Dog & Cat Food Recall - Click this title to view Info.
posted by Dani @ 4:05 PM
0 comments
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Maryland's Ted Elkin states that selling raw milk is the same as selling pot
posted by Dani @ 7:05 AM
0 comments
Health News & Headlines March 18th, 2007
Arsenic in my Fluoride? CDC admits Yes -- Trace amounts of arsenic are found in fluoride chemicals added to drinking water supplies, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) website.
Dole Foods to tag veggies with RFIDs -- The world's largest producer of fresh vegetables has started tracking shipments of spinach and lettuce with RFID tags.
Common Chemicals: Breast Cancer Link? -- Experts discuss whether chemicals in our environment have a connection to the risk of breast cancer. Pesticides. Plastics. Cosmetics. Deodorants. Cookware. Stain-resistant furniture. Computers. What do all these seemingly unrelated items have in common? At one time or another, all have been suspected of increasing the risk of breast cancer.
Health News - Sleep Aid Dangers...Medical Marijuana Appeal...Mercury still in Vaccines
F.D.A. Warns of Sleeping Pills' Strange Effects -- The most widely prescribed sleeping pills can cause strange behavior like driving and eating while asleep, the Food and Drug Administration said yesterday, announcing that strong new warnings will be placed on the labels of 13 drugs.
Dying Woman Loses Appeal on Marijuana as Medication -- Federal appellate judges here ruled Wednesday that a terminally ill woman using marijuana was not immune to federal prosecution simply because of her condition, and in a separate case a federal judge dismissed most of the charges against a prominent advocate for the medicinal use of the drug.
Why do Drugmakers Still Defend the Use of Mercury in Their Vaccines? -- How can government officials go to sleep at night knowing that they are allowing a toxic poison to be injected into harmless infants through government-mandated vaccinations in the majority of the United States?
The readers of HIGH TIMES want marijuana legalized, nationwide, and now. The 420 Campaign is a plan to bring legalization before the US Congress and the public. We want to use April 20th as a focal point every year to concentrate pressure on Congress to legalize marijuana until we get the job done.
Here are our top ten reasons marijuana should be legalized:
10. Prohibition has failed to control the use and domestic production of marijuana.
The government has tried to use criminal penalties to prevent marijuana use for over 75 years and yet: marijuana is now used by over 25 million people annually, cannabis is currently the largest cash crop in the United States, and marijuana is grown all over the planet. Claims that marijuana prohibition is a successful policy are ludicrous and unsupported by the facts, and the idea that marijuana will soon be eliminated from America and the rest of the world is a ridiculous fantasy.
9. Arrests for marijuana possession disproportionately affect blacks and Hispanics and reinforce the perception that law enforcement is biased and prejudiced against minorities.
African-Americans account for approximately 13% of the population of the United States and about 13.5% of annual marijuana users, however, blacks also account for 26% of all marijuana arrests. Recent studies have demonstrated that blacks and Hispanics account for the majority of marijuana possession arrests in New York City, primarily for smoking marijuana in public view. Law enforcement has failed to demonstrate that marijuana laws can be enforced fairly without regard to race; far too often minorities are arrested for marijuana use while white/non-Hispanic Americans face a much lower risk of arrest.
8. A regulated, legal market in marijuana would reduce marijuana sales and use among teenagers, as well as reduce their exposure to other drugs in the illegal market.
The illegality of marijuana makes it more valuable than if it were legal, providing opportunities for teenagers to make easy money selling it to their friends. If the excessive profits for marijuana sales were ended through legalization there would be less incentive for teens to sell it to one another. Teenage use of alcohol and tobacco remain serious public health problems even though those drugs are legal for adults, however, the availability of alcohol and tobacco is not made even more widespread by providing kids with economic incentives to sell either one to their friends and peers.
7. Legalized marijuana would reduce the flow of money from the American economy to international criminal gangs.
Marijuana's illegality makes foreign cultivation and smuggling to the United States extremely profitable, sending billions of dollars overseas in an underground economy while diverting funds from productive economic development.
6. Marijuana's legalization would simplify the development of hemp as a valuable and diverse agricultural crop in the United States, including its development as a new bio-fuel to reduce carbon emissions.
