vaccinations and the state of AR

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Hi Guys,

I know David and I have been gone a long time. Just trying to deal with some family issues (ie taking care of an aging parent while trying to establish our homestead, whoops our plans forgot to include Pop!!!).

We have just had another blow to our homesteading lifestyle here in AR. A federal court has just found the Arkansas Immunization law to be unconstitutional. The former law allowed members of "recognized churches whose doctrine opposed immunization" to not immunize their kids. Our kids have met this exemption for the past two years. The law was found unconstitutional because it did not allow for personal religeons (only recognized ones). Currently there is no religeous exemption in the state of Arkansas so our kids will, in 30 days, be expelled from school.

Anybody else out there who has gone through a similar thing? Our kids have attended school in 3 other states and one other country and here in Arkansas for 3 years. None of them have been vaccinated, ever been on antibiotics, or even really been very sick in their lives. We are at a total quandry of what to do. We have been very active in our rural school and I have taught there when they lost teachers in the middle of the year. Both David and I have PhD's in chemistry and really aren't neglective parents or anything like that. Vacinnating our kids is not a possibility!

Honestly, I must have been stupid an prayed for patience of some such thing!

Kim

-- Anonymous, August 19, 2002

Answers

I've been following this story on one of the Pagan websites and IMO this ruling is ass-backwards. They should have said that any religion qualified for the exemption instead of throwing out the exemption entirely.

How does Arkansas stand on homeschooling? Is it a viable alternative for you? It may be your only option if this case isn't overturned.

-- Anonymous, August 19, 2002


I don't know if this will be of any help since it's a different state, but Indiana state Representative Dan Burton has been doing a lot of investigation and legislation regarding vaccine injuries. His grandson became autistic shortly after receiving a MMR shot. His official website is http://www.house.gov/burton/

-- Anonymous, August 19, 2002

Hi Kim! Great to see you! Sorry for the problems you're facing. Oddly enough, I just got an email forwarded about vaccines and a teleconference on the subject. I don't know any more about it than what is in the email, which I have forwarded to you. I got it from a Yahoo group discussion on feeding raw food to cats. Watch you mailbox for it. I'll see if I can search out any more information.

Well, that was quick, I found this link: http://www.mercola.com/forms/vaccine_teleconference.htm

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2002


Gee its great to see ya Kim!! We dearly miss you! And David!

I have no help for you, but then you already know I think homeschooling (unschooling) is best anyway, for all possible reasons.

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2002


Sorry that you are having this trouble. If the case isn't overturned then I don't see any other option than to homeschool. It is working out well for our family and I definitely don't have a PhD!

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2002


Hi Guys thanks for all your helpful comments. In reply to the homeschooling suggestions, it really doesn't work for us. David and I are both PhD educated folks but don't feel we can provide our kids with the education we want them to have. We are so isolated they would never see anyone except us - poor little dears. Actually I am downright socialist when it comes to education. I believe what educating the public is essential for our future. If all the good parents took their kids out of school what happens to the majority of the public? They get an even worse education. I think every child deserves a decent education, this will only happen if good parents participate! I am extremely active in the school. I likely spend as much time there as I would homeschooling. I feel my involvement has made a huge difference to the school and the community.

Yeah there are things I don't like about public education but having kids in school doesn't mean you aren't also teaching them at home! My kids and I talk about lots of things we do or don't agree with that they learn at school. Every good parent homeschools even when their kids are in school. That is called parenting!! Kim

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2002


Hooray Kim. Our good friend on the local school board would thank you! He, too, has a PhD and his wife is close to one. They think that the community benefits from educating everyone, not just for those who can afford private school or those who can afford home school. (Think of the economics of a stay-at-home parent. In many geographic areas it would be really difficult, particularly during a recession).

An educated population is one that can reason enough to be (more or less) free. Without a decent education (or none), kids grow up at the mercy of teevee, street gangs, or whatever other "marketing" forces prey upon them.

God have mercy on us all if/when those forgotten kids grow up and make decisions (economic, based on sheer demographics, if nothing else) for us...

Keep us posted.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2002


Course I'm very familiar with this arguement, but one thing has always puzzled me.

If public schooling has so much to offer the general public, including or most especially the disadvantaged, and since mandatory mass education is the law pretty much everywhere and has been longer than our lifetimes, why is it that it has been such a dismal failure at bringing minorities out of poverty and isolation and into the 'mainstream'? Why are our ghettos still overwhelmingly comprised of people of color, even though they are required to attend schools just like everyone else? Why is it that most kids hate attending school, and given the choice would choose almost anything else?

The system may have good intentions, but it seems to me it just does not work! We need a new structure, and new paradigm. It makes no sense to me to continue to insist on maintaining the same ol same ol, pretending it has value when in reality it continues to degrade, when the quality of 'education' gets worse and worse with each passing year. Pretending that kids are getting 'educated' just because they are putting in their required time with their butts parked at a desk is, IMO, a crime against inner city kids.

Peace,

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2002


So, have you come to any conclusions about what you're going to do, Kim?

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2002

Earthmama, I don't know. I suspect that there's more out there than just education: economic forces; the education that *others* received that teaches them racism, etc. Just plain shennanigans...I know Geo. W. got a "good" education....how about all those values that kids learn (or should learn) at home (and no self-respecting school should/would wanna teach, except by default if nobody else does...of course, I think church most definitely, too, etc.)

I'll think about this. You make good points and I respect your views.

-- Anonymous, August 27, 2002



Hi Kim! I hope you've been able to get this situation resolved, but if not here's a little info I hope will help. In my infant massage class this weekend the instructor mentioned that there is a pharmacist in Dayton Ohio, Dr. Kristine Severyn, who runs an organization called the Vaccine Policy Institute. She has researched a series of homeopathic remedies that stimulate the immune response similar to vaccinations, and I believe that she has been successful in convincing some school districts to admit unvaccinated students as long as they can prove a positive antibody titer. The phone number for the Vaccine Policy Institute is (937) 435-4750.

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2002

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