( *Edited on March 19th, 2021- *This petition was featured on The Highwire with Del Bigtree. See "Connecticut Forgets Its History here:
https://thehighwire.com/videos/constitution-state-forgets-its-past/ *
UPDATE: 4/3/21 - We're at 9,300, let's get 10,000! -LeeAnn
UPDATE: We're at almost 11,000, keep it up!)
We need your help, please pass this petition to as many people you know in the country. CT and otherwise.
PRESERVE RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN CONNECTICUT
VETO SB568/HB6423
Dear Governor Lamont,
The Democratic Leadership in the Senate and House are advancing a bill which will repeal the religious exemption to vaccination for school children. It is being accomplished via party line votes. (1)
SB568/HB6423 exemplifies unnecessary government overreach. The bill seeks to address a problem that does not exist, violating critically important religious liberty, human rights, and bioethics principles. The bill will cause families to uproot and leave CT based on their religious beliefs or face religious discrimination if they stay in CT. If these party line votes bring this bill to your desk, here are five reasons to veto it.
REASON #1: ACCORDING TO CT’S OWN SURVEY DATA, THERE IS NO PROBLEM TO SOLVE IN CT SCHOOLS. THIS BILL IS UNNECESSARY GOVERNMENT OVERREACH.
Religious exemptions and school vaccination mandates can continue to co-exist as they have done for the past 60 years! The DPH survey numbers from February 2021 show that CT is currently at a 97.5% vaccination rate and that BOTH religious and medical exemptions actually FELL in the 2019-20 school year. Veto it because it’s completely unnecessary. (2)
REASON #2: UNLIKE NY OR CA, CT IS A RELIGIOUS LIBERTY LEADER.
CT was founded by Puritans. New England (and the US) invented religious freedom. CT has a much stronger connection to preserving the principle of religious liberty than either NY or CA. Discriminating against the religious is wrong. Watch Dr. Paul Offit admit there are aborted human fetal DNA fragments in some vaccines on the CT childhood schedule. Watch Dr. Stanley Plotkin describe the use of fetuses. Veto it to preserve religious liberty. (3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
REASON #3: VACCINE MANDATES VIOLATE HUMAN RIGHTS AND LEAD TO DISCRIMINATION OF THE RELIGIOUS.
The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights clearly states that it is a human rights violation to withhold access to school for not consenting to a vaccine. Article 6 reads, “Any preventive ... medical intervention is only to be carried out with the prior, free and informed consent of the person concerned, based on adequate information. The consent should, where appropriate, be express and may be withdrawn by the person concerned at any time and for any reason without disadvantage or prejudice.” Veto it to protect human rights because denying children access to public school is a disadvantage and prejudice. (8)
REASON #4: VACCINE MANDATES VIOLATE INTERNATIONAL BIOETHICS STANDARDS WHICH PRIORITIZE THE INDIVIDUAL OVER THE STATE.
The true bioethics standard for vaccines prioritize the INDIVIDUAL over society. Propaganda from the Pharmaceutical lobby obscures the true bioethical standards to increase revenue. Article 3 reads, “The interests and welfare of the individual should have priority over the sole interest of science or society.” Veto it because it’s the ethical thing to do (now that you know the true ethical standard). (9)
REASON #5: DON’T CREATE ANOTHER REASON FOR FAMILIES TO LEAVE CT.
Thousands of religious freedom refugee families left NY after 2019, making Governor Cuomo “Realtor of the Year” in FL, NC, SC, and TN among others. Thousands of families left CA after 2015, making current Governor Newsom “Realtor of the Year” in TX, AZ, CO, and ID among others. If you sign this bill, you will become New Hampshire’s “Realtor of the Year.” CT is already losing population. You are on record as wanting to increase CT’s population. Veto the bill to avoid creating religious freedom refugees. (10, 11)
Public health is an important interest for the state, but so are the fundamental right to public education and maintaining the American principle of religious liberty. The DPH survey data clearly shows that CT can continue to offer religious exemptions without harming public health.
For these reasons, please veto SB568/HB6423. (12)
Kevin Barry, Esq.
First Freedoms
LeeAnn Ducat
Informed Choice Connecticut
References
1. Public Health Committee Vote 3/5/21: 22 (all Democrats) YAY 11 (all Republicans) NAY
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2021/TS/S/PDF/2021SB-00568-R00PH-CV67-TS.PDF2. Connecticut Department of Public Health School Immunization Survey, accessed March 2021
https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Immunizations/School-Survey3. “Connecticut Constitution of 1818 left a lingering impact on church-state separation”
https://www.journalinquirer.com/public/connecticut-constitution-of-1818-left-a-lingering-impact-on-church-state-separation/article_ed54d420-e981-11e8-87f1-d36d3c020cf9.html4.Open Letter to Legislators Regarding Fetal Cell DNA in Vaccine, Dr. Theresa Deisher.
https://www.cga.ct.gov/kid/related/20190513_Informational%20Hearing%20on%20the%20State%27s%20Religious%20Exemption/Testimony/Testimony%20Theresa%20Deisher%20PhD.pdf5. “New Orleans archdiocese urges Catholics to avoid new Johnson & Johnson vaccine”, 3/2/21
https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2021/03/02/new-orleans-johnson-and-johnson-vaccine-covid-19-2401356. Dr. Paul Offit: “Are Fetal Cells Used to Make Vaccines? Yes.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhIvTBZzfsI7. Dr. Stanley Plotkin, on using heart, lung and other tissues from 76 fetuses to develop vaccines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvBszdGBOxM8. Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, Article 6, October 2005
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=31058&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html9. Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, Article 3, October 2005
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=31058&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html10. “New York and Connecticut record declining populations”, January 2020
https://westfaironline.com/119893/new-york-and-connecticut-record-declining-populations/11. “Connecticut’s Bold Population Goal: Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration has set a bold goal of doubling the size of his state’s cities over the next 25 years”, January 2020
https://www.usnews.com/news/cities/articles/2020-01-15/connecticut-gov-ned-lamont-hopes-to-double-the-states-city-population12. AN ACT REPEALING THE RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION IN CONNECTICUT
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2021/TOB/H/PDF/2021HB-06423-R00-HB.PDF