the religious beliefs of 19.54 million New Yorkers when removing the religious exemption to vaccination without holding “any committee hearings or substantial debate”. He wrote that the legislature’s actions led to the “unconscionable consequence” of 26,000 healthy children being denied access to New York schools. He ruled that “the danger to the public was somewhat overstated” in Judge Hartman’s Albany decision. He stated, “children not vaccinated because of religious exemptions make up less than 1% of the population, which hardly seems like a public health crisis”. Meanwhile, the rationale which the legislature used to repeal the religious exemption was itself overstated and nonexistent public health crisis, to which the expert affidavits attest.  Yet, despite including the above in his decision, Judge Wiggins ultimately denied the preliminary injunction, which would have eliminated the “unconscionable consequences" of the repeal bill while this case progresses to trial. He writes near the end of his decision that “precedent appears to give the legislature the authority to bar the doors (to school) to the unvaccinated". It seems he ruled this way because he believed he had no other choice to “precedent”, but this is not entirely accurate.  Sullivan-Knapp v. Cuomo is a novel case of first impression. This gives Judge Wiggins the opportunity to create new precedent in his decision. In the history of the United States, there has never been a case based solely on a state constitution involving the removal of a religious exemptions to vaccination.


ageofautism--2019-12-08--Health Choice 4 Action Responds To False & Disparaging Remarks

It is with great disappointment that Health Choice 4 Action (HC4A) is forced to address the emphatically false and disparaging remarks being shared on several social media platforms. Health Choice (HC) and HC4A have been referred to as “controlled opposition” while insulting remarks have been cast toward individual members and our national founders.  Our main goals have empirically been, and continue to be, to protect our children and safeguard parental rights. It is apparent that these people do not share the same vision or objectives of HC, HC4A and its members.  Our national founders and local leaders have volunteered countless hours over combined decades in advocacy to ensure that individual health choice rights and the rights of parents, as the ultimate decision makers for their families’ health, are retained.  In 2019, we have fought and continue to fight for informed consent, religious freedoms, civil liberties, parental rights and the guarantee that all children are afforded their fundamental right to an education - no matter race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or disability.  We are unpaid parents, who spend countless hours and sleepless nights advocating to preserve our rights. We believe that these other individuals do not have the best interests of our children at heart. The mission of these local groups that support and promote distracting, divisive and destructive behavior does not align with HC or HC4A. The abusive actions and derogatory remarks towards mothers are a reflection of those individuals’ true character.  HC and HC4A does not condone and will continue to refrain from engaging in social media peacocking, a distraction from our goals, and will solely focus on the real issues currently in our state, eliminating the bills and preventing discrimination in education.


ageofautism--2019-12-15--ACTION ALERT!! New Jersey S2173 12/16 Signing to Remove Religious Vaccine Exemption

