Democracy at Work: Influenza Fuels Draconian Legislation

As stated in the story previously posted here, a democracy will do anything to remain safe and secure. Introduced and passed unanimously by the Massachusetts Senate, S18 will institute martial law in the event of an influenza outbreak.

According to this new bill, the the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will be given power:

(1) to require the owner or occupier of premises to permit entry into and investigation of the premises;

(2) to close, direct, and compel the evacuation of, or to decontaminate or cause to be decontaminated any building or facility, and to allow the reopening of the building or facility when the danger has ended;

(3) to decontaminate or cause to be decontaminated, or to destroy any material;

(4) to restrict or prohibit assemblages of persons;

(5) to require a health care facility to provide services or the use of its facility, or to transfer the management and supervision of the health care facility to the department or to a local public health authority;

(6) to control ingress to and egress from any stricken or threatened public area, and the movement of persons and materials within the area;

(7) to adopt and enforce measures to provide for the safe disposal of infectious waste and human remains, provided that religious, cultural, family, and individual beliefs of the deceased person shall be followed to the extent possible when disposing of human remains, whenever that may be done without endangering the public health;

(8) to procure, take immediate possession from any source, store, or distribute any anti-toxins, serums, vaccines, immunizing agents, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical agents or medical supplies located within the commonwealth as may be necessary to respond to the emergency;

(9) to require in-state health care providers to assist in the performance of vaccination, treatment, examination, or testing of any individual as a condition of licensure, authorization, or the ability to continue to function as a health care provider in the commonwealth."

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." ~Benjamin Franklin