Because we’ve dared to raise questions about vaccine safety and the propriety of government-mandated immunizations, a lot of ugly name-calling has come our way. In that context, the words thrown at us by The Columbian (like “irresponsible”) are nothing — with one exception. The editorial crossed a line by accusing us of “deceit,” as though we purposely set out to mislead people.
We invite our constituents (and anyone else) to visit tvw.org and view the two-hour debate preceding the Senate vote on HB 1638. See if you are as offended as the Editorial Board was.
While neither of us opposes vaccinations, and we understand their importance, we’d prefer that children be vaccinated with their parents’ support, not simply because the government dictates it. State law has accommodated parents’ concerns about immunizations for 40 years, including other times when measles cases in Washington reached double (and triple) digits. Not any longer.
Our Senate Republican Caucus has a list of principles beginning with “We will attack ideas, not people.” It’s OK for The Columbian to vigorously disagree with the content of our arguments opposing HB 1638. Publicly branding us as liars is not OK and does nothing to advance the public discourse. Shame.