This new bill S2173/A3818 completely removes the religious exemption from New Jersey law. No longer can the faithful believe in God’s power to protect them. No longer can the faithful rely on their God-given immune system to fight the everyday battles it was designed to do. No longer will a person of faith be able to choose whether to partake in substances being injected into his/her body. There is no more choice and no more consent for the faithful in New Jersey who want to attend public or private school.  For over 50 years, the religious exemption in New Jersey has required a parent or guardian to write a letter explaining how vaccinating their child(ren) went against their religious beliefs and interfered with their relationship with God. This letter was then required to be privately submitted to primary and secondary schools. This system worked, proving that public health measures and religious liberty can co-exist in NJ.  A few days prior to the Health Committee vote, the language of the Senate bill was made available online for the interested public to read. There has been and continues to be total media silence that a civil and religious right is being removed from New Jersey citizens. Interested parties who were tracking the bill discovered that it was on the docket themselves.  With not much time to prepare, New Jersey vaccine and consent rights groups such as NJ Hope from Holly, Innovative Parenting NJ, New Jersey Coalition for Vaccine Choice, The Real Crunchy Mommas, First Freedoms, and Children’s Health Defense joined their voices to oppose this bill. These groups aligned and asked their members to call and email all Senators, especially those on the Health Committee, and also asked their members to meet at the Trenton state Capital building in a boots-to-ground effort to educate legislators and squash the bill.  The NJ legislature has moved like lightning to pass a law that will ELIMINATE the religious exemption for ALL children in daycare and ALL students in public and private schools starting in June 2020. To preserve your rights, email and tweet—and then send a video message. New Jersey Residents: Click HERE before 1:00pm 12/16 By Kathleen Hayes McCarthy Trenton, NJ -- New Jerseyans were busy cleaning turkey pots and shopping for holiday gifts when their Senators quietly slated Bill S2173 for the voting docket on December 12. This bill is the companion bill to A3818, which was introduced by Assemblyman Herb Conaway in April, 2019 to the Assembly Health Committee as a restriction on the religious exemption. It passed out of that committee, and then the restriction language was stripped to completely remove the religious exemption during the full Assembly floor vote. It then was voted on and passed by the full Assembly.  Law enforcement is required to obtain a warrant prior to piercing the skin to acquire blood samples from suspected criminals, yet, if these bills pass, law-abiding New Jersey citizens will be forced to pierce the skin of their children in opposition to their religious beliefs to inject into their bodies substances that the government requires to attend school.  The preamble to the New Jersey State Constitution asserts that “We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and transmit the same unimpaired to succeeding generations, do ordain and establish this Constitution.”  This preamble contains very strong language securing civil and religious liberties for New Jersey citizens, and requires the duty to pass the same to future generations “unimpaired.” These words are an umbrella covering all that is contained in the Constitution. This document, and these words, is a guiding principle for legislators creating law in New Jersey. Removing the religious exemption certainly impairs religious liberty.  On December 12th, the Senate Health Committee met to vote on S2173. People in the thousands showed up in Trenton to demonstrate opposition to the bill. Intelligence provided by vaccine rights groups showed that seven of the ten seated members of the Committee did not support the bill. There were rumors that Senate President Steve Sweeneywanted to change the membership of the Committee to change the outcome of the vote. The voting public and bill detractors struggled to believe that something so corrupt would occur; however, on the morning of the critical vote, Senator Sweeney did indeed swap three of the Senators who were confirmed as No votes with three Senators who professed to vote Yes. Sweeney even swapped himself in as a Yes vote, effectively changing a 7-3 vote to retain the religious exemption to a 6-4 vote to remove it. With that simple and corrupt act – flouting our legislative process and voting honesty – Senator Sweeney’s manipulations stole religious rights from 9,000,000 New Jerseyans.  On Monday, December 16th, the bill will be voted on by the full Senate and the full Assembly. Unless enough Democratic Assembly and Senate members reject these bills for the incredibly sleazy way in which they were passed out of Committee, the bills are expected to pass both houses. The voting is split along party lines - Democrats seeking to strip religious liberty and Republicans seeking to maintain it - and the Democrats want this bill to pass. It will then be on Governor Murphy’s desk for signing.  When the ink from Governor Murphy’s pen hits the paper, New Jerseyans will lose a right that for over 50 years has been recognized as God-given and inalienable. Unless enough Democrats reject the corrupt way these bills made it to a floor vote, this will be a very dark day in the history of New Jersey.  Born and raised in New Jersey, Kathleen grew up in Belmar. This legislation, however, may cause her to leave the state. Kathleen has a BA in English from Drew University, and an MBA in Marketing/Communications from Fordham University Gabelli School of Business. She is passionate about health, human rights, and the environment. A businesswoman and mother, Kathleen adores her two children. She is on the Advisory Board of First Freedoms, a non-profit organization.  First Freedoms is a 501.c.3 non profit formed to address the right to freedom of health choice, religious freedom and other freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. First Freedoms is formed to protect, defend and create awareness of Civil Rights laws (both State and Federal) and other applicable laws and standards; to provide information to individuals concerning their rights as well as information concerning environmental factors that may impact not only acute but also chronic disease in individuals, both in the United States and globally. www.firstfreedoms.org


aljazeera--2019-01-15--Indias mega Kumbh festival gets BJP boost ahead of election

