Here is an example of an individual Memo of Support for you to send to the above elected officials:
January 26, 2009
MEMORANDUM OF SUPPORT
School Vaccination Religious Exemption
A.883 (Gottfried, et. Al)
We would like to express our enthusiastic support for the above referenced bills. We applaud Assemblyman Gottfried’s initiative and responsiveness. It is past time that New York ended the widespread practice of sincerity testing of parents who claim religious exemption to vaccine requirements. Such actions represent a clear violation of 1st Amendment rights and as such, are clearly out of step with the state’s real mandate, which is to protect the health of children. Defending against such action is incredibly costly, leaving all but the most financially secure families in a catch 22 (pay for a lawyer against a school system with unlimited resources or pay for private school). It is such tactics that have spurred 19 states to pass philosophical exemptions in order to protect families from such shameful bullying. Sadly, New York is not yet among them.
We look forward to the Assembly's passage of this bill and hope that these improved protections of the constitutionally guaranteed right to religious freedom will free parents from this appalling struggle. If New York is really committed to protecting the health of its children, then Commissioner Daines should refocus his efforts toward supporting local, sustainable agriculture, farm to school lunch programs and the institution of a statewide Junk Food tax. Such measures will have a significantly more powerful impact on protecting the immune systems, and therefore the overall health, of New York’s children. The present philosophy of mandating vaccination is based on fear and inadequate clinical data and serves only to enrich pharmaceutical firms, who, thanks to legislation enacted by former President Bush, enjoy COMPLETE FEDERAL IMMUNITY from any and all litigation arising from reactions suffered by vaccine recipients. Please take this opportunity to show that New York’s government does not pander to such powerful special interests, but instead, responds to the real needs of the citizenry.
Signed:
Organizations wishing to see a boilerplate version of a support memo may contact Deverell Pedersen @wapfrockland@gmail.com
Kimberly Hartke is the Publicist for the Weston A. Price Foundation, a nutrition education membership organization with 10,500 members and 400 local chapters. The group advocates alternative, natural therapies and whole foods traditionally prepared for optimum health. Visit her blog at www.hartkeisonline.com.
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