Following is oral testimony given by a 17 year old vaccine injured high school student in the Ohio legislature on May 23, 2018 in opposition to a bill that would require parents to obtain the signature of a physician or other vaccine administrator on a state mandated form after receiving vaccine education counseling in order to obtain a vaccine exemption for reasons of conscience or religious conviction. Nothing in the bill requires the vaccine administrator to sign the exemption form requested by the parent. The bill also requires schools to report vaccination and exemption rates to state officials, which will be made public in multiple venues. See NVICAdvocacy.org for more information on the status of Ohio HB559.
My name is Ian Rupert. I am a 17 year old high school student. Thank you for letting me give my testimony against HB559. I would like to talk about harassment towards my family and me because of our views about vaccination. I would also like to discuss what the future will be like for me and my family if this bill is passed.
My mother was recently threatened by someone who said that if they saw her in public, they would push her down the steps. At another time, a person said that they want my family and me dead. We have also had some of our closest friends accuse us of killing children by not vaccinating, and they think we should not be allowed out in public.
This is wrong and these people are being misinformed. It is scientifically proven that vaccinated people are catching and spreading diseases. It’s not just the unvaccinated population, but we are being blamed, and bullied for it!
Being in high school, I have had to go through and learn that you can get picked on for many reasons. Differences in opinions and views could get you beat up and knocked out. I have gone to seven different schools, and I have been picked on and bullied at all of them. Not all have been because we don’t vaccinate, but today vaccines are the reason I am being singled out and bullied.
When I tell my story about having autism because of adverse reactions to vaccines and later recovering without pharmaceutical medications, people usually respond with “You can’t get autism from vaccines. Autism is not curable. You must still have it, or you never had it to begin with.” And I reply to them, “Autism is caused by neurological damage from the ingredients in vaccines and yes, you can recover! It’s very similar to other neurological injuries. Think of a stroke, the way you recover is you rebuild or heal the neurological pathways to be able to send signals to and from your brain and muscles. A stroke is a type of injury to your brain, and autism is also an injury to the brain. If you give it the proper therapies and attention, you are able to repair your brain.”
But what does autism have to do with vaccines? Vaccines have ingredients in them that damage your brain and body. They contain animal DNA, aborted fetus cells, other known carcinogenic toxins, and high levels of heavy metals such as aluminum and mercury in the form of Thimerosal. These are all damaging to the brain and body in different ways. Doctors avoid discussing these harmful ingredients in vaccines.
Doctors and hospitals are harassing and manipulating people to vaccinate. Our doctor told my mother, “It is the law in Ohio to vaccinate”. When she expressed her views against vaccination, he made no mention of the exemptions available. Instead, he guilted and bullied her into thinking she had no other choice than to vaccinate. Years later after we found out about exemptions, a different doctor’s office made her sign documents. These stated that deciding against the doctor’s recommendation to vaccinate, she is knowingly endangering her child.
After being tricked into signing these documents, we found out they can be used to take children away from their parent’s care on legal grounds of child neglect and endangerment. These are very scary and serious problems.
My family and I are terrified, and do not want to go to the doctor or hospital unless we have a life threatening situation because of the harassment towards us and the possibility of being medically kidnapped. It’s scary when the first thing they ask you is “Are you caught up on your vaccines?” Then, you are hounded by every person who walks in the room to vaccinate, especially if you are in an emergency room.
If you are in the unfortunate situation that you need emergency care the reason you are going to the ER is NOT to get caught up on vaccines. We went to the ER once for stitches and were harassed to get caught up on our vaccines. The injury had nothing to do with our vaccine status. If this bill passes, it will continue to cause doctors and hospitals to harass and manipulate unvaccinated families.
It’s obvious that this bill is trying to increase the vaccinated status. Doctors are incentivized by insurance companies with bonus money when their vaccinated patient ratio is within a certain desirable range. This will cause extreme difficulty for the unvaccinated to get their exemptions because the doctors know that an unvaccinated family lowers their ratio. The discrimination and harassment will only get worse for us.
