What about mandatory vaccinations?
A question about vaccinations was recently asked of my political campaign. Here is the question and my response:
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I am reviewing the candidates for my ballot and was wondering if you could tell me if you support mandatory vaccination mandates?
The Constitution assigns limited responsibilities and powers to the federal government and legislative branch. Mandating vaccinations is not a power possessed by the federal government or potentially by me as a U.S. Senator. Normally all powers not assigned to the federal government are reserved by the Tenth Amendment for the states and ultimately the people.
The one exception is that the federal government, state governments, or even the people cannot violate the natural rights of individuals. One of these rights is private property. Individuals own their bodies and have rights over them that other individuals, groups, and governments may not violate. Individuals have the freedom and responsibility to decide what they knowingly and voluntarily consume, and what risks they accept to their own health, finances, safety, or life, provided those choices do not violate the rights of others. Forced medication such as mandatory vaccinations is a violation of individual rights.
Further, children are human beings and, as such, have all the rights of human beings. Because the exercise of some rights requires the ability to understand the possible consequences from actions, some rights may not be realized until an appropriate level of comprehension and responsibility is reached. Until such time, rights are placed in the custodianship of a guardian who is entrusted to exercise these rights on behalf of the child. The government is not the guardian of a child and may not violate the rights of children under custodianship of their guardian.
Parents, or other guardians, have the right to raise their children according to their own standards and beliefs, however they do not have a right to abandon or recklessly endanger their children. Although some may argue that withholding vaccinations is endangering a child, there is evidence to support the theory that forced vaccinations may endanger children. Guardians have the right to protect children from what the guardian perceives as a potential endangerment to a child.
To summarize my answer to your question, I basically do not support mandatory anything by the government. We own ourselves.
Japheth Campbell is a 2018 candidate for U.S. Senate to appear on Missouri's ballot during the November general election. Learn more at www.Campbell4Liberty.com.
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