The bedrock principle of our republic and the one right that separates the United States from almost every country on earth is our First Amendment right to free speech. While the Supreme Court has ruled that yelling “fire” in a crowded theater is not protected under the First Amendment, expressing an opinion or challenging a viewpoint held by others most certainly is protected.
That, however, is not how some in New Jersey see it. The recently introduced A-1884 would “Establish the act of disseminating misinformation as professional misconduct for health care professionals.” Translation? If you are a medical professional and have a different opinion, recommend an alternate treatment or dissent in any way from the government approved viewpoint, you could have your livelihood destroyed by an unknown body of bureaucrats who will decide what is so-called “misinformation.” This is a frightening scenario to stifle free speech that equals anything created by the most oppressive communist countries throughout history.
Clearly, this is the result of the many debates within the medical community during the Covid-19 years. Ironically, much of the official government body of information and recommendations would likely be deemed “misinformation” under the terms of this legislation. Initially, we were told that the Covid-19 vaccine would protect you and your loved ones against the virus. Any questioning of this stance was met with derision and threats to jobs, travel, entry into buildings, and so on. As we now know, the vaccine prevents neither infection, nor transmission of the virus.
Another hotly contested issue during Covid-19 involved treating the virus after infection. The government initially told everyone that treatments involving Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin did not work and could even be dangerous. At one point, 11 states had acted to limit the dispensing of Hydroxychloroquine, even though it had proven successful in treating Covid-19. One doctor in Washington State even had his license suspended for prescribing Ivermectin to five patients in 2021. It should be noted that off-label use of prescription drugs has been a common practice for years before Covid-19.
Today, studies have shown that both Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin have been safely and successfully used to treat Covid-19 patients.
Using the logic of A-1884, both the government stance on the Covid-19 vaccine and the recommended treatment for the virus should, in retrospect, be considered “misinformation” since both turned out to be completely inaccurate.
Now, with this proposed legislation, medical professionals are being threatened with having their licenses suspended or taken away permanently if they dare to have an opinion that deviates from the official government position. What used to be sound advice to “always get a second opinion” now harbors a chilling reluctance to put one’s career in jeopardy by deviating from an “accepted” point of view. It is unclear who will ultimately determine what will be “accepted” and what will be considered “misinformation.” It is also vague as to what would trigger such an inquisition.
Regardless, the real victims will be the citizens of New Jersey who will be deprived of the ability to consider multiple avenues for diagnosis and treatment for their own health and well-being. When it comes to a person’s health, they should have the ability to consider multiple opinions and alternatives without interference, censorship, or the threat of criminal penalties at the hands of the government.