India's mega Kumbh festival gets BJP boost ahead of election

New Delhi, India - Over 100 million people will be taking a holy dip at the confluence of two rivers in northern India's Prayagraj city as the eight-week-long Kumbh festival began on Tuesday.  The Kumbh, billed as the world's biggest gathering of humanity, is a mass pilgrimage in which Hindus gather in specific locations along the holy rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical river Saraswati for a holy dip that they believe will cleanse their sins and bring salvation.  The religious event in the Uttar Pradesh state, which will continue till March 4, is being organised by the right-wing governments at both the federal and state levels in an election year.  Astrology determines most aspects of the UNESCO-listed festival, including its exact date and length. Where the festival will be held depends on the positions of the planet Jupiter, sun and the Earth.  "It is an exhilarating experience. To be part of a sea of humanity that arrives to take a dip in the holy waters, it is humbling and joyful. You abandon your fears at the Kumbh and hopefully your sins," Gopal Mishra, a devout Hindu who has been to the festival several times, told Al Jazeera.  There are six particularly auspicious days to bathe, termed as Shahi Snan, meaning a royal bath. The biggest bathing day is February 4, when approximately 30 million people are expected to take a dip.  The first Shahi Snan began before the dawn on Tuesday.  "Teams will be managing crowds on the river bank. All roads leading to the Kumbh Mela grounds will be packed with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in the coming days," Bimlesh Kumar, a senior official at the government tourism department told Al Jazeera.  "We are expecting around 120 million people, and an additional two million foreign visitors this year. The festival will continue for 49 days. An average two million people are likely to take a dip every day," he added.  Prayagraj city had been preparing for the festival for months as the government built communal areas with 20,000 beds and a tented city with 4,200 "premium" tents around the river.  According to a report, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led federal and state governments are spending over $620m, more than triple the public money spent in 2013 on the same event.  The government says 116 roads have been constructed and 524 shuttle buses deployed to transport the pilgrims. More than 122,000 toilets have been built for the attendees.  On Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted to say he hoped visitors to this year's Kumbh would "experience India's spiritual, cultural and social diversities".  Translated tweet: "Good wishes for the sacred Kumbh Mela starting at Prayagraj. I hope the devotees from India and abroad will get a glimpse of the country's spiritual, cultural and social diversities. I wish more and more people become part of this divine and grand event."  The relentless promotion of Kumbh by the ruling BJP coincides with the general election due in a few months.  The BJP's electoral losses in five Indian states last month have shown a dip in Modi's popularity.  The ruling party is making renewed appeals to its hardcore Hindu nationalist base in Uttar Pradesh, India's politically most important state, which is hosting this year's Kumbh.  Ahead of the Kumbh gathering, BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath changed the name of the historical city of Allahabad to the more "Hindu" sounding Prayagraj.  The BJP has also announced the construction of a giant statue of Hindu deity Ram in the state.  In contrast, the state police are cracking down on Muslims praying in open areas like parks.  Earlier in 2018, the Indian government had also announced the end of a decades-long policy of giving subsidy to thousands of Muslims heading to the holy city of Mecca to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage.  Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state with 200 million people, sends 80 MPs to Parliament's lower house, the reason it is a politically crucial state.  Opposition parties say the government is trying to hide its failures in governance and is promoting itself in the media instead of the Kumbh festival.  Images of Modi and Adityanath are splashed on Kumbh promotional billboards across Prayagraj city.  "Kumbh is not a substitute for effective governance. The BJP often behaves like a publicity and marketing company. This holy festival has always been organised by the government. But money was never spent such lavishly, solely for advertisements of the government," Akhilesh Pratap Singh, national spokesperson of the Congress party, told Al Jazeera in Lucknow.  "At the moment, people want answers from them. Where are the jobs for our youth, safety for women, rule of law, industry? It's not possible for them to deflect attention from their governance failures any more," he added.  The Kumbh has been marred several times by stampedes. Over 800 people were killed in 1954, 40 died in Nashik western India in 2003, while 36 people died in the 2013 gathering in Allahabad (now Prayagraj).  On Monday, a small fire broke out at one of the camps, although no casualties were reported.  Hindu religious belief says that in a fight over an urn between the gods and the demons, a few drops of the essence of immortality spilled on to four places on the Earth, which now host the Kumbh, one of which is Prayagraj.  There are three different kinds of Kumbh: an Ardha (or half) Kumbh held every six years at two locations, a Purna (or full) Kumbh every 12 years at four locations and a Maha Kumbh that happens every 144 years or after 12 Purna Kumbhs.  Critics of the Modi government say a half Kumbh is being given unprecedented prominence this time and there is a conscious attempt to boost support for events that reinforce Hindu symbols appealing to the BJP's Hindu nationalist support base.  India's 1.3 billion people are about 80 percent Hindu and appeals to religion or caste are deeply ingrained in Indian politics.  A report by the investigative magazine Caravan last month said the BJP's ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is attempting to drum up support for the government using the Kumbh ahead of the elections.  Hindu supremacist groups such as the RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) are clamouring for a government order to bypass the Supreme Court in order to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya city of Uttar Pradesh.  In 1992, a Hindu mob tore down a medieval mosque, which they claim stood at a contested site believed to be the birthplace of Ram.  "Right from the Babri mosque demolition, the right-wing in India always uses religious congregation to promote Hindutva or a militant radical strain of Hinduism backed by the current ruling party. Previous Kumbh festivals from the mid-1980s onwards have been fertile ground for making political demands," Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, a political analyst in New Delhi, told Al Jazeera.  But the ruling BJP denies any political overtones to the festival.  "It is a sacred and auspicious time for Hindus. Kumbh has a special place in not just the religious but cultural life of Indians. Every government, irrespective of ideology, has been organising this festival at a mega scale," Sudhanshu Mittal, spokesperson of the ruling BJP, told Al Jazeera.  On January 31 and February 1, a Dharma Sansad (religious assembly) will be held at the Kumbh by the VHP, one of the many far-right Hindu groups linked to the ruling BJP party.  On the opening day of the festival, the Indian media reported slogans of "Modi, you lead the fight, we are with you" and "the temple will be built in Ayodhya" being raised on loudspeakers amid religious Hindu chants.  The idea is to use Kumbh as a rallying point, says Akshaya Mukul, the author of "Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India".  "In the times of divided polity and an election year, a Hindu nationalist party like BJP will definitely extract political mileage out of it. Social media is abuzz with videos praising the BJP for its arrangements. Apparently, never before has a state administration worked so hard," Mukul told Al Jazeera.  "It is ironic that in a state where infants die for the lack of oxygen, arrangement of a religious fair is seen as a marker of good administration," he said, referring to a 2017 tragedy in which more than 60 infants died for lack of oxygen in a state-run hospital in Uttar Pradesh due to unpaid bills.  "The BJP will use this year's Kumbh to the hilt and maximise benefits. It remains to be seen if it succeeds or not since it has failed in fulfilling its basic promises of jobs, education and healthcare," said Mukul.