We shouldn’t need a doctor’s involvement in anything not medically related. They have no right to overstep their profession into our philosophical and religious beliefs. In my eyes it is another opportunity for doctors to harass the parents.
The passing of HB559 will display the number of people in the school or district area who are not vaccinated. There is no reason to post this information. Those who support this bill say that they need to post this in case of a childhood disease outbreak because they will require the unvaccinated to be sent home so they don’t spread the disease further. As I mentioned before, it’s been proven that the vaccinated population spread diseases also. In the case of an outbreak, the responsible thing to do is to send everyone home, which means there would be no need for this list.
By displaying a discriminatory list such as this, they are indirectly placing blame on the unvaccinated, which increases the public fear of the unvaccinated population. A wise character from one of my favorite movies had an important point to make about fear. “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering”– Jedi Master Yoda. Let’s put this quote in this situation. Fear of the unvaccinated will lead to anger, anger towards the unvaccinated will lead to hate, and the hate of being different will lead to the suffering of the unvaccinated. This list will only create more false blame, fear, and hate towards the unvaccinated community.
When people fear and hate you, they could act violently towards you and your family. Our house and cars have already been egged. What is to stop them from next time setting fire to our house? You might ask, “Why don’t I just hide that I am unvaccinated?” I don’t think that I should have to. However, it worries me that if the wrong people find out, it will spread fear and hatred towards me.
In high school, people are going to talk about you. It’s impossible to stop gossip, they either like you, or they don’t. I tell the people close to me because I am trying to find friends with similar beliefs. This includes discussion about religion, political opinions, and healthy lifestyles. These are equally important to talk about because one day I’d like to marry and have children of my own and having similar beliefs are important for a successful marriage.
I am concerned for the future. While considering my career options, it’s obvious that I can’t go into the armed forces to help keep our freedom, or the medical field because those careers either require vaccination or you could be jeopardizing your job if you refuse. My college options are limited, some colleges won’t accept you if you aren’t vaccinated. My aunt was forced to vaccinate for her nursing program even though she had a medical exemption. This isn’t a possibility for me to even consider because of my history of adverse vaccine reactions.
Careers internationally are possibly not a part of my options either, if our travel laws on vaccine status become restricted in the future. My siblings and I will be forced to choose a career where we are able to transfer out of state if Ohio’s vaccine exemptions are taken away. My very life rides on keeping our freedoms. I do not understand this trend of taking our freedoms away by proposing bills such as this, which is unconstitutional.
I am currently studying The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and why the government is in place. It is there to protect the freedom of the people, not take it away. What I don’t understand is that as a government official, you swore an oath “to support, and defend The Constitution of the United States against ALL enemies foreign, and domestic”. Our freedoms are being threatened by our own governing body!!
More than 1.1 Million people died in all of the United State wars to earn and keep the freedom of this country. There are currently 1.3 million Americans in active duty, fighting very hard to keep our freedoms. The America that I have read about in my history books is inspiring, and makes me extremely proud. Unfortunately, today’s America is not what our forefathers fought so hard to create.
I can’t understand why you would not want to support such documents as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution that already defend even the smallest minority’s freedom. Not only is this bill unconstitutional, it does not “support life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” but destroys it. Adolf Hitler once said “To conquer a nation, first disarm its citizens”. Proposed HB559 will potentially lead to the disarming of our freedoms and beliefs.
Are we “Land of the free and the home of the brave” or Land of the fearful and the home of the bullied? Will you support “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” for all? Please honor your oath, “defend and support The Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.” Vote against HB559.
Note: This article was reprinted with the author’s permission.
References:(provided by TVR Staff)
- Akpan N. Measles Outbreak Traced to Fully Vaccinated Patient for First Time. Science Magazine Apr. 11, 2014.
- Fisher BL. Pertussis Microbe Outsmarts the Vaccine As Experts Argue About Why. NVIC Newsletter Mar. 27, 2016.
- Theoharides TC, Asadi S, Patel AB. Focal brain inflammation and autism. Journal of Neuroinflammation 2013; 10:46.
- Wheeler M. An Introduction to Possible Biomedical Causes and Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorders. University of Indiana Autism Resource Center 2018.
