Christianity No Excuse To Ignore Law

There are some christians who believe their religion should give them the right to ignore laws they don't like. Simone Davis and her grandmother are evidently two of these. Simone is a 17 year-old who lives with her grandmother in Florida. She is also a British citizen, who says she's been trying to get her American citizenship since arriving here in 2000.

She almost had that citizenship. All she had to do was follow immigration law and get her required vaccinations. These vaccinations, which include Gardasil, are required of all immigrants before they can become citizens. But Simone thinks her religion makes her special, and she shouldn't have to obey the law. She has refused to take the Gardasil vaccination.

She asked immigration officials for a waiver on moral and religious grounds. She told them she doesn't engage in sexual activity, and therefore should be exempt from the requirement. The officials turned down her request, and she says she doesn't have the money to appeal their decision.

I have to side with immigration officials on this matter. They not only have the right, but also the duty to require these vaccinations. Americans have the right to expect immigrants to be free of disease before getting citizenship. Her claim of abstinence does nothing to guarantee that.

This is not a religious or moral issue -- it is a safety issue. No one has violated her religious or moral beliefs. Her religion does not prohibit the vaccinations, and no one is asking her to violate her moral code requiring abstinence.

If she really wants to be an American citizen, she should take the vaccinations. If she doesn't, she can always go back to Great Britain. It is her choice. But being a christian doesn't give her the right to ignore the law.