aljazeera--2019-02-24--Cubans vote on new constitution to replace Cold War-era charter

Cubans began voting on Sunday in a referendum on a draft constitution to update its 1976 charter on the heels of significant economic reforms on the island over the past few years.  The new constitution, approved in the National Assembly late last year after a popular consultation, enshrines private property and promotes foreign investment. State enterprise remains the cornerstone of the economy, though the new constitution dictates state-owned companies have autonomous management.  On the political front, the document limits the president to two consecutive five-year terms, but does not open the door for Cubans to elect the president directly. The Communist Party remains the central political force in a one-party system.  Jose Jasan Nieves, editor at the non-state media outlet El Toque, told Al Jazeera by legalising economic measures put in practice in recent years, the new constitution "adapts" to a set of reforms already under way.  "This is the first opportunity the Cuban people will have in 43 years to express 'yes' or 'no' in the face of a government programme," he said. "That is a unique opportunity because it will allow us to know what percentage of the Cuban society will start to express dissent."  He estimated one-quarter of voters could reject the new constitution.  Eight million Cubans are eligible to vote on Sunday. The polls will close at 6pm (23:00 GMT) local time. More than 225,000 electoral authorities will oversee the vote, while some 200,000 students will steward the ballot boxes.  The electoral commission will release preliminary results in a press conference Monday at 3pm local time (20:00 GMT).  "This constitution is a step forward, we cannot deny that. But I think most Cubans were hoping for more," Camilo Condis, an entrepreneur in Havana, told Al Jazeera. "Most of the changes in the Constitution are to legalise what was already happening in the country."  Economic reforms introduced under former President Raul Castro in 2010 and 2011 to encourage self-employment and entrepreneurship "helped to boost the private sector", said Condis, who rents out a residence and works as a contractor for restaurants. But he added that the rollback in US-Cuban relations under President Donald Trump has created fresh challenges.  Now, he sees the Cuban government's approach to private enterprise as an effort to "regulate but not shrink the private sector". Close to 600,000 people are currently self-employed in Cuba, up from 150,000 in 2010.  For Maria Jose Espinosa Carrillo, director of programmes and operations at the Washington-based Center for Democracy in the Americas, one of the positive outcomes of drafting the new constitution has been the public debate that grew out of a three-month consultation process. Nearly nine million people attended public meetings to discuss an earlier draft of the Constitution, putting forward more than 700,000 proposals.  "For the first time, people had the opportunity to debate on issues that hadn't been part of grassroots debates before," Espinosa Carillo told Al Jazeera. "This, together with access to the internet, has brought new platforms for discussion that was previously not public."  She expects such public debate to be an "increasing trend", especially through new digital media outlets, Twitter, and other online platforms.  After the popular consultation, the drafting commission made 760 changes to the draft constitution, revising about 60 percent of articles in the document.  Critics say it was not clear how the commission evaluated and incorporated feedback. More than 11,000 proposals called for a direct vote for the president, for example, but the suggestion was not included in the text.  Meanwhile, marriage equality sparked a debate that is likely to continue after the referendum. An earlier version of the draft constitution defined marriage as a union between two people. But the final draft sidestepped outright legalisation after evangelical protests, leaving the definition of marriage to be determined in a separate referendum at a later date.  "It created a big debate, which is positive because it gave space and visibility to tensions that are happening and that people maybe weren't even aware of," Maria Isabel Alfonso, professor of Spanish and Cuban studies at St. Joseph's College, New York, told Al Jazeera.  State-led mobilisations "are progressively being replaced by these spontaneous associations and ways of thinking", said Alfonso, creator of the documentary, Rethinking Cuban Civil Society, and cofounder of Cuban Americans for Engagement, an organisation that promotes the normalization of US-Cuba ties.  "Many of them are very emphatic that they don't want to be in the opposition because the opposition receives, in many instances, funds from the US government," she added.  Nieves agreed the debate is "complex and varied" beyond clear cut "yes" versus "no" or government versus opposition lines.  "These sectors - journalists, intellectuals, artists, entrepreneurs, LGBTI activists, animal rights activists, religious activists - are sectors of a thriving, growing civil society that don't necessarily have an agenda of opposition politics, but rather of participation and defence of their respective interests," he said.  Changes to political and social rights in the Constitution include broader recognition of freedom of thought and expression, a right to request and receive information from the state, and the ability to hold dual citizenship.  The document expands non-discrimination to include on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in addition to sex, gender, age, ethnic origin, skin colour, religious belief, and ability. On women's rights, the new text guarantees women's sexual and reproductive rights and protects women from gender violence.  Cubans living abroad also were able to submit proposals for the new constitution in the public consultation process. "That was a great step to include the diaspora," said Espinosa Carillo.  However, other than diplomats, Cubans abroad will not be allowed to vote in the referendum unless the return to the island to cast their ballots.


aljazeera--2019-03-14--China rejects US criticism of its abuse of Muslim minorities