- Schofield K. The Metal Neurotoxins: An Important Role in Current Human Neural Epidemics? Int J Environ Res Public Health 2017; 14(12).
- CDC. Vaccine Excipient and Media Summary: Excipients Included in U.S. Vaccines, by Vaccine. March 2018.
- NVIC. Cry for Vaccine Freedom Wall.
- Wellness and Equality. How Much Money Do Pediatricians Really Make from Vaccines? June 20, 2016.
- Wrangham T. College Bound – Navigating Vaccine Choices. NVIC Newsletter Feb. 1, 2011.
29 Responses
I vote against HB559.
I oppose HB559.
I vote against HB559. It is unconstitutional and takes away individual freedoms!
Gabrielle, the military isn’t quite as unforgiving as you might think on vaccinations; when I volunteered for service in the Navy Nurse Corps, and was at OI, they set us up for batteries of vaccinations; I had both a family and personal history of adverse reactions to many of the planned injections and so told them; they insisted on the 1st 2: DPT and smallpox. When I went with my class on the following scheduled day, I showed them I wasn’t just crying wolf, and they never gave me another vaccine again. If you have a skill they need or want badly enough and are healthy otherwise, they might well exempt you as well.
look up military immunization document has religious exemption buried deep into the document. ALL of the branches of the military use the same document.
Please Oppose Ohio House Bill (HB559) to Protect Our Freedoms! Thank you for your time.
I’ve already voted against HB559. I am a 68 year old grandma who believes in “informed consent.” How dare congress, doctors, the CDC, or any other entity force “vaccine laws” on the American public! People need to become informed and stand up to the tyranny that the Pharmaceutical companies are imposing on the public. It’s despicable! Yes, vaccines can and do maim and sometimes even kill people, (i.e.Gardasil)especially children. Look it up on YouTube. Wake up America!
Ian Rupert makes an excellent argument in favor of continuing to allow exemptions from mandatory vaccinations. Parents sometimes know that their children will be harmed by vaccinations, and it is criminal for the state to insist that these children be vaccinated. Even just fearing a possible negative outcome from a vaccine should be enough to grant an exemption from a vaccination. The only person bearing the risk is the unvaccinated person, himself. As Ian Rupert correctly states, vaccinated people spread diseases too, not just the unvaccinated.
Mandatory vaccinations are a terrible infringement of the right of parents to protect their children from the excesses of the State. Vaccines are “unavoidably unsafe,” and that is why the vaccine manufacturers.bear no liability for the effects of vaccinations.
I strongly vote against HB559 in the state of Ohio or any other state.
Arthur Hedrich, MD would be appalled at government sanctioned requirements of vaccines!
Neurotoxic ingredients in vaccines would make most people fear injections directly into muscle!
Our natural world does not grow mercury, formaldehyde, polysorbate 80, aluminum etc.
These ingredients are a life long insult to our immune systems! Some brains never recover!!
Study and be fully responsible for avoiding all unnatural environmental toxic exposures!
Be well.?♂️????
I vote against HB559.
Until they spend some of their profits on determining and excluding those who would be harmed by vaccinations, vaccine companies have no business foisting their products on uninformed people.
Bravo!
I vote against HB559.
I vote AGAINST HB559!!!!!!!! Goes against our constitutional rights to choose for our families
This is a well-written and compelling argument. I could not agree more. I hope many more hear your story and open their eyes to what you rightfully call the disarming of America’s citizens. Maybe you need a hastag. #peoplebe4profits
Congratulations and deep respect for you and your family that you have conquered autism. Your mother must be an amazing woman. I’d like to interject here though and disabuse you of the notion that joining the military may somehow keep us free. That’s as fabricated propaganda as ‘vaccines are safe and necessary’ BS and lies. Vaccines and the military are about profit and genocide. The US is about war and take over in the name of spreading democracy. What a sick joke. Please wake up and realize this also. This truth gives the herd another reason to hate us. Not from fear but from stupidity and ignorance.
Thank you for your effort in writing this piece. It is lovely. Good luck to you, it is awful what is occurring.
