Action Update - Issue 88 :: February 12, 2007
Royal Masset Argues for LIFE:
Governor Perry is Right to
Back Cancer Vaccine
Hillary Clinton’s campaign for President is getting a major lift from Texas. Many of Texas’ otherwise sensible conservatives are not supporting Governor Perry in his efforts to save the lives of 300 Texans each year through his call to vaccinate 6th grade girls against cervical cancer. This is major mistake that makes conservatives look mean spirited and ignorant, a gift for Hillary and those who favor nationalized health care.
In fact the 16,000 member Christian Medical Association favors mandatory HPV vaccinations, with an opt out provision such as Texas’, recognizing that “young women through no choice of their own can still be exposed through an infected partner to disease and cancer.”
This HPV vaccine is the epitome of a pro-life and pro-family action. It would save 300 lives in Texas every year, mostly mothers. It would save 1000 other Texas women, who survive cervical cancer every year, the cost and anxiety of defeating this deadly disease. One major “cure” of cervical cancer is getting a hysterectomy that kills all the future babies who would have been born to these women. I cannot understand why anyone calling himself or herself a Christian would not want to save these babies.
Governor Perry might have done a better job of getting early support from the legislature and conservatives. His executive order mandating these vaccinations was clearly grandstanding and surprised the legislature. So what? All political people grandstand to sell their programs. Its no secret here in Austin that legislation for this vaccine was carried by Democrat leaders and would probably die in subcommittee without public hearing. This vaccine should be judged on its merits.
In fact Rick Perry’s Executive order doesn’t mandate the vaccination of 6th grade girls until September of 2008. Governor Perry’s action was done to insure public debate on this issue. Left to the will of the legislature there would have been no real public discussion of this issue. Now there will be a real debate. The legislature has not somehow been bypassed. They have to approve money for these vaccinations. They and not the Governor can order Health and Human Services to implement this or not.
Part of the problem is that people who should know better are circulating false information on this issue. This vaccine will not require sex education. Parents can always opt out. The FDA and CDC have approved this vaccine as safe and effective. Three mandated vaccines for children right now - Tetanus and Hepatitis A and B, are not for contagious diseases spread in classrooms by coughing. In fact Hepatitis is often communicated by sexual contact.
The political problem for conservatives is that our credibility depends on us being morally right and sensible on the issues. We were right on limiting government and making it more responsive to the people. We were right on abortion, on teaching abstinence, on preserving traditional marriage.
Those who oppose Governor Perry mandating HPV vaccines, one of the most conservative Governor’s in the US today, are just flat wrong. In the short run they will win the media wars. Our Republican legislators, already piqued by a Governor who dared show leadership, may fall over themselves demagoging against this vaccine. And the odds are 2 out of 3 they will block its full implementation in 2008.
In the long run reason will prevail and those who opposed this vaccine will look as wrong and mean spirited as they are. Almost all of the e-mail I receive on this topic borders on hate mail. Almost no one against this vaccine is using rational arguments against it. Why the emotional volume? At worst the arguments are that women with this disease had sex outside marriage and this is their punishment. At best the arguments are that vaccines are dangerous, which has some merit but not here. Your neighbors will not be won over by foolish arguments.
The issue is simple. This vaccine will save at least 300 women’s lives each year in Texas and make it possible for 200-1000 babies to be born whose birth was precluded by cervical cancer. The overwhelming majority of your neighbors will eventually see this vaccine as a tremendous good. Because it is! And they will lose faith in those who had opposed it and supported death.
The war against cancer is a real war. Texas can score the first major victory in this war. Texas history has been written by those who do not run from difficult challenges. We prefer the risk of high achievement to the safety of a meaningless mediocrity. We have a Governor who is putting his career on the line to save tens of thousands of our daughters from cancer. He is right. Thank you Governor Perry for being on the side of life.
Royal Masset is a Texas Republican political consultant and former political director of the Texas GOP.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- TEXAS AT A CROSSROAD
At all levels of government in Texas the taxes imposed, and the revenue generated by those taxes, have little relationship to the value of government services provided.
- Broad Voucher Plan Is Approved in Utah
The Utah State Legislature approved one of the broadest school voucher programs in the nation on Friday, allotting up to $3,000 for any public school student to put toward private school tuition.
- James Leininger
Voucher advocate vows to continue pushing priorities despite Legislature's past rejection of issue.
INFORMATION:
Janelle Shepard, Executive Director
Texans for Texas, Inc., 815-A Brazos St #384, Austin, TX 78701-9996.
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