Who Owns Your Body?

Who said it?

Who Owns Your Body? If not you, then you are a slave. When your health depends on the sanctions permitted by your society and not your independent action, you have no right to your life and are thus a slave to the whims of others.

Source: Barbara Harless.

Barbara Harless said it. Who is Barbara Harless? If you guessed some left-wing spokeswoman for the pro-choice movement, you'd be wrong. She's a right-wing advocate for the anti-vaccination movement in North Texas. The unintended irony is rich. The unwitting hypocrisy is stunning. But that's what passes for reasoned discourse today.

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Her first argument is a straw man. She argues that contrary to what the pro-vaccination side says:

• Some people do have adverse reactions to vaccines.
• Vaccinations aren't always effective.

Of course, medical experts readily admit these points. The first is why vaccinations are not recommended for certain at-risk classes of people. And the first and second points together are why it's important to get as many people vaccinated as possible -- to provide "herd immunity" for those who can't be vaccinated or for whom the vaccination is not effective.

• and "Good grief, how did we manage to survive all those years before the chicken pox vaccine?"

Of course, the 100 to 150 victims of chicken pox who did die annually in the US before vaccinations were available aren't alive today to weigh in on the argument.

• and finally, because... freedom

Now this is an argument I can join Barbara Harless on. The government should not have the power to dictate to a woman person what happens to her own body. I'm with you 100% on that one, Barbara.