HUM 110 Kean University Does the Government Own Our Bodies Discussion

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1. “Does the Government Own Our Bodies? Overview: Stanley Milgram’s study on obedience has raised many questions beyond the ones he set out to answer. One question that has been raised in western civilizations has been the question of “self-ownership” and individual autonomy or personal freedom. In March of 2020, the question of self-ownership has been raised for many who question whether any government, under any circumstances, in a country such as the United States, can and should dictate and determine what people do with their bodies. Public health policies are predicated on the idea that individuals living in a culture and a society cannot do as they please where the health of others is concerned. If someone has a disease that could be transmitted to others, then it is assumed to be the government’s responsibility to create policies and implement practices and procedures that limit the spread of that disease, even if it means curtailing the rights and freedoms of individuals. For example, school children attending public and many private schools in most states are required by state governments to be vaccinated against infectious diseases such as measles and polio. However, each state government determines which vaccines are required for school-age children, and different states may have different requirements. In 2020, Massachusetts Governor Charles Baker made the flu shot mandatory for all school children, regardless of whether they physically attend school or take part remotely. Although exemptions vary from state to state, all school immunization laws grant exemptions to children for medical reasons; forty-five states and Washington D.C. grant religious exemptions for parents and legal guardians who have religious objections to immunizations for their children; and, currently, 15 states allow philosophical exemptions for those who object to immunizations for personal, moral, or other reasons. State governments also make laws about which groups of adults, such as healthcare workers, must be vaccinated and with what. Currently, the vaccines for the coronavirus are being made mandatory by the federal government and state governments to enter public spaces, obtain or maintain employment, attend school, and to engage in a variety of other activities that have never required vaccination. There has been considerable levels of compliance as well as resistance to these mandates that are being upheld by employers, schools, local municipalities, and public and private groups and organizations.Universal Health Insurance: An On-going Debate:For a number of years, there has been an on-going conversation in the United States about whether the U.S. should adopt universal health insurance, a form of insurance that is paid for with tax dollars and provided to all people, regardless of their ability to pay for medical treatment or insurance. In Massachusetts, in 2006, then-governor Mitt Romney and the state legislature made a state law mandating health insurance coverage for every adult resident living in the commonwealth. The state not only mandated health insurance, it also dictated what kind of health insurance each adult must purchase. Those who do not have insurance and are deemed able to afford it and those who have insurance that does not meet state requirements are assessed a financial penalty when they file their state taxes. In 2010, former President Barak Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, requiring every person living in the United States to have health insurance. Those who did not comply, who were deemed able to afford health insurance, would be forced to pay a fine when they filed their federal income taxes. In 2018, President Donald Trump repealed the “individual mandate,” which stipulated that those not in compliance with the mandate must pay a fine when they file their federal income taxes.