Canada and European countries have managed to support legal hemp cultivation without legalizing marijuana, but in the United States opposition to legal marijuana remains the biggest obstacle to development of industrial hemp as a valuable agricultural commodity. As US energy policy continues to embrace and promote the development of bio-fuels as an alternative to oil dependency and a way to reduce carbon emissions, it is all the more important to develop industrial hemp as a bio-fuel source – especially since use of hemp stalks as a fuel source will not increase demand and prices for food, such as corn. Legalization of marijuana will greatly simplify the regulatory burden on prospective hemp cultivation in the United States.
5. Prohibition is based on lies and disinformation.
Justification of marijuana's illegality increasingly requires distortions and selective uses of the scientific record, causing harm to the credibility of teachers, law enforcement officials, and scientists throughout the country. The dangers of marijuana use have been exaggerated for almost a century and the modern scientific record does not support the reefer madness predictions of the past and present. Many claims of marijuana's danger are based on old 20th century prejudices that originated in a time when science was uncertain how marijuana produced its characteristic effects. Since the cannabinoid receptor system was discovered in the late 1980s these hysterical concerns about marijuana's dangerousness have not been confirmed with modern research. Everyone agrees that marijuana, or any other drug use such as alcohol or tobacco use, is not for children. Nonetheless, adults have demonstrated over the last several decades that marijuana can be used moderately without harmful impacts to the individual or society.
4. Marijuana is not a lethal drug and is safer than alcohol.
It is established scientific fact that marijuana is not toxic to humans; marijuana overdoses are nearly impossible, and marijuana is not nearly as addictive as alcohol or tobacco. It is unfair and unjust to treat marijuana users more harshly under the law than the users of alcohol or tobacco.
3. Marijuana is too expensive for our justice system and should instead be taxed to support beneficial government programs.
Law enforcement has more important responsibilities than arresting 750,000 individuals a year for marijuana possession, especially given the additional justice costs of disposing of each of these cases. Marijuana arrests make justice more expensive and less efficient in the United States, wasting jail space, clogging up court systems, and diverting time of police, attorneys, judges, and corrections officials away from violent crime, the sexual abuse of children, and terrorism. Furthermore, taxation of marijuana can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs.
2. Marijuana use has positive attributes, such as its medical value and use as a recreational drug with relatively mild side effects.
Many people use marijuana because they have made an informed decision that it is good for them, especially Americans suffering from a variety of serious ailments. Marijuana provides relief from pain, nausea, spasticity, and other symptoms for many individuals who have not been treated successfully with conventional medications. Many American adults prefer marijuana to the use of alcohol as a mild and moderate way to relax. Americans use marijuana because they choose to, and one of the reasons for that choice is their personal observation that the drug has a relatively low dependence liability and easy-to-manage side effects. Most marijuana users develop tolerance to many of marijuana's side effects, and those who do not, choose to stop using the drug. Marijuana use is the result of informed consent in which individuals have decided that the benefits of use outweigh the risks, especially since, for most Americans, the greatest risk of using marijuana is the relatively low risk of arrest.
1. Marijuana users are determined to stand up to the injustice of marijuana probation and accomplish legalization, no matter how long or what it takes to succeed.
Despite the threat of arrests and a variety of other punishments and sanctions marijuana users have persisted in their support for legalization for over a generation. They refuse to give up their long quest for justice because they believe in the fundamental values of American society. Prohibition has failed to silence marijuana users despite its best attempts over the last generation. The issue of marijuana's legalization is a persistent issue that, like marijuana, will simply not go away. Marijuana will be legalized because marijuana users will continue to fight for it until they succeed.
CONFIRMED: YOUR DAUGHTER IS MERCK'S GUINEA PIG
By: Devvy
March 16, 2007
© 2007 - NewsWithViews.com
My February 8, 2007 column resulted in quite a few radio show invitations. During my appearance on Michael Baisden's show, several doctors called in to say the HPV vaccine was safe, it has been tested, and yes, they would get their daughters shot up. One mother who phoned into the show said her daughter has received the first of the three shot series and is now worried and doesn't know what to do. I could give her no advice because I'm not a physician, but she should be worried. On March 15, 2007, the bomb dropped on a cable network show which quickly made the Internet media; see full important column here. Diane M. Harper, a researcher who worked on this vaccine has revealed that it has NOT been tested on young girls and "worst case" scenario: increased cervical cancer rates. As I covered in my February 8th column, Merck needs cash badly. The lawsuits over another "safe" product of theirs, VIOXX, could bankrupt them and they know it; one verdict here. At between $320 - $400 per shot per girl in the U.S., then the world, you can see why Merck has spent millions buying the favors of members of the state legislatures. Now comes the truth from an individual who actually worked on this HPV vaccine and pray to God, enough parents get the truth in time. Stockholders of Merck need to bring down the boom on their CEO and others in that company for such irresponsible corporate shennanigans.
