People have lost their jobs based on a lie, now many are suing. #TeenTuesday

Contributing article by Teens Against Mandates

Earlier this year, NYC fired at least 1,700 employees for being unvaccinated. Now, New York workers are finally fighting back. Several New York City Department of Sanitation workers who were fired filed a lawsuit claiming that the city’s health commissioner violated multiple rights by barring these workers from their jobs. 

It’s really quite simple, they argued: The vaccine mandates are unconstitutional. If you don’t want to get it, then you shouldn’t be forced to get it. 

As it turns out, the New York State Supreme Court agrees with this. In response to the case, the state court ordered for all unvaccinated employees who were fired for refusing vaccination to be reinstated with back pay.  

The court pointed out several inconsistencies in the vaccine mandate legislation that have long been overlooked.

For a virus that is so deadly, it sure does “pick and choose” who it infects. How come the mandate was lifted for some private sector employees – athletes, entertainers, and artists – while kept for public sector employees? This is proof enough that these vaccine mandates have not been imposed for the sake of safety and public health, but rather, for compliance. Because if it was about public safety, then two unvaccinated people would not be treated differently by the same administrative agency. As the state court itself broke it down, the mandates are “arbitrary and capricious…Being vaccinated does not prevent any person from contracting or transmitting COVID-19.”

We are beginning to see the unveiling of the pseudoscientific and unconstitutional underpinnings behind these mandates. And yet, agencies that presented us with a platonic lie about what would happen if we all got vaccinated – that you get vaccinated to “protect your Grandma” – continue to claim their expertise.

How do we restore trust when these government agencies and politicians have disseminated false health information? Knowing that we were lied to by vaccine manufacturers, government agencies, the Biden Administration, and politicians – all of whom were the self-proclaimed “experts” – I personally feel I can no longer trust governing health bodies as an ‘expert heuristic.’ This whole experience has taught me that I now actually do have to do my own independent research. 

That being said, the fight to strike down the vaccine mandates is far from over. In fact, NYC Mayor Eric Adams has declared his refusal to rehire unvaccinated workers, persisting in the narrative that mandates protect public health. Regardless of the Court’s final decision, however, the case sets a precedent for future cases against companies who have imposed these unconstitutional mandates on employees. It leaves me, at least, hopeful that this ruling will influence over cases. My generation stands on the shoulders of those brave enough to be fighting for freedom today.

Something I have been struggling with is feeling alone in my beliefs. It’s hard to stay true to your own values when mainstream media is promoting an agenda entirely antithetical to them. But independent and informed decision-making are becoming invaluable tools. The actions of these workers, nevertheless, remind me to not compromise my values because the individual fight for medical sovereignty is worth fighting for.

While it can feel lonely, it’s victories like these which testify that we are more powerful than we think. Any and every victory for medical freedom is a victory for all of us, including teenagers like myself who are getting ready to go out into the workforce and launch our careers. It offers a glimmer of hope that not all is lost and there will still be opportunities available to us, even in public service, if we choose that path. A ruling like this should make us realize that we are not as alone as we feel, and that the fight for freedom is worthwhile.