Update – My Letter of Exemption

Update to Original Post

The following was written and scheduled to appear on Sojournal today. Since being written, section 7A of the recent order which allowed for exemptions in a fairly broad way has been revoked. Another day, another law change around here. This government has lost legitimacy.

GUEST POST – Scott Kennedy

I’ve been trying to get an exemption from the current vaccine mandates in order to be able to continue doing the job I love. Exemptions according to the recent law can be given by suitably qualified health practitioners for ‘physical or other needs‘. Unfortunately, many GPs and health practitioners are running scared as governing bodies threaten and attempt to coerce them into refusing to grant exemptions despite the fact that the law clearly allows them to do so. Then we had Chris Hipkins making up law on the fly saying that exemptions that have been granted do not count and that there will be one central exemption process and everyone will need to follow it. Again this is not what the current law requires. Handily for the government, this centralised system comes into effect for health and education workers on the same day they are required to have had their first vaccination. How convenient. I am pushing ahead trying to gain an exemption under the current law anyway. I’ve come up against a few roadblocks thus far, but will continue to seek one. My latest attempt is to write a letter explaining my religious convictions and present this to a health practitioner. Seems a bit strange considering I am more qualified than most health practitioners I know on matters theology, but there you go!

Read More

My Line in the Sand

140 Comments

GUEST POST – Scott Kennedy

I am not an emotional person. In the last 20 years of life, I believe I can count on the fingers of one hand the times I have wept. Not that I think this is a virtue, it just seems part of my temperament. But twice in the last week, I have been so upset – distraught even – that I have wept.

Vaccine mandates. Our government went back on its word and has issued a vaccine mandate for all teachers. This is my line in the sand. But drawing this line is crushing me for a number of reasons.

Firstly, I have worked as a teacher for a decade in a full-time capacity and many more years than that in part-time roles. I am totally invested in the school that I work for and have given my time, my energy and even my money to help that school thrive and flourish. While I am not perhaps the most inspiring, interesting or creative teacher, I love my students, and I think they know I am committed to them and desirous of their success. My ex-students keep in touch. This is the area of life that God has gifted me in. I can teach. I can’t build. I’m not physically strong. I’m not able to do techy things. I’m pretty ordinary really. But teaching I can do. And the government with one edict from their Lectern of Lies has taken my livelihood away from me.

Read More

Sign this Petition for Freedom

For all lovers of freedom out there. The government has signalled that there will be a decision around mandatory vaccinations for teachers on Monday. Many of us have a religious objection to this vaccination. For some, they object that fetal cell lines were used in the testing of the vaccine. For others, they do not believe the government has a legitimate right to force the choice of a vaccine on people while threatening them with the loss of their livelihood. Even if you think we are religious nutters or crazy anti-vaxxers (I’m not!), for the love of your fellow citizens and the freedom we once had in New Zealand, you should support the right of others to refuse this vaccine as a matter of conscience. We ought not to lose our livelihoods over a matter of conscience.

Please sign and pass this on to everyone you know.