Public Health Concerns Justify Compulsory Immunization

1AR I. REVIEW A. "Justice is a prerequisite to any other value". This is a declarative statement. By what authority is justice a prerequisite? Can you produce a legitimate source which ranks values, and more specifically one which places justice at the top? B. Although a lateral derivative, the term justice is not synonymous with justify. C. "Anything applied unjustly has no value". I counter that even things applied unjustly may have value to someone. An example of this: I feel that slavery is unjust, yet it was quite valuable to a slave owner's plantation. D. ". .. due to decreased access to medical care". People still have the same access to medical care. Although they may have to travel further or wait longer, the opportunity still exists. II. Opponent's Contention One: A. The Center for Disease Control (CDC), American Medical Association (AMA), and the World Health Organization (WHO) are clearly among world's most respected leaders in health related matters. B. Why are immunizations necessary? Why should they be compulsory? It's a cause and effect scenario. Immunizations are necessary because they are paramount to prevention of disease. Immunizations have saved millions of lives. Failing to receive immunizations puts lives in unnecessary jeopardy. Countless man hours are lost, people sometimes have residual effects from diseases (ie, partial paralysis from polio), and in some cases premature death. The reason immunizations should be compulsory is to protect the greatest number of people possible. Further, if given a choice, many people who are able to get immunizations choose not to for what boils down to selfish reasoning. They do not care about the welfare of fellow human beings. III. Opponent's Contention Two: A. My opponent states, in essence, that poor people should not be required to receive immunizations due to cost prohibitions. Assuming that a governing body actually pursued compulsory immunization, they would logically conclude to take poverty into account. Similar to other social programs that assist those less fortunate in other areas would provide the same proportionate services in regard to immunization. Since the economic can of worms is opened, the increased demand for immunizations would create jobs and increase GNP. Everything from LPNs, to medical supplies, to vaccines, and possibly even satellite facilities would be added to balance both the supply and the demand. B. Ultimately, the welfare of society outweighs the fear of social discrimination. The people who are poor are already poor. They know that they are poor. Receiving immunizations will not significantly change the amount of assets a person has. If anything, the benefit of a stronger immune system would keep people healthier, therefore giving them an increased opportunity to work. IV. Opponent's Contention Three: A. My opponent fears that people will be in a perpetual state of punishment. From a criminology class I had in school I recall the professor state, "No action is a crime unless something prohibits it". People who chose to disobey the law by refusing to receive their compulsory immunizations would certainly be breaking the law. Choosing to break the law, any law, will likely result in a consequence. The people who would be in a perpetual state of punishment would be doing so by choice. B. "Thus the resolution must be negated". I have addressed every contention and found them to be more like excuses rather than legitimate reasons to negate the resolution. SUMMARY: Society as a whole stands to be healthier by getting immunizations. This is why it is justified. Millions of lives have been saved, and millions more will be saved from premature death as a result of getting immunizations. The arguments of cost, class discrimination, and perpetual punishment do not outweigh the good of society. With the probability that some people will inevitably choose to not be immunized, it is necessary to make it mandatory. In doing so, there will be an instrument to enforce the law. This is what makes it compulsory. Thank you.