China's foreign ministry said on Thursday a US State Department report critical of its human rights record was filled with "ideological prejudice and groundless accusations".  The US report slammed human rights violations in China, saying the sort of abuses it had inflicted on its Muslim minorities had not been seen "since the 1930s".  US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo highlighted abuses in Iran, South Sudan, Nicaragua and China in the department's annual "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices," but told reporters that China was "in a league of its own when it comes to human rights violations."  "Today, more than one million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslims are interned in re-education camps designed to erase their religious and ethnic identities," he said.  Michael Kozak, the head of the State Department's human rights and democracy bureau described abuses of China's Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region.  "Rounding up, in some estimations ... in the millions of people, putting them into camps, and torturing them, abusing them, and trying to basically erase their culture and their religion and so on from their DNA. It's just remarkably awful."  "It is one of the most serious human rights violations in the world today," he said.  "For me, you haven't seen things like this since the 1930s," he said, apparently referring to the policies of persecution of Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union.  China had initially denied there even were camps, Kozak said, adding its explanation now that they were for voluntary labor training "does not match the facts."  "But at least we're starting to make them realize there is a lot of international scrutiny on this," he said.  Xinjiang Governor Shohrat Zakir said on Tuesday that China was running boarding schools, not concentration camps, in the country's far western region as the US ambassador for religious freedom called the situation there "completely unacceptable," and said sanctions against Chinese officials under the Global Magnitsky Act remained a "possibility".  The administration of President Donald Trump has weighed sanctions against senior Chinese officials in Xinjiang, including the Communist Party boss there, Chen Quanguo, who as a member of the powerful politburo is in the upper echelons of China's leadership.  Beijing has warned of retaliation if Washington were to target Chen and the administration has yet to act despite complaints from US lawmakers.  The State Department report said Chen had replicated in Xinjiang policies similar to those credited with reducing opposition to Communist Party rule in Tibet, where he was previously stationed.  The report said that in the past year, China had significantly intensified its campaign of mass detention of members of Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang.  It said authorities there were reported to have arbitrarily detained from 800,000 to possibly more than two million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs and other Muslims in camps with the aim of erasing religious and ethnic identities.  The report says children of the detained have been placed in "orphanages or boarding schools, or "child welfare guidance centres", where they were forced to shout patriotic slogans, learn Mandarin Chinese, and answer questions about their parents’ religious beliefs and practices." It said it did not know how many children were affected.  Iran also came in for harsh criticism while rival Saudi Arabia, cited for many identical domestic rights abuses as well as the murder of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, was given easier treatment.  Pompeo said the Iranian government had killed more than 20 people and arrested thousands without due process for protesting for their rights "continuing a pattern of cruelty the regime has inflicted on the Iranian people for the last four decades".  Tehran was also cited for contributing to rights abuses in Syria through its support for President Bashar al-Assad, and in Yemen for backing the Houthi rebels battling for control of the country.  In the Western Hemisphere, Venezuela and Nicaragua came in for strong criticism for extrajudicial murders, disappearances, torture by security forces and denial of basic freedoms.  Pompeo assailed Nicaragua for the government's use of snipers and live ammunition to repress protests that the report says left "at least 325 persons dead and more than 2,000 injured" last year.


instapundit--2019-12-14--WHEN FACULTY ATTACK THEIR OWN STUDENTS:  The faculty association at California State University-Chic

WHEN FACULTY ATTACK THEIR OWN STUDENTS:  The faculty association at California State University-Chic…

WHEN FACULTY ATTACK THEIR OWN STUDENTS: The faculty association at California State University-Chico released a statement slamming the College Republicans group on campus. The statement called their ideas “white supremacist” while also calling Trump re-election signs a “racist provocation.”  Keep this stuff up and people are going to conclude that higher education isn’t worth supporting with taxpayer dollars.


lifesitenews--2019-10-16--American Medical Association endorses abortion with unscientific claims

