On Vaccine Mandates - Originally Posted November 5, 2021

I have received countless emails and texts about vaccine mandates. The legislature is meeting next week in special session to discuss Redistricting. Vaccine mandates will also be on the agenda.

I commend our elected officials for releasing this excellent statement today:

From State Auditor John Dougall, Attorney General Sean Reyes, President Stuart Adams, Speaker Brad Wilson, and State Treasurer Marlo Oaks —

“The mandate the Biden administration issued is a blatant attempt to exceed well-established limitations on federal authority and infringes upon the rights of private businesses and employees. Biden continues to be tone-deaf to a majority of Americans who oppose mandates.

“Utahns have made it clear they expect the state to oppose this heavy-handed overreach, and each of us will act in our capacities to do so. We will not stand down while Biden disregards the rights of the people and we will continue to stand for civil liberties and freedom in our state.”

Let me add my own thoughts on the subject:

For me a vaccine mandate is unconscionable. It’s a non-starter.

This is a waning pandemic that has a very, very low death rate.

People will decide for themselves whether or not they will be vaccinated. Most will choose vaccination for their own preservation. Some who do not choose vaccination will die. Some who are vaccinated will die as well, despite their best efforts to avoid the disease.

But if freedom means anything, it means being able to choose what substances will be injected into your blood stream. No one should be able to require injections of any substance against another person’s will.

I am vaccinated, and I encourage others to be vaccinated, but I would never force vaccination upon anyone against his or her will.

This is positively Orwellian!

Early on in the pandemic, I reassured several constituents that I did not think it would come to this, but it has.

We must not stand down when it comes to the preservation of freedom.