While many of us have been trying to warn parents about this vaccine, competing against the propaganda 'happy ads' for Guardasil targeted at young teen girls on the stupid tube, we have also been urging parents here in Texas to get in the face of the state legislature to over ride Gov. Rick Perry's "mandate" to vaccinate the young guinea pigs, er, girls, in this state. Informed legislators in our state house, most parents themselves, also got up in arms over this blatant move by Perry to bypass the process and fulfill his obligation to Merck for their fat campaign donations. The result: A couple of days ago the house side of our legislature voted to rescind Perry's Executive Order (118-23). Next comes the Texas Senate and I encourage everyone in this state to call your state senator and tell them to vote to rescind Perry's EO. The next question remains is will Gov. Perry do the right thing? Stay tuned.
In the meantime, watch out New Mexico. It appears your governor, Bill Richardson, has said he will sign a mandatory vaccine bill. Man those phones even if you have to do it at lunch time. Richardson's office number is: (505) 476-2200. Call your state rep and senator and let them know how you feel and tell them if they voted for SB 1174, they'll find themselves job hunting next election. Remember this: If your daughter gets those shots and ten years down the road develops cervical cancer, turns sterile or has a baby with defects, neither Richardson or your state legislator/senator can be sued. If Merck's still in business then, you might have an option.
In my previous column, I pointed out Gov. Perry's press release where he came clean by stating, "Finally, parents need to know that they have the final decision about whether or not their daughter is vaccinated. I am a strong believer in protecting parental rights, which is why this executive order allows them to opt out." But, how many parents got that memo? Listen to the "news" on ABC, CBS, NBC and cable networks when they cover this issue. Without exception, they all refer to Texas' plan as "mandatory." Trust "mainstream media"? Hardly. However, as one reader pointed out, opting out isn't so easy, which is why the deceitful Gov. Perry made it opt out v opt in:
Here are four reasons why "opting out" of sate mandated vaccines doesn't work for many families in Texas: 1,) "Opt-out" or Conscientious Exemption to Vaccination Process is a Bureaucratic Nightmare
To get the exemption form, parents must first submit a written form to State Health Department in Austin which forces the disclosure of the child's full name, birthdate, and mailing address. The Health Department takes those written requests and creates yet another form on which they print the child's same personal information that the parent had to send to health department, and the Health Department sometimes takes weeks to mail out these forms inevitably disrupting the child's school attendance. The Health Department only sends the forms by U.S. mail, and once the parent receives the forms, they must be notarized within 90 days of submitting them and then repeatedly resubmitted every 2 years even though there is no expiration set in statute.[1] Because the Health Department further eroded parental rights by publishing more rules getting rid of provisional enrollment for exemptions, (families used to have 30 days at the beginning of school to get their paperwork in), now schools participate in aggressive misleading education campaigns touting "no shots – no school" while not informing families of the exemption or the instructions how to obtain it.
2, Private Schools Deny Admission
The Texas attorney general issued an opinion in April of 2006, that states that private schools do not have to accept the conscience exemption to vaccination in Texas Law,[2] and many private schools do not. For example, the Dallas Diocese for Catholic Schools policy number 5024 states, "Schools will comply with immunization requirements established by the Texas Catholic Conference Education Department. Conscientious objections/waivers are not accepted in schools of the Diocese."[3] Every new vaccine mandate causes more children with valid legal exemptions to be denied their private school education.
