WWW The Thinkery
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
(5:45 PM) | Stephen:
Bad Move, Governor Richardson

For a man so enamored of his own ability to lead rather than follow and to buck powerful interests to do what's right, this is a shockingly weak and poorly thought-out move.

It is entirely appropriate to have a debate about whether vaccinating girls against HPV should be mandatory. As the linked article notes, there have been cases of reactions - as with all vaccines - and any new treatment should be carefully considered before making it a mandatory vaccine for school enrollment.

But Richardson already said he would sign the bill. He's already had his time to consider it and to worry that it doesn't give enough time to "educate" parents about the vaccine. Of course, what really happened is a bunch of people started raising hell about 10-year-old girls voluntarily becoming prostitutes simply because they would have immunity from HPV.

This is a vaccine, one of many that are given to children all throughout their school years. We already have laws against sexual contact between 5th grade girls and anybody. Further, no one is going to decide to start having sex just because they are immune to one of the many STD's it is possible to contract.

No, the problem that parents are having is the way in which this vaccine takes away one piece of ammunition in their arsenal of scare tactics. Rather than address issues of sexuality head-on and be responsible about it, they apparently would rather pull out their chest full of boogeymen in an effort to have their daughters avoid the subject and the activity entirely.

My daughter is getting vaccinated, and if they work it out for boys, then my son will also. I could say that it's because I want her to be as safe as possible no matter what choices she makes later in life. But the simpler way to put this is that I will give my daughter this vaccine because I'm not stupid.



<< Home
About The Thinkery
Site feed

Recent Entries
God Debate
The GOP Field
Kindergarten
Anti-LGBT Stories
2008 Primary Money
Jumping On The Straight-Mock Express
Presidential Fundraising
Yee-Haw
Branson, Missouri
TTFN! LOL!

Contributors

Stephen

Blogroll
Ezra Klein
Slacktivist
Eschaton
litbrit
Harp and Sword
Shakesville
Brilliant At Breakfast
In This Moment
Theologoumenon
Adversaria
Faith and Theology
Theology and Biblical Studies
Internet Monk
Boar's Head Tavern
Jesus Creed
Sacra Doctrina
Khora
Maggi Dawn
Shadows of Divine Things
Chrisendom
Leithart
Foolish Sage
Per Caritatem
James K.A. Smith
Theoloblog
The Ethical Werewolf
A Pedestrian View
Brilliant At Breakfast

Archives
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
March 2008
January 2075

Powered by Blogger

My Ecosystem Details>