The Freedom To Speak
For at least a decade, veterinarian Dr. Ron Hines shared his animal knowledge online, offering advice to pet owners worldwide through his website. That was until the Texas State Board of Vet Medical Examiners decided that his speech wasn't lawful, due to legislation that requires veterinarians to first examine the animal in person before they share any advice.
Authorities quickly sought to shut down Hines and stop him from sharing his advice online, they're sure that his speech isn't covered under the First Amendment because he's a professional.
The Veterinary Medical Examiners decided to move forward with disciplinary action to try and have him cease his vet correspondence online, as well as suspend his license and put him on probation for at least one year.
Hines decided to fight back for his right to share his knowledge online with others and he launched a lawsuit, arguing that authorities had violated his First Amendment rights.
Unfortunately, Hines lost the first legal fight and the Supreme Court previously declined to review the case back in 2015. The state board asserted that they didn't have a problem with him sharing his knowledge, what they did have an issue with was him answering specific medical questions for a certain patient.
Fast forward several years and the Supreme Court just this summer decided to rule that professional speech is protected by the First Amendment.
Hines is helping people who often wouldn't have any other options, he says that many of the people who contact him for help are home-bound, facing limited vet options, or living overseas. Without his help they could likely be left with nothing.
His win in this fight could have widespread implications directly influencing the freedom surrounding the online communication for various practitioners in the country.
Pics:
pixabay
This brings to mind some other things.......what do they have to say about chatting with the nurse through your insurance company or even calling them on the phone? They can't see you any more than this veterinarian could see his animal patients! It's unfortunate that there are those in power positions who will do anything to take away constitutional rights just because it fits their agenda! It saddens me and angers me! I hope he wins his case!!
natural rights > constitutional rights .. the Constitution is ideally supposed to protect those natural rights yet we see that the piece of paper and those tasks to uphold and enforce it fail us again..and again and again and again and again.
It is sad. There doesn’t seem to be any justice 😔
You have a lot of good posts my friend!!! :)
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thank you!:)
It's a shame liberty must be acknowledged by the court system, and that the status quo is "submit or else." But that is the nature of politics.
I used to believe that all these "licenses" were to protect us.
Then i learned what the tests / qualifications were.
You have to have more hours to become a massage therapist than an EMT.
Why? Because the bureaucrats are lazy. And they want to stop hookers who masquerade as massage therapists, so the hours have gone up and up and up, till now they are ridiculous.
And take for instance "drivers licenses". Everyone has their first driving test in order to get the license in the first place, but then after, you never have to show you are good at driving. Further, taking away someone's license doesn't stop them from driving.
Then we have other "real" professions. Where, you just have to be able to answer the test questions. You don't have to know anything, just take a crash course, and fill in the test. Nobody who actually knows anything will actually come and test your proficiency.
Lastly, they have doctors. You have to go through tons of classes, then internship and tests before you are allowed to get a "license" to practice "medicine". But, what if you believe that what you were taught was wrong? That cancer is not cured by radiation, but by nutrition? Well in that case, you lose your license, move to Mexico and cure people of cancer.
Now many people share the right things and can help many people on the Online site, if what is done by the doctor is the right thing he must be released because it has helped many others who are in trouble.