Representatives Fred Wood, Jarom Wagoner, Marc Gibbs, and Laurie Lickley,
Today [January 10, 2019], I watched as you voted ‘yes’ to mandate the meningitis vaccine for children. In other words, you voted ‘yes’ to increase government and to limit parental rights and personal responsibility.
With this vote you joined the ranks of big government Democrats, denied the party to which you supposedly align, and disappointed Idahoans. Let me remind you of a few key tenants that make up the Idaho Republican Platform that you, on week one of the 2019 legislative session, completely and utterly disregarded.
The preamble of the Idaho GOP Republican Platform states:
We believe that our Founding Fathers gave us a government that is a servant of the people, not our master. The proper role of government is to provide for the people only those critical functions, which individuals or private organizations cannot perform.
Government (that’s you…for now) are to SERVE the people, not Lord over us. Every single vote that you make should consider this. Your ‘vote’ in favor of vaccine mandates is directly in contrast with this value.
Article XIII. Health and Welfare, Section 2, Paragraph D states:
We believe the primary responsibility for the health and welfare of our citizens resides with the individual and their families.
Article XIII. Health and Welfare, Section 2, Paragraph E states:
We support as supreme the authority of parents in all medical decisions for their children, including providers and treatments.
Article XIII. Health and Welfare, Section 2, Paragraph F states:
We support freedom of choice and personal responsibility in all medical decisions, including providers and treatments.
To be clear, the responsibility for health and welfare resides squarely with INDIVIDUALS and their FAMILIES, not the government as a whole, not the health and welfare committee, not the democrats, and not you.
You have no right nor responsibility to vote for medical mandates on behalf of me or my children.
Today, you did not represent small government, freedom, personal responsibility, your constituents, or the Idaho GOP platform. If you are a Republican start acting like one, because we’re watching every vote you cast.
In liberty,
Natalie Feuerstein
Image courtesy of Health Freedom Idaho
