PROTECT OUR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
STOP VACCINE EXEMPTION RESTRICTIONS
A Petition to the New Jersey State Legislature
Delivered on September 20, 2012
Speak Truth to Power here: http://TinyURL.com/StopForcedVax
There is a national effort afoot to restrict religious liberty by imposing impossible burdens on the free exercise of religious beliefs, with regard to State-mandated vaccines. This effort is spearheaded by state health and education officials and the pharmaceutical industry.
The undersigned, an ad hoc Religious Liberty alliance of New Jerseyans from several organizations and diverse backgrounds, urge the Legislature to defeat S.1759, the latest attempt to force what may be unwanted, unnecessary, uninsurable and unhealthy vaccines on our children.
Our focus is on the Religious Exemption itself. Religious freedom is protected by the First Amendment. Passage of this bill will make it much more difficult for parents to honor their deeply held religious beliefs. Some proponents of this bill believe that parents who claim a Religious Exemption may not be sincere in their religious beliefs. We strongly oppose any determination by the state to decide if parents’ religious beliefs are sufficiently sincere, reasonable, or bona fide to qualify for a religious exemption. This bill imposes significant burdens on religious belief, in violation of widely-held legal norms. These burdens will result in a process that is:
1. Expensive — parents must pay for extra doctors’ visits and notary services;
2. Intrusive and offensive — parents are required to disclose and justify private religious beliefs;
3. Time consuming — parents must take time off work and find doctors who will work with them;
4. Unresponsive to New Jersey voters — this bill was not requested by parents, it is sponsored by industry;
5. Illogical and unproductive — as there is no research proving that parents who claim a Religious Exemption are uneducated about vaccination.
We object to a bill that requires parents to pay for “counseling” that is meant to convince them to do something that violates their religious beliefs. This is repugnant to our traditional liberties. This bill mandates State-Sponsored, Official Speech (counseling) before parents may exercise their Constitutional right to religious liberty. It forces parents to associate against their will with State-mandated physicians. It compels doctors and nurses to recite government-mandated information about vaccination. These burdens on expressive association violate major legal norms regarding First Amendment Rights.
This bill raises many grave concerns. How are the growing numbers of pediatricians “firing” patients for not vaccinating according to AAP guidelines going to counsel the very parents they refuse to allow into their offices? How and where will doctors receive training about the risks and benefits of current and new vaccines? How will the state ensure that there is not undue influence from vaccine manufacturers and other special interests? Will parents be informed that they have the right to refuse vaccines on grounds of deeply held religious beliefs? Will religious beliefs be respected?
This bill is a significant threat to our First Amendment Rights – both religious liberty and free speech are violated by S.1759. We oppose State-Mandated Speech and restrictions on Religious Liberty.
September 20, 2012
The undersigned voters exercise their freedom of speech and right to petition the Legislature for Redress of Grievances. Organization names for identification only.
Ralph Fucetola JD – Natural Solutions Foundation, Newton – www.HealthFreedomUSA.org
Louise Kuo Habakus – Center for Personal Rights / NJ Coalition for Vaccination Choice, Red Bank – www.centerforpersonalrights.org
Rev. Dick Weber – Lightwing Center, Denville – www.lightwing.org
Prepared by R. Fucetola JD, Natural Solutions Foundation
Further Information:
Directly Contact Your State Legislators here: http://tinyurl.com/StopForcedVax
Sign-On Online Petition: http://signon.org/sign/preserve-the-nj-religious
Counsel Phillips: http://www.naturalnews.com/037237_New_Jersey_vaccine_exemptions_health_freedom.html