3, Doctors Refuse Medical Care
Even though you may be able to get a piece of paper from the state health department affirming your right to refuse state mandated vaccines for your child, just try and find a doctor who will honor it! According to a recent study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 39% of pediatricians surveyed said they would throw kids out of practices who are not vaccinated.[4] PROVE has documented this rampant problem of doctors dismissing families utilizing a vaccine exemption in Texas to the legislature in previous sessions. Please review our report entitled "The Erosion of Public Trust & Informed Consent through Immunization Harassment, Discrimination and Coercion" prepared for the House Public Health Committee in 2005.[5]
4, Insurance Rates Rise and Accessibility Affected
Responsible parents who have secured health care coverage for their children will be forced to pay higher insurance rates whether they want the HPV vaccine or not. Even if you "opt-out" of the HPV vaccine mandate for Gardasil by Merck by securing a conscientious exemption waiver, there is no way for Texas parents to "opt-out" of the corresponding rise in their insurance premiums. § 1367.053. (a) (2) of the Insurance Code REQUIRES that any vaccine required be law must be covered by insurance.[6] This first-dollar coverage requirement results in corresponding direct hiking of insurance premiums to meet costs, and for a vaccine as expensive as this one, an HPV vaccine mandate risks putting premiums for basic health care coverage out of reach financially for even more Texas families. Additionally, we have received complaints from families where insurance companies are harassing parents with letters and discriminating on coverage based on whether or not the child has had all their state mandated vaccines.
Thank you, Dawn, for sending along the above information. I was aware of some of this nonsense, but not all of it as my daughter is 31 and thankfully, I didn't have to deal with this type of government tyranny when she was growing up. This is beyond an outrage. The parents of America should NOT have to endure this type of discrimination to protect the health of their children either by schools or doctors. The parents of this country should NOT have to go through these types of horse and pony shows because of corrupt politicians who claim "for the children!" Many will be too afraid not to get their daughter shot up because of the four areas detailed above. The ONLY way to send a loud, clear message to members of the state legislatures in all 50 states of the Union is for a massive backlash by parents. Tell them: get your hands off our children. We don't want a nanny state. You will NOT use my child as a guinea pig for the big pharma houses who enrich your pockets.
More Info at the following:
http://www.newswithviews.com/Devvy/kidd256.htm
Toddler Contracts Rare Infection From Smallpox Vaccination
Associated Press | March 17, 2007
CHICAGO - A 2-year-old Indiana boy and his mother contracted a rare and life-threatening infection from his soldier father's smallpox vaccination, according to a published report.
The boy and his mother were being treated in a specially ventilated room at the University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital, the Chicago Tribune reported Saturday.
The family's name and home town were not released at their request.
The boy developed a virulent rash over 80 percent of his body earlier this month after coming in contact with his father, who had recently been vaccinated for smallpox before he was to be deployed overseas by the Army, the paper said.
Physicians stressed that the boy was not suffering from smallpox, but from the related vaccinia virus which is used to convey immunity to the much deadlier disease. They said the infection was a rare condition called eczema vaccinatum, which has not been reported since at least 1990, when the military ended a previous program of smallpox vaccination. Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980.
The military began smallpox vaccinations again in 2002 because of bioterrorism fears.
Doctors said the child suffered from eczema, which is a known risk factor for vaccinia infection. People with eczema are warned not to have close physical contact with the recently vaccinated because the condition allows the virus to enter the skin, they said.
The U.S. Defense Department and federal, state and local health authorities have been in daily contact with the hospital about the case. Health officials say there is no infection risk for the general population because the vaccinia virus can be spread only through close physical contact.
Nonetheless, Dr. Madelyn Kahana, the hospital's chief of pediatric intensive care, said staff members treating the boy and his mother were required to wear face masks and gloves, and that the two had been placed in a special room with negative air pressure, so all air would blow inward.
Kahana said the boy had been treated with a potent antiviral drug, as well as with an anti-vaccinia agent supplied by the CDC and the experimental drug ST-246, which was untried as a therapy in humans.
She said the boy appeared to be improving this week, but will probably lose 20 percent of his outer skin layer.
Dole Foods to tag veggies with RFIDs -- The world's largest producer of fresh vegetables has started tracking shipments of spinach and lettuce with RFID tags.
Common Chemicals: Breast Cancer Link? -- Experts discuss whether chemicals in our environment have a connection to the risk of breast cancer. Pesticides. Plastics. Cosmetics. Deodorants. Cookware. Stain-resistant furniture. Computers. What do all these seemingly unrelated items have in common? At one time or another, all have been suspected of increasing the risk of breast cancer.
Health News - Sleep Aid Dangers...Medical Marijuana Appeal...Mercury still in Vaccines
F.D.A. Warns of Sleeping Pills' Strange Effects -- The most widely prescribed sleeping pills can cause strange behavior like driving and eating while asleep, the Food and Drug Administration said yesterday, announcing that strong new warnings will be placed on the labels of 13 drugs.
