The idea, as propounded in a letter of May 5, that there is a religious exemption to allow people to spread disease, while those who would be subjected to this threat have no rights, is patently absurd.
And, to suggest that there is a philosophy that permits such selfishness offers a philosophy that is both immoral and unethical. Those who refuse vaccination are free to do so, but they have no right then to expect accommodation in public schools, transport or restaurants, not indeed in any role in the company of others.
Similarly, the right of society to protect potential victims from firearm use by persons who are undergoing passages of mental derangement cannot be denied. We do not have the right of indiscriminate firearm possession and use.
Or do we have to wait until a murder or suicide has been committed to say, “Oh, too bad, we knew they were sick, but you can’t deny their right to kill someone”?
Rev. Donald J. Rudalevige
Cape Elizabeth
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