Pinkdome, I have to say, I'm somewhat surprised at you on this one.

At what point did it become okay to let Rick "Fan-of-the-Nuge" Perry make this kind of a decision for parents? PARENTS should be telling their daughters about the dangers and risks of having sex too early. I'm not naive enough to believe girls all over the world are going to learn about cervical cancer, and will be closing down shop until marriage, but this is an issue families need to be addressing -- an issue that government should have no hand in, ever. Requiring vaccinations for MMR, hepatitis and other diseases makes sense: you're not immune to those simply by keeping your legs shut.

This is nothing more than ANOTHER intrusion of government into our lives. How does a party that preaches about smaller government have the audacity to do shit like this? "WE think abortion is wrong, so we're after laws that keep YOU from having one." "WE think gambling is wrong, so we're going to keep YOU from spending YOUR money as you see fit." "WE think you're incapable of proper parenting, so we're going to decide YOUR daughter needs this vaccination."

And, as you mentioned, a corrupt, multibillion dollar pharm is going to make a shit load of money off of this cancer-preventing drug. If this is such a wonderful, greater-good-of-society deal, why aren't the Feds making sure we get this drug at a reasonable price? Remember Merck, is the same company that the SEC busted a few years ago for reporting billions in revenue they never had. They're liars, profiteers and big, fat stupid heads.

BTW, a quick TX Ethics search reveals $20,000+ in campaign contributions from "Merck Pac," or a variation thereof, over the last few years. If someone wanted to do some extensive research, I'm sure you would find plenty more.

I guess that 6th grade BOYS have one less STD to worry about now????

who is this legeboy? oy vey! will someone tell him to please to shut the fuck up already? look up "cervical cancer" on the web, legeboy.

Hey don't mind me I’m lost. Legeboy can't read, I guess. Parents can opt-out if they want to. Parents are empowered here not dissed. And as for pac money, Perry has raised millions like over $60 million in past few elections, Do you think a few coins would matter? Get a life -- at least more Texas females will have theirs thanks the Gov. Goodhair. Please stay off the blogs so we can still just think your an idiot instead of blogging and proving you are one.

http://lonestartimes.com/2007/02/02/perry-orders-360-hpv-vaccine-for-all-girls/

Legegirl, legebios, thanks for your witty and insightful retorts. You are true inspirations. And, I was way off base posting an OPINION on a blog. Who does a crazy thing like that?

Get back in your caves, troglodytes.

"Parents can opt-out if they want to."

Actually, in order to opt out of vaccines in Texas you have to request an exemption form from the state. In order to received an exemption form you have to give them your name, your kids' name and date of birth, and address.

It's not like you can just say, "No thanks."

This essentially erases a cancer from the books. It's a simple decision, and Perry made the right one.

It is a dark statement on our culture that we have 1 in 4 females being sexually assaulted and every hospital in the state has 11 year olds having babies : that is rape or incest. Those girls probably tried to keep their legs together, but didn't have a choice. Thank you, Gov. More parents should stand up and be real parents so this would not be necessary.

I don't care if Merck dumps cold hard cash on the Gov's marital bed for him to roll around on with Mike Toomey. I was treated at MD Anderson Cancer center. It's damn scary and I don't wish it on anyone.

I see that Cathie Adams, of the right wing Texas Eagle Forum, says that Merck's campaign contributions made the difference.

Let me see if I have this straight: a right wing group - one that has always supported Rick Perry - is now accusing him being corrupted by money, is that it?

You just cannot this shit up. I love it when Republicans eat their own.

You don't even have to sign the waiver to opt out, but good luck telling that to some mini Mussolini at the school.

The real problem, though, is that this is all about setting a precedent for "mandatory" vaccines where the waiver disappears when the state or feds declare an "emergency" or "national security."

It's always amazing how all the women with the Oprah mentality in the cunt lobby bend over for the abuse of executive power whenever the cunt is involved. If you are a male governor or president, you can get half of the population hysterical and marching in lockstep if you just claim you are protecting the cunt, even if you are really transferring power away from the individual. They lose all Constitutional perspective, instantly, and it becomes all about self-interested opinion and emotion.

Has anyone ever heard of Celebrex, Bextra, PPA?

Just because they release a new drug/vaccine touting its effectiveness does not mean that the side effects are known.

The FDA relies on collecting adverse event reports after the drug is released to the public. I don't have a problem with making it mandatory, but the drug hasn't been released long enough to know about possible side effects. Maybe in five years.

He may have done it for all the wrong reasons, but I'm glad Perry did it. Less girls are going to have to suffer because of this decision.

yeah, for 300 million a year, we can make 300 girls in texas very very happy. puh-lease.

I don't like this at all. It's premature and stinks like a dead rat. And realistically speaking, kids don't learn about sex ed from their parents OR their schools. Touting this as a cancer and STD vaccination is dangerous -- too little information will hurt uninformed hormonal kids.

Why is Perry doing this? He's never cared about people before.

He's changed.