Dying Woman Loses Appeal on Marijuana as Medication -- Federal appellate judges here ruled Wednesday that a terminally ill woman using marijuana was not immune to federal prosecution simply because of her condition, and in a separate case a federal judge dismissed most of the charges against a prominent advocate for the medicinal use of the drug.
Why do Drugmakers Still Defend the Use of Mercury in Their Vaccines? -- How can government officials go to sleep at night knowing that they are allowing a toxic poison to be injected into harmless infants through government-mandated vaccinations in the majority of the United States?
The readers of HIGH TIMES want marijuana legalized, nationwide, and now. The 420 Campaign is a plan to bring legalization before the US Congress and the public. We want to use April 20th as a focal point every year to concentrate pressure on Congress to legalize marijuana until we get the job done.
Here are our top ten reasons marijuana should be legalized:
10. Prohibition has failed to control the use and domestic production of marijuana.
The government has tried to use criminal penalties to prevent marijuana use for over 75 years and yet: marijuana is now used by over 25 million people annually, cannabis is currently the largest cash crop in the United States, and marijuana is grown all over the planet. Claims that marijuana prohibition is a successful policy are ludicrous and unsupported by the facts, and the idea that marijuana will soon be eliminated from America and the rest of the world is a ridiculous fantasy.
9. Arrests for marijuana possession disproportionately affect blacks and Hispanics and reinforce the perception that law enforcement is biased and prejudiced against minorities.
African-Americans account for approximately 13% of the population of the United States and about 13.5% of annual marijuana users, however, blacks also account for 26% of all marijuana arrests. Recent studies have demonstrated that blacks and Hispanics account for the majority of marijuana possession arrests in New York City, primarily for smoking marijuana in public view. Law enforcement has failed to demonstrate that marijuana laws can be enforced fairly without regard to race; far too often minorities are arrested for marijuana use while white/non-Hispanic Americans face a much lower risk of arrest.
8. A regulated, legal market in marijuana would reduce marijuana sales and use among teenagers, as well as reduce their exposure to other drugs in the illegal market.
The illegality of marijuana makes it more valuable than if it were legal, providing opportunities for teenagers to make easy money selling it to their friends. If the excessive profits for marijuana sales were ended through legalization there would be less incentive for teens to sell it to one another. Teenage use of alcohol and tobacco remain serious public health problems even though those drugs are legal for adults, however, the availability of alcohol and tobacco is not made even more widespread by providing kids with economic incentives to sell either one to their friends and peers.
7. Legalized marijuana would reduce the flow of money from the American economy to international criminal gangs.
Marijuana's illegality makes foreign cultivation and smuggling to the United States extremely profitable, sending billions of dollars overseas in an underground economy while diverting funds from productive economic development.
6. Marijuana's legalization would simplify the development of hemp as a valuable and diverse agricultural crop in the United States, including its development as a new bio-fuel to reduce carbon emissions.
Canada and European countries have managed to support legal hemp cultivation without legalizing marijuana, but in the United States opposition to legal marijuana remains the biggest obstacle to development of industrial hemp as a valuable agricultural commodity. As US energy policy continues to embrace and promote the development of bio-fuels as an alternative to oil dependency and a way to reduce carbon emissions, it is all the more important to develop industrial hemp as a bio-fuel source – especially since use of hemp stalks as a fuel source will not increase demand and prices for food, such as corn. Legalization of marijuana will greatly simplify the regulatory burden on prospective hemp cultivation in the United States.
5. Prohibition is based on lies and disinformation.
Justification of marijuana's illegality increasingly requires distortions and selective uses of the scientific record, causing harm to the credibility of teachers, law enforcement officials, and scientists throughout the country. The dangers of marijuana use have been exaggerated for almost a century and the modern scientific record does not support the reefer madness predictions of the past and present. Many claims of marijuana's danger are based on old 20th century prejudices that originated in a time when science was uncertain how marijuana produced its characteristic effects. Since the cannabinoid receptor system was discovered in the late 1980s these hysterical concerns about marijuana's dangerousness have not been confirmed with modern research. Everyone agrees that marijuana, or any other drug use such as alcohol or tobacco use, is not for children. Nonetheless, adults have demonstrated over the last several decades that marijuana can be used moderately without harmful impacts to the individual or society.
4. Marijuana is not a lethal drug and is safer than alcohol.
It is established scientific fact that marijuana is not toxic to humans; marijuana overdoses are nearly impossible, and marijuana is not nearly as addictive as alcohol or tobacco. It is unfair and unjust to treat marijuana users more harshly under the law than the users of alcohol or tobacco.
