by Linda Lavelle
This letter to Senator Will Haskell is in response to his newsletter of July 2, 2021, regarding some of the bills he has supported with enthusiasm. It is meant to educate, not denigrate, his youthful exuberance.
Connecticut's S.B. 2 of which you are so proud, is tremendously destructive. The foundation of any society is the family. Your bill undermines the family by allowing mental health workers to bypass parents when treating minor children.
Nearly all parents love their children, want what is best for their children, and know what is best for their children. The very few instances where children are physically abused are addressed by Family Services/criminal proceedings.
To dismiss parents from their child’s well-being puts a wedge between parent and child, and disrespects the bond that holds families together. The State is then substituted. This is one more step in the destruction of the family, which ultimately (on the path we are traveling) leads to the dissolution of civil society. Perhaps you are unaware of this unintended consequence?
Basing your legislative vote (S.B. 1) on a misinformed Pew Charitable Trusts article is a big mistake. They erroneously report that twice the number of black men have been killed by police than white men. But Newsweek reported in April 2021: “Of the 966 police killings reported since May 25, 2020, the database shows that black people account for 18.7 percent.” Previous years show even smaller numbers.
The claim of “systemic racism” in policing has been debunked by black scholars and professors who note that every major city has scores of, if not the majority of, minority police officers. Many major cities have black police chiefs as well, yet Pew and those who nod unthinkingly to their propaganda, ignore the facts. S.B. 1 uses Pew’s erroneous statistics to claim that “systemic racism” in policing causes shorter life expectancies of African American men that somehow translates into disparities in healthcare. What?
And finally, eliminating the religious exemption for mandatory vaccines not only undermines religious families and their beliefs but violates Connecticut’s constitution. (Article First, Sec. 3) That document demands the free exercise and enjoyment of one’s religious beliefs, which your law ignores.
Will, before supporting bills in the Connecticut legislature, it would behoove you to project their unintended consequences on your constituents, as well as study the role of our constitutions, both state and federal.
The purpose of our constitutions is not only to set up the structure of our governments but to carefully limit their powers. Even state governments cannot do whatever legislators dream up to control society for their vision of “the public good.” There is no “public good” other than individual freedom as we are all individuals with our own individual needs and considerations. If the radical Left agenda is legislated into law in Connecticut, we will lose what it means to live in a free society.
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