In response to an article in the NY Times, June 15, 2006
Laws Can Be Good for You, Mayor Tells Health Officials
"We rely on the forceful application of law democratically debated and approved as the principal instrument of our public health policy," proclaimed New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (D) to an enthusiastic audience of public health officials on June 14, 2006 at the CDC's "The Public Health and the Law in the 21st Century: Fifth Annual Partnership Conference" in Atlanta. Putting the emphasis on "control," the New York Mayor voiced support for more laws more strictly enforced by the nation's health police to solve the problem of rampant diabetes and other chronic illnesses plaguing the American people these days.
In what has become a familiar theme since the events of September 11, 2001, politicians are feeding the insatiable appetite of public health officials to force medical treatment on people. With so many Americans chronically ill and disabled after adhering to public health policies and mandates advocating increased use of prescription drugs and vaccines over the past half century, government officials are anxious to blame the poor health of America on the citizens themselves. "Blame the Victim" is a convenient out for government officials who are responsible for protecting the public health.
During the past five years, there have been a number of state and federal laws which have seriously eroded civil liberties in America. Many have involved handing over unprecendented power to government health officials to force citizens to engage in medical interventions without their informed consent. Politicians like Mayor Bloomberg appear to have little appreciation for the inherent danger in giving doctors employed by the State the power to force citizens to follow doctors' orders.
The book "The Nazi Doctors and the Nuremberg Code" by George Annas and Michael Grodin details many reasons why citizens of all states should require doctors to adhere to the ethical principle of informed consent when advocating citizens engage in any kind of medical treatment for the "greater good" of society.
Laws Can Be Good for You, Mayor Tells Health OfficialsBy Diane Cardwell, The New York Times, B3June 15, 2006
Mayor Bloomberg (Republican) as a proponent of strapping citizens down and injecting them with whatever and under a supposed authority which has no legal precedent in civilized democracies, should step up to the plate and accept the civil and criminal liability of his grand idea.
ReplyDeleteShould those who are forced to take whatever against their free will and right as human beings suffer injury or death, will the good mayor pay out of his own wealth to compensate? Will he then, should the toll eventually be taken of this crime, pay the price that others who violate basic human rights must suffer?
It's easy to stand behind the shield of being a "public servant" and dictate whatever for the supposed greater good.
But, what if you're very wrong?
As for me and my family, our body is off limits.
Period.