Op-Ed: Individual Rights vs. Vaccine Mandate

The following Op-Ed was submitted by Art da Rosa. Op-Eds do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of those at the Idaho Dispatch.

I am a critic of the vaccine mandates.  They are illegal and immoral.  On the news, there is a recent story of an INL employee being dismissed due to the fact that he spoke up against them.  There were the health care employees being dismissed by St Luke hospitals.  I was enraged by those stories.  And I have another story in Pocatello.

A friend called me this weekend.  He apologized for returning my call late.  He sounded depressed.  He went on to say that he will soon lose his job at the railroad company.  All because he was unwilling to be jabbed.  He will have to move soon for employment.  Perhaps lose his home, and be away from his friends and extended family.  His life will be turned upside down.  As I listened, I hurt with him.

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A few weeks ago, I went to the Freedom Fest in Twin Falls.  The last speaker, Dr. Lee Merritt, started her speech this way: “The question on the vaccine mandates.  It should be who has sovereignty over our bodies.  If we don’t, then we are… slaves.”  She is right.  I agree with her.

Since I teach a Constitution class each week, I took the occasion to explore with the class the concept of Individual Rights vs. Public Good.  If these two concepts come head-to-head, which one should prevail?  Individual rights, of course.  But why?

Freedom is rare.  Throughout the history of mankind, people were forced to serve their rulers.  This was done in the name of the common good…as determined by the rulers.  In exchange, Montesquieu explained the people received protection, sustenance, and sometimes the glory that these rulers would bestow on the people.

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In the meantime, the rulers or the ruling class elevated themselves above the people.  At times in history, they were even worshiped as gods.

This, however, is not the way our nation was founded.  Governments were instituted for the protection of our rights, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”  Protecting the rights of the individual is a fundamental principle that our nation was founded on.

Paraphrasing Henry Grady Weaver, the voyage of Mayflower was made to seek religious freedom, Christian religious freedom.  What makes Christianity different from other religions is the acknowledgment of Individual Rights.  Otherwise, it would return to paganism, according to Weaver.

Many more arguments could be made.  Rather than belabor them, I end with this.  We the People created the government.  We delegated certain powers to them (Federal, State, Local).  I, the individual, do not have the authority to tell another citizen to be jabbed.  I, therefore, cannot delegate this authority – which I do not have – to the government.  Our government is the creature.  It was never created to be the master over the People, and rule over us.

To Union Pacific Railroad, shame on your wokeness!  To the elected officials, please be on the side of the People.

Art da Rosa, PE, MPA
Inkom, Idaho