A good friend sent me an e-mail asking about whether Governor Rick Perry could overcome his “Gardasil Problem.” My first thought was that he had missed the “optional” part in this “mandatory” order. It turns out that he’s too well informed for that and his question was really whether Perry could overcome the perception that this was wrong. I don’t know.
The only problem that I have with Governor Perry’s action was the executive order part. However I think that if any of us had the power to end a certain type of cancer with the stroke of a pen - it might be hard to restrain ourselves. But as a governor we would have the bully pulpit to sell a program and a legislature to put it into action. Even Governor Perry concurs that it would have been better to go that route. He knew then and we know now that there are women in Texas who will suffer through cervical cancer or die from the disease because that effort failed.
There are so many things in our life that are “mandatory” that it’s probably hard to count them. You can’t drive without a seatbelt or get on an airplane without taking off your shoes. However the key part for the Libertarians seems to be the "mandatory" part which of course it was not. There was an opt out that was as difficult as saying "I don't want my daughter to get that shot." I don't know how many other shots our children get, we've all allowed it as a matter of course. You don't hear Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann beefing about polio, measles, small pox, etc., etc. so I find it a little disingenuous that she and others are beefing about Gardasil.
I don't have a 12 year old daughter right now so it is easy for me to say this, but if I could get her a shot that would eliminate the fear of cervical cancer; and if 35 million shots had been given with only 1800 reactions (minor-major); I would get her that shot.
I suppose there are some who say that every life is too precious to chance an adverse reaction. I find it hard to square that with 12,280 women per year that get diagnosed with cervical cancer (latest CDC numbers were 2007) and the 4,021 women who died (again 2007) from the disease in the United States. Aren’t their lives precious? Perry, and for that matter everyone else, knows that if all 12 year old girls were vaccinated this year, it would reduce deaths from cervical cancer in out years by over 4,000 women. That would be true each and every year we do it - we probably save fewer lives than that with mandatory seat belt use. I suppose that they have to die of something. However I choose old age for them rather than cancer.
I don't have a 12 year old daughter right now so it is easy for me to say this, but if I could get her a shot that would eliminate the fear of cervical cancer; and if 35 million shots had been given with only 1800 reactions (minor-major); I would get her that shot.
I suppose there are some who say that every life is too precious to chance an adverse reaction. I find it hard to square that with 12,280 women per year that get diagnosed with cervical cancer (latest CDC numbers were 2007) and the 4,021 women who died (again 2007) from the disease in the United States. Aren’t their lives precious? Perry, and for that matter everyone else, knows that if all 12 year old girls were vaccinated this year, it would reduce deaths from cervical cancer in out years by over 4,000 women. That would be true each and every year we do it - we probably save fewer lives than that with mandatory seat belt use. I suppose that they have to die of something. However I choose old age for them rather than cancer.
I think that if Gardasil is a “problem” for you, then you haven’t thought it through. If the Honorable Michelle Bachmann has a “Gardasil problem” it seems to me to come from her willing ignorance of the issue and that’s sad.
President Barack Hussein Obama is ripping the guts out of our country. It would appear that Gardasil is the least of our problems.
It never should have been an executive order and, it looks awfully shady when he'd gotten a contribution shortly before issuing the order.
ReplyDeleteHis only "out" on this issue is to honestly explain his position as to why he did it and, come right out and state that it was a mistake to have taken that route.
He'll have a helluva time challenging Obama's executive order fiascos in a debate unless he clears up his own and puts it to bed beforehand.
Bachman has blown her chances with this issue. Jay Leno busted her on it, made her admit she doesn't know the stats, she just thinks its wrong.
ReplyDeleteI have four daughters, and I'm pretty sure they will all get the vaccine at the proper time in their lives. I know a man who has buried two wives, both dead of cervical cancer. My guess is he is a carrier of the HPV, and a vaccine would probably saved both of his wives.
I have problems with the fact that my children, and your grandchildren, aren't being vaccinated for smallpox. If Obama was serious about lowering the cost of healthcare, he'd make Gardasil vaccination mandatory. I think Perry's heart is in the right place, and the Texas legislature should be pushing the legislation to make the vaccinations mandatory - no opt out.
Amigo,
ReplyDeleteGood post and points well taken. Bachmann just moved herself into the bleachers on that one. Exactly how many times does Perry need to proclaim that he would have done it differently? What part of "op-out" did she not understand?
The country is collapsing on all fronts.
I want our candiates to focus on
1) the economy
2) the deficit and their plans for reducing it
3) the budget and how they will shrink it
4) the size of government and how they will shrink it
5) Energy independance
6) Illegal immigration & Border Security
7) Islamic terrorist threats
8) Elimination of Obamacare
9) Entitlement reduction
10) Constitutional compliance of our laws
The rest are just sound-bites.
-Sepp, Agreed. He's admitted that the exec order was the wrong route and he said he "hates cancer." I understand. I think that anyone who doesn't understand his position at this point is willfully attempting not to understand.
ReplyDeleteTenth, at this point in my life I've lost friends and family to cancer. It's a tough way to go. Looks like California is going to make Gardasil mandatory. I think you're making the right call with your girls.
H-Nox, Good list. I would add strengthening our military and they can start by backing all the homosexuals out. That would be a good first executive order for Commander-in-Chief Perry.
Confession time ... I was not blessed with children so I don't have any type of direct tie to the issue at hand. However comma if I am not mistaken, the EO was rescinded by Gov Perry who acknowledged on some level that this was not a good idea. Every candidate has something in their past that I can pick at like a scab until it bleeds.
ReplyDeleteI go back to my comment on an earlier subject here ... does Perry understand the difference between being the Governor of a State and President of the united States? That's the thing I need to know. Executive experience per se is not the issue for yours truly.
Mrs. AL,
ReplyDeleteGood analogy - I think Leno's help with Michelle Bachmann might make this particular scab fade.
I hope Gov. Perry understands the difference - certainly his statement yesterday about Obama's foreign policy indicates that he understands better then the current temporary occupant of the White House.