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Letters to the Editor for Feb. 7, 2018

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category icon Letters to the Editor, Opinion

Vaccine mandates are ‘just plain wrong’

I address the defenders of vaccines and vaccine mandates. You risk hurting your child if you vaccinate your child especially the very young. Doctors do not have any way of knowing if a child might have a negative reaction to a vaccine. You deny children have been hurt, so I suggest you seek out parents and doctors who witnessed their child change from perfectly normal to something different after a vaccine. You won’t have to look far. Doctors will deny vaccines are the cause of the damage, but in the same breath they won’t be able to tell you why.

And what about the vaccine court pharmaceutical companies lobbied for in 1986? Are we going to see a special court for victims of faulty cars or hairspray, where legal recourse for victims is pre-determined and the red tape to get to the court is a mile thick?

Now, the so-called “representatives” in Olympia have a law they want to pass (HB 1638), which will take away a parent’s right to choose or not choose to vaccinate their child. It is legislation season in Olympia right? This is when they roll out all laws, which have been planned for months or years for consideration.

Your defense of this product — vaccines — ignores the fact that all human beings are inclined to greed, pride, envy, lust for power, maliciousness and sloth. The people in question here are the vaccine manufacturers, vaccine marketers, doctors, scientists and especially the politicians. With that said, vaccines can be dangerous and vaccine mandates are just plain wrong.

“Freedom” Frank Alonso, Camas

Washougal councilors need religious invocation before meetings

When the constitutional convention in 1787 was at an impasse, Benjamin Franklin persuaded the membership to close down for three days. He said they should not converse with those who agreed with them, but rather only those who disagreed. He wanted them to get to know their adversaries closely as friends, rather than just an opponent. He exhorted also to engage in prayer to the God who noticed a fallen sparrow who could certainly help the founders. It worked beautifully. This resulted in establishing the daily prayer in the Senate and House where a chaplain prays yet today before every session.

Franklin saved the convention and we have a good constitution as a result of prayer. If God does not answer prayer, then an invocation has no purpose. If those who pray are just babbling words, it has no purpose. If the council has no need of help. then an invocation is superfluous. But God does answer prayer and whether they feel it or not, the council needs His help, just as every one of us. Any council member who does not feel that need has no business governing others.

Gorman Gray, Washougal

Congresswoman should embrace bipartisan gun control

Why has Jaime Herrera Beutler thus far taken no position on HR 8? This common sense measure would require federal background checks for gun sales, including most private transactions. The bill was introduced on the eighth anniversary of the shooting of former Congresswoman Gabby Gifford. When will Herrera Beutler find the courage to embrace responsible, bipartisan legislation to curtail ever-present gun violence in our nation?

Ellen Sward, Vancouver

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