Wonderful letter Ian. I hope they listen. We live in NH where vaccine choice is also coming under attack. I would move my family if they imposed a law such as this here. All this type of law is going to do is force families to go underground about their beliefs and practices. Thank you for standing up for all of our rights.
Ian, you are a brave young man. I am inspired by your courage. I am the father of 2 unvaccinated boys and also a doctor. Thank you for sharing your story and continue to stand up for your beliefs. I adamantly oppose bill HB559!
Very intelligent 17 year old.
Requesting a national conscientious objection allowance for all medical students. Colleges and advanced learning institutions is where much of this begins, discriminating against all possible future members of the industry to keep them out and keep the pro vaccination status quo in place. HB559 is clearly an unconstitutional proposal. With liberty and justice for all.
How I hope we can unite together to defeat tyranny. To go against one conscience is neither safe nor good, said Martin Luther. I pray daily that people would turn away from communism/socialism and start realizing that the role of government is to protect people. Most people think the government is the answer. No! The government is the problem! People and individual rights are the solution… I will pray for you and your family that God would protect you from harm. Please, make a youtube video and get the word out
Thank you for this wonderful testimony. I think vaccinating should be a free decision. Unfortunately, I think it is obligated everywhere. I also read about medical kidnappings. Horrible.
To think it is all about the money. The whole medical world is about money. Big money in Pharma, big money for doctors. At least in Europe some doctors still care enough to come to your home, you get help in the weekend. Here you have to wait till someone wants to see you. I turned to herbal healing and am doing well, but had to undergo all the vaccinations twice when I immigrated here… twice because I went home to visit my very ill grandpa…
immunization exemption is available for ALL branches of the military including the US Coast Guard. They all use one document and list under administrative refusal religious exemption. you have to jump thru a few hoops to get it, but they HAVE to grant it as it is listed. You do have to request it, and be prepared to be harrassed. Just say i wish to exercise my RIGHT to a religious exemption as stated under ___________. Go in with multiple copies in your hand. They can not argue with existing written regulations which you hand to them.
Thank you, Ian, for sharing your experience and helping others become aware of HB559. And, thank you, Julie, for helping Ian become aware of further lies and deception in our country and throughout the world.
For more details about Ohio and vaccines I recommend this interview with Ohio attorney AL Whitney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3sU0Mmpyc0
I strongly vote against HB559 in the state of Ohio or any other state. I have a child which suffers from a vaccine injury. He was diagnosed at age 2 with juvenile diabetes. Our lives have never been the same with continual medical issues, and lots of expenses over the years since his diagnosis. I only wish I knew then what I know now.
Glyphosate has been found in vaccines. This is the main ingredient in weed killer-Roundup by Monsanto. Every one should get an FOIA ( freedom of information act) from the FDA about this ingredient and send to every legislator!!! Look up “MomsAcrossAmerica vaccine glyphosate” in a search engine and you’ll find the testing.
“There is no known ‘cure’ for autism. This does not mean, however, that nothing can be done to help a person who is on the autism spectrum… It is therefore very difficult to generalise about how an autistic person will develop over time.” https://www.autism.org.uk/about/what-is/causes.aspx – Ian could have had an excellent treatment plan for his autism (if he had it) that made it seem as though he was “cured”. Since he doesn’t specify, we don’t know how he was “cured”.
“In the US, UK and Europe, thiomersal was removed from vaccines as a precaution.” http://vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vaccine-ingredients
“By January 2003, remaining stocks of vaccines with thimerosal expired.” https://vaxopedia.org/2018/06/03/thimerosal-hype-or-hazard/
Does Ian, or any of you, even know what the incentive for vaccines even was? It was a voluntary, limited-time program from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s Physician Group Incentive Program. Only physicians that practiced in Michigan could join and the payout or incentive reward came from “a percentage of the applicable fee schedule on most professional paid claims.” https://vaxopedia.org/2017/09/24/that-3-million-vaccine-bonus-for-pediatricians/
The vaccinated population does not spread diseases, they prevent it. Read about what live vaccines actually are: https://www.verywellfamily.com/live-vaccines-and-vaccine-shedding-2633700