Policy & Human Rights: Forced vaccinations is not living as “free” human beings.
Whether I personally believe children should be inoculated or not …is irrelevant. The issue here is forcing people to do something against their will. If someone is not actively harming another or themselves, then their lifestyle is their business –privy to no one else, especially not to the government.
Will some of us argue that NOT getting immunized is potentially harming to others? Certainly, some of us will. Is getting into a car driving on the road potentially harming to others …sure it is.
Our stance that everyone should be vaccinated because it will potentially get the rest of us sick is unsubstantiated, given ANY behavior or activity in this world can potentially harm the rest of us. In support of non-mandatory vaccinations, this story informs us that Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says, “Parents who vaccinate their children should have confidence that they can take their children to childcare without the fear that their children will be at risk of contracting a serious or potentially life-threatening illness because of the conscientious objections of others.”
A representative from Sydney NPR revealed that 40,000 children had parents opt-out of basic inoculations (such as measles, mumps and rubella) by signing an exemption, citing “personal, philosophical, religious or medical objection.”
In contrast, 90% of Australia’s children have been vaccinated. In a whopping decision violating people’s innate God-given right to choose, Australia plans to cease state funds to families who exercise their sovereign rights that not vaccinating their children is the best thing for their family.
“Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Sunday that the government was closing a loophole and would stop payments of up to $11,500 per child (15,000 Australian dollars) for parents who don’t get their kids immunized by claiming to be ‘conscientious objectors.'”
Even for those of us who are pro-vaccine, we still should be able to verbalize that if this action is allowed to progress, then even the pro-vaccine peeps must accept that this would be a huge step backward in humanity’s sovereign rights of freedom to choose.
Australia To Stop Payments To Families Who Refuse Child Vaccinations by Scott Neuman. NPR.
Religion & Freedom of Choice: How similar are Atheists & Believers?
I’ll be the first to admit: I don’t know anything about atheists, except that they do not believe in God. I have some friends who are atheists, yet we don’t talk about it, probably because we are all passionate and adamant about our personal beliefs, right?
I very much like our atheist friends: Kind, conscientious, hard-working peeps, who –just like the rest of us– want to live in joy, peace and prosperity. So when I came across this story, I was most intrigued and wanted to know more.
The first misconception about atheism this story mentioned is: “For An Atheist, Life Is Simply Meaningless …Then You Die.” Some friends of mine growing up were also atheists, and oddly enough, the only thing that really stuck with me about their view of life was this same adage.
So from my extremely limited exposure to atheists, this first “misconception” was actually a truism with my old friends. Well, re-reading the first misconception, this is not wholly true. Specifically, I cannot recall if they believed that life was “meaningless,” but they did believe that everything went dark after one died. In other words, there was nothing beyond life. Death equated to nothing; there was no life after death.
So to say that life (while alive) was meaningless, I cannot speak of. But, it would be more accurate to say that my dear old friends believed “death” was meaningless, since there was no existence beyond life.
“Indeed, for most atheists, the fact that life is short, very temporary, and very uncertain means that it must be held as extremely precious while it lasts. Consequently, many atheists tend to be among those that are most inclined toward solving serious social issues, such as political tyranny, gender inequality, world poverty, and the like.”
Researching the Internet (if you want to “believe” what it says, in this instance…), I’ve uncovered several atheists: Sir Richard Branson, Ricky Gervais, Keira Knightley, Julianne Moore, Seth McFarland, Billy Joel, Kathy Griffin, Jodie Foster, Penn Jillette, and even Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, to name a few.
“From Bob Geldof to Louis C.K., many atheists and agnostics have been among those who are most inclined to give their time and effort to charitable initiatives and organizations. Events such as Live Aid could hardly have been possible under the aegis of the world’s major churches, scornful as they are of ‘immortality’ and any charitable activity not conducted without their supervision.”
Top 10 Misconceptions About Atheism by ListLand.
Healthcare & Finances: How to navigate through deep waters of bills.
The passing of a loved one is most heart-breaking, and to add to that the endless volume of clinics, doctors, hospitals and funeral expenses …and we have a most depressing state –no laughing matter at all! Ideally, we’ve saved up for such occasions and hardships; however, the reality of our largely upside-down world suggests that most of us live paycheck to paycheck without any opportunity to save and get ahead financially.
This story offers some light at the end of the tunnel when we find ourselves experiencing such sobering life events. “The things I was suddenly facing upon her death were truly insurmountable for me to consider,” says Thomas Fefer, 63, a director of accreditation for the Tri-County Better Business Bureau in Santa Barbara. “An extraordinary number of expenses were piling up.”
An online search led Fefer to Martine G. Brousse, a patient advocate in Santa Monica. Of course, this writer immediately thought, “Well, hiring someone will not be inexpensive!” And yes, there’s a fee, but this story attests that “many employers will cover the cost.” Not sure how that works for those of us that are unemployed or retired… please contact the resources listed below.
“Professionals such as Brousse work with patients and their families. They fight denied medical claims, file appeals, secure insurer authorization for medical care and generally help navigate complicated insurance rules. Some help find medical care, such as specialists and nursing homes.”
It seems medical terminology these days, as written on one’s medical bill, is as abstract and convoluted as legal jargon in multi-page business contracts or even in the courtrooms, often requiring the Average Joe or Jane to hire an expert to simply communicate what’s transpiring –not including the navigating of said waters.
Fortunately for Mr Fefer, he found a few rewards in working with Brousse: Peace of mind, much monetary savings, and simply the guidance of managing the overwhelming stockpile of bills which needed to be addressed.
“A host of organizations provide education and support to advocate professionals, many of whom are former nurses, attorneys or medical coding professionals. Some are certified in medical bill coding by organizations such as the American Academy of Professional Coders and the American Health Information Management Assn.”
Please seek your employer/HR for assistance with this process, as many companies are now offering such support. If you must hire one yourself, then try these resources:
•Claims.org: http://www.claims.org/contact.php
•AdvoConnection directory: http://www.advoconnection.com/
•Medical Billing Advocates of America: bill advocates.com
•Health Proponent: healthproponent.com
Patient Advocates Help People Deal with Doctors, Hospitals, Insurers by Lisa Zamosky. LA Times.
Across our beautiful world, We Are All One.