HUH?

Arizona Rep. Kelly Townsend: Vaccines Are ‘Communist’

“Live free or die,” she declared, claiming mandatory vaccines are stealing people’s “liberty.”

Arizona's Republican State Rep. Kelly Townsend took to Facebook Thursday with a dramatic rallying cry against vaccinations. Noting that she'd read about the possibility of mandatory vaccinations to stop a measles outbreak, Townsend equated the move to giving up “our liberty.” “The idea that we force someone to give up their liberty for the sake of the collective is not based on American values but rather, Communist (sic),” wrote Townsend, adding that her child was “injured” from vaccines. “Folks, I am going to ask you to educate your children, educate your family, educate those around you about the fundamentals of liberty and what that means. It seems we have lost those fundamentals along the way and are chasing our fears,” she continued, signing her post, “live free or die.” Townsend posted the comment on her public page one day after Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said he was "pro-vaccination.” Arizona's House Health and Human Services Committee endorsed three bills last week that could lead to less immunization coverage among the state's schoolchildren. The endorsement launched Arizona into the national conversation about potential measles outbreaks due to fewer parents vaccinating their kids.

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Anti-Vaccine FB Ads Target Women in Measles-Stricken States

Lachlan Markay