3. Marijuana is too expensive for our justice system and should instead be taxed to support beneficial government programs.
Law enforcement has more important responsibilities than arresting 750,000 individuals a year for marijuana possession, especially given the additional justice costs of disposing of each of these cases. Marijuana arrests make justice more expensive and less efficient in the United States, wasting jail space, clogging up court systems, and diverting time of police, attorneys, judges, and corrections officials away from violent crime, the sexual abuse of children, and terrorism. Furthermore, taxation of marijuana can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs.
2. Marijuana use has positive attributes, such as its medical value and use as a recreational drug with relatively mild side effects.
Many people use marijuana because they have made an informed decision that it is good for them, especially Americans suffering from a variety of serious ailments. Marijuana provides relief from pain, nausea, spasticity, and other symptoms for many individuals who have not been treated successfully with conventional medications. Many American adults prefer marijuana to the use of alcohol as a mild and moderate way to relax. Americans use marijuana because they choose to, and one of the reasons for that choice is their personal observation that the drug has a relatively low dependence liability and easy-to-manage side effects. Most marijuana users develop tolerance to many of marijuana's side effects, and those who do not, choose to stop using the drug. Marijuana use is the result of informed consent in which individuals have decided that the benefits of use outweigh the risks, especially since, for most Americans, the greatest risk of using marijuana is the relatively low risk of arrest.
1. Marijuana users are determined to stand up to the injustice of marijuana probation and accomplish legalization, no matter how long or what it takes to succeed.
Despite the threat of arrests and a variety of other punishments and sanctions marijuana users have persisted in their support for legalization for over a generation. They refuse to give up their long quest for justice because they believe in the fundamental values of American society. Prohibition has failed to silence marijuana users despite its best attempts over the last generation. The issue of marijuana's legalization is a persistent issue that, like marijuana, will simply not go away. Marijuana will be legalized because marijuana users will continue to fight for it until they succeed.
CONFIRMED: YOUR DAUGHTER IS MERCK'S GUINEA PIG
By: Devvy
March 16, 2007
© 2007 - NewsWithViews.com
My February 8, 2007 column resulted in quite a few radio show invitations. During my appearance on Michael Baisden's show, several doctors called in to say the HPV vaccine was safe, it has been tested, and yes, they would get their daughters shot up. One mother who phoned into the show said her daughter has received the first of the three shot series and is now worried and doesn't know what to do. I could give her no advice because I'm not a physician, but she should be worried. On March 15, 2007, the bomb dropped on a cable network show which quickly made the Internet media; see full important column here. Diane M. Harper, a researcher who worked on this vaccine has revealed that it has NOT been tested on young girls and "worst case" scenario: increased cervical cancer rates. As I covered in my February 8th column, Merck needs cash badly. The lawsuits over another "safe" product of theirs, VIOXX, could bankrupt them and they know it; one verdict here. At between $320 - $400 per shot per girl in the U.S., then the world, you can see why Merck has spent millions buying the favors of members of the state legislatures. Now comes the truth from an individual who actually worked on this HPV vaccine and pray to God, enough parents get the truth in time. Stockholders of Merck need to bring down the boom on their CEO and others in that company for such irresponsible corporate shennanigans.
While many of us have been trying to warn parents about this vaccine, competing against the propaganda 'happy ads' for Guardasil targeted at young teen girls on the stupid tube, we have also been urging parents here in Texas to get in the face of the state legislature to over ride Gov. Rick Perry's "mandate" to vaccinate the young guinea pigs, er, girls, in this state. Informed legislators in our state house, most parents themselves, also got up in arms over this blatant move by Perry to bypass the process and fulfill his obligation to Merck for their fat campaign donations. The result: A couple of days ago the house side of our legislature voted to rescind Perry's Executive Order (118-23). Next comes the Texas Senate and I encourage everyone in this state to call your state senator and tell them to vote to rescind Perry's EO. The next question remains is will Gov. Perry do the right thing? Stay tuned.
In the meantime, watch out New Mexico. It appears your governor, Bill Richardson, has said he will sign a mandatory vaccine bill. Man those phones even if you have to do it at lunch time. Richardson's office number is: (505) 476-2200. Call your state rep and senator and let them know how you feel and tell them if they voted for SB 1174, they'll find themselves job hunting next election. Remember this: If your daughter gets those shots and ten years down the road develops cervical cancer, turns sterile or has a baby with defects, neither Richardson or your state legislator/senator can be sued. If Merck's still in business then, you might have an option.