October 15, 2019 (Radiance Foundation) — We unfairly give way too much authority and credibility to medical associations. They're composed of people who are no more moral or ethical than the rest of the human race. Heinous acts have been committed in the name of "medical science" throughout history: Shark Island, Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, Nazi Science Experiments, Gosnell's Supercoil Experiment, Puerto Rico Birth Control Experiment, Philadelphia Prison Experiments, Children with Cerebral Palsy at Sonoma State Hospital, University of Iowa 'Monster Study', and so many more.  So why do we accept their blatant political activism disguised as healthcare?  The American Medical Association (AMA) just released one of the most ludicrous defenses of abortion ever, entitled: "Ban on standard D&E abortion procedure is unsafe, unwarranted." Killing our children is unsafe and unwarranted. But, when it comes to abortion, the AMA is interested in not humanity, but histrionics. In its political opposition to Kentucky's H.B. 454 ("An Act Relating to the Human Rights of Unborn Children and Declaring An Emergency"), the AMA laments that pro-life laws put "patients at serious and unnecessary risk." Isn't that what abortion does to any human being on which it is committed? Significantly increasing risk of preterm births (a major cause of birth defects), triple-negative breast cancer, adverse mental health consequences, and killing millions of America's youngest patients...aren't these negative outcomes unnecessary?  The AMA's affairs with pseudoscience are nothing new. Up until 1953, the organization profited from cigarette ads placed in its own Journal of the American Medical Association despite years of research showing the serious harms of smoking. The ads would even feature "doctors" promoting the cancer sticks. In 1964, when the U.S. Surgeon General issued the first report on how cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, what did the AMA do? They remained silent. When Congress passed the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act of 1965 and the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act of 1969, putting warning labels on cigarette packages and banning cigarette advertising on TV, did the AMA finally sound the alarm? According to a shocking Journal of American Public Health Association article, it wasn't until 1978 that the AMA finally publicly addressed the dangers of cigarette smoking.  How many years and how many millions of lives destroyed will it take for the AMA to do the same regarding abortion?  It took until 2008 for the AMA to formerly apologize for over a century of systemic racism in discriminating against black doctors and preventing them from joining the nation's (mis)leading medical society. Black physicians had to create their own organization called the National Medical Association (NMA).  Sadly, the NMA has abandoned facts for fiction, too, when it comes to abortion — the leading killer in the black community with rates up to 5 times higher than the majority population. When did a negative health disparity become something to defend? Deaths of unborn black lives, via abortion, are 69 times higher than HIV deaths, 31 times higher than all homicides, and nearly 4 times higher than both cancer and heart disease deaths.  Despite this, the NMA promotes Planned Parenthood — an organization birthed in eugenic racism and elitism. The abortion giant kills an estimated 250 unborn black lives every day. The late trailblazing Dr. Mildred Jefferson, who became the first black woman to graduate from Harvard and first woman to become a general surgeon at Boston University Medical Center, denounced Planned Parenthood and its eugenic DNA. She declared that Roe: "...gave to my profession an almost unlimited license to kill." In a 1978 article in Ebony, she called out the blatant racism of the abortion industry, saying: "I would guess that the abortionists have done more to get rid of generations and cripple others than all of the years of slavery and lynchings."  Yet, the NMA falsely and bizarrely claims that pro-life bills challenging Roe, especially in the black community, are "fraught with issues that are severely detrimental to the health of mother or child." Isn't killing the child "detrimental" to the child? Aren't harming a woman and increasing her risks of triple negative breast cancer and negative mental health outcomes "detrimental"? An induced first-trimester abortion is, according to the National Academies of Sciences, a known medical risk factor associated with preterm births. Isn't a disparity in preterm births (a leading cause of infant mortality), which is three times higher among black women, "detrimental" to mother and child?  Similarly, the AMA complains that Kentucky's pro-life bill (are we really squabbling over how we kill our posterity?) "criminalizes the state's primary second-trimester abortion method without safe, available, and reliable alternatives." Safe? Not killing anyone, which is available to everyone, is safe. Reliable alternatives? Women deserve reliable alternatives like completely free pregnancy support, maternity homes, and adoption.  AMA sums up its extremism in this statement: "... medical literature shows that a fetus likely cannot experience pain at any gestational age, because it is kept in a sleep-like state by environmental factors in the uterus, including certain hormones and low oxygen levels." Really? So the day before a child is born, she is so asleep that she wouldn't feel her body being ripped apart? Never mind the increasing number of studies showing that unborn babies can feel pain as early as 20 weeks gestation. It's strange, too. Guess the AMA never heard of fetal anesthesia, done for purposes of pain management, for surgeries on unborn children.  Nope. Not without scrutiny. America, pursue that second (fact-based) opinion.  I'll trust those, like the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG), who see every human life — born and unborn — as a patient. I will trust those who don't see induced death as a "medical procedure." I'll trust former abortionists, like Dr. Anthony Levatino, who say abortion is never medically necessary.  I'll trust those who speak truth and defend human life, no matter the consequences to their "professional" reputations. People and principles are always more important than politics and profit.  Published with permission from the Radiance Foundation.