In my previous column, I pointed out Gov. Perry's press release where he came clean by stating, "Finally, parents need to know that they have the final decision about whether or not their daughter is vaccinated. I am a strong believer in protecting parental rights, which is why this executive order allows them to opt out." But, how many parents got that memo? Listen to the "news" on ABC, CBS, NBC and cable networks when they cover this issue. Without exception, they all refer to Texas' plan as "mandatory." Trust "mainstream media"? Hardly. However, as one reader pointed out, opting out isn't so easy, which is why the deceitful Gov. Perry made it opt out v opt in:
Here are four reasons why "opting out" of sate mandated vaccines doesn't work for many families in Texas: 1,) "Opt-out" or Conscientious Exemption to Vaccination Process is a Bureaucratic Nightmare
To get the exemption form, parents must first submit a written form to State Health Department in Austin which forces the disclosure of the child's full name, birthdate, and mailing address. The Health Department takes those written requests and creates yet another form on which they print the child's same personal information that the parent had to send to health department, and the Health Department sometimes takes weeks to mail out these forms inevitably disrupting the child's school attendance. The Health Department only sends the forms by U.S. mail, and once the parent receives the forms, they must be notarized within 90 days of submitting them and then repeatedly resubmitted every 2 years even though there is no expiration set in statute.[1] Because the Health Department further eroded parental rights by publishing more rules getting rid of provisional enrollment for exemptions, (families used to have 30 days at the beginning of school to get their paperwork in), now schools participate in aggressive misleading education campaigns touting "no shots – no school" while not informing families of the exemption or the instructions how to obtain it.
2, Private Schools Deny Admission
The Texas attorney general issued an opinion in April of 2006, that states that private schools do not have to accept the conscience exemption to vaccination in Texas Law,[2] and many private schools do not. For example, the Dallas Diocese for Catholic Schools policy number 5024 states, "Schools will comply with immunization requirements established by the Texas Catholic Conference Education Department. Conscientious objections/waivers are not accepted in schools of the Diocese."[3] Every new vaccine mandate causes more children with valid legal exemptions to be denied their private school education.
3, Doctors Refuse Medical Care
Even though you may be able to get a piece of paper from the state health department affirming your right to refuse state mandated vaccines for your child, just try and find a doctor who will honor it! According to a recent study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 39% of pediatricians surveyed said they would throw kids out of practices who are not vaccinated.[4] PROVE has documented this rampant problem of doctors dismissing families utilizing a vaccine exemption in Texas to the legislature in previous sessions. Please review our report entitled "The Erosion of Public Trust & Informed Consent through Immunization Harassment, Discrimination and Coercion" prepared for the House Public Health Committee in 2005.[5]
4, Insurance Rates Rise and Accessibility Affected
Responsible parents who have secured health care coverage for their children will be forced to pay higher insurance rates whether they want the HPV vaccine or not. Even if you "opt-out" of the HPV vaccine mandate for Gardasil by Merck by securing a conscientious exemption waiver, there is no way for Texas parents to "opt-out" of the corresponding rise in their insurance premiums. § 1367.053. (a) (2) of the Insurance Code REQUIRES that any vaccine required be law must be covered by insurance.[6] This first-dollar coverage requirement results in corresponding direct hiking of insurance premiums to meet costs, and for a vaccine as expensive as this one, an HPV vaccine mandate risks putting premiums for basic health care coverage out of reach financially for even more Texas families. Additionally, we have received complaints from families where insurance companies are harassing parents with letters and discriminating on coverage based on whether or not the child has had all their state mandated vaccines.
Thank you, Dawn, for sending along the above information. I was aware of some of this nonsense, but not all of it as my daughter is 31 and thankfully, I didn't have to deal with this type of government tyranny when she was growing up. This is beyond an outrage. The parents of America should NOT have to endure this type of discrimination to protect the health of their children either by schools or doctors. The parents of this country should NOT have to go through these types of horse and pony shows because of corrupt politicians who claim "for the children!" Many will be too afraid not to get their daughter shot up because of the four areas detailed above. The ONLY way to send a loud, clear message to members of the state legislatures in all 50 states of the Union is for a massive backlash by parents. Tell them: get your hands off our children. We don't want a nanny state. You will NOT use my child as a guinea pig for the big pharma houses who enrich your pockets.
More Info at the following:
http://www.newswithviews.com/Devvy/kidd256.htm
Toddler Contracts Rare Infection From Smallpox Vaccination
Associated Press | March 17, 2007
CHICAGO - A 2-year-old Indiana boy and his mother contracted a rare and life-threatening infection from his soldier father's smallpox vaccination, according to a published report.
The boy and his mother were being treated in a specially ventilated room at the University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital, the Chicago Tribune reported Saturday.
The family's name and home town were not released at their request.
The boy developed a virulent rash over 80 percent of his body earlier this month after coming in contact with his father, who had recently been vaccinated for smallpox before he was to be deployed overseas by the Army, the paper said.
Physicians stressed that the boy was not suffering from smallpox, but from the related vaccinia virus which is used to convey immunity to the much deadlier disease. They said the infection was a rare condition called eczema vaccinatum, which has not been reported since at least 1990, when the military ended a previous program of smallpox vaccination. Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980.
The military began smallpox vaccinations again in 2002 because of bioterrorism fears.
Doctors said the child suffered from eczema, which is a known risk factor for vaccinia infection. People with eczema are warned not to have close physical contact with the recently vaccinated because the condition allows the virus to enter the skin, they said.
The U.S. Defense Department and federal, state and local health authorities have been in daily contact with the hospital about the case. Health officials say there is no infection risk for the general population because the vaccinia virus can be spread only through close physical contact.
Nonetheless, Dr. Madelyn Kahana, the hospital's chief of pediatric intensive care, said staff members treating the boy and his mother were required to wear face masks and gloves, and that the two had been placed in a special room with negative air pressure, so all air would blow inward.
Kahana said the boy had been treated with a potent antiviral drug, as well as with an anti-vaccinia agent supplied by the CDC and the experimental drug ST-246, which was untried as a therapy in humans.
She said the boy appeared to be improving this week, but will probably lose 20 percent of his outer skin layer.
posted by Dani @ 6:48 AM
0 comments
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Wild Weather in the Ozarks & Midwest
I stayed up all night last night watching tornado warnings from northern Missouri all the way into northern Arkansas and the frenzie did not stop until the morning hours. Flint reported hail in Gainesville as one tornadic storm rushed over our area. I was at a neigbors at 6:00 am. until 6:30. Around 6:33 tragedy struck.
Report:
Parts of several Midwestern states and regions as far south as the Gulf Coast to the Florida panhandle were under tornado watches or warnings. In the town of Caulfield in south-central Missouri, a tornado killed a 7 year old girl in a mobile home and damaged six other homes and two gasoline stations, officials reported.
Damaging hailstorms struck several states.
The little girl's parents were air lifted to nearby hospitals along with other residents that sustained more minor injuries. According to Howell County Sheriff's office the tornado touched down in Caufield around 6:33 am and skipped across a 20 mile stretch of the county.
Snow piling up at a rate of 2 inches an hour closed Interstate 80, a major transcontinental highway, in southeast Nebraska from Omaha westward, where more than 9 inches of snow had fallen in some areas.
More than 50 counties were under blizzard warnings in neighboring western Iowa. Interstate 29 was closed in Iowa from near Omaha north to Sioux City at the South Dakota line.
Schools were closed across southern Minnesota as snow began piling up.
Report:
Parts of several Midwestern states and regions as far south as the Gulf Coast to the Florida panhandle were under tornado watches or warnings. In the town of Caulfield in south-central Missouri, a tornado killed a 7 year old girl in a mobile home and damaged six other homes and two gasoline stations, officials reported.
Damaging hailstorms struck several states.
The little girl's parents were air lifted to nearby hospitals along with other residents that sustained more minor injuries. According to Howell County Sheriff's office the tornado touched down in Caufield around 6:33 am and skipped across a 20 mile stretch of the county.
Snow piling up at a rate of 2 inches an hour closed Interstate 80, a major transcontinental highway, in southeast Nebraska from Omaha westward, where more than 9 inches of snow had fallen in some areas.
More than 50 counties were under blizzard warnings in neighboring western Iowa. Interstate 29 was closed in Iowa from near Omaha north to Sioux City at the South Dakota line.
Schools were closed across southern Minnesota as snow began piling up.
posted by Dani @ 1:18 PM
0 comments
