- December 4, 2025
Dear Editor:
Here’s an interesting historical reminder to our anti-science governor and his less than enlightened surgeon general with their controversial scheme to discard vaccine mandates for school kids. It’s possible that the U.S. could still be the British colony that it was in 1777 if it wasn’t for George Washington during the American Revolution “mandating” that the entire Continental Army be inoculated against smallpox.
That disease was rampantly spreading, decimating his army and crippling their ability to carry on. Smallpox was more of a threat to the Continental Army than the British Army, and by spearheading and mandating the first ever mass inoculation effort, Washington changed the war’s trajectory.
Although the soldiers then likely whined about and feared the forced inoculations and some may have even howled “my body, my choice,” the mandate worked. It was done for the “greater common good” and in essence saved the country. And it’s the greater good that remains of vital importance today even in the microcosm of a Florida schoolroom setting.
But Florida has twisted the logic, discarded the science, dismissed vaccine immense successes and interjected some nonsensical, disingenuous and unbridled “Free State of Florida” gibberish to replace the greater good concept.
There is an indisputable, and what should be self-evident, understanding that anyone’s freedom to choose is rightfully and quickly disallowed when the exercise of that choice puts at risk the health, safety and well being of others. What Florida is proposing represents just the opposite. It actually rises to the level of child endangerment — inconsiderate parents putting at risk their own kids and the kids they interact with in a classroom. You don’t take away disease protection from the majority just to satisfy a selfish few.
If a subset of parents are so hellbent against mandated vaccines, they should exercise that “Free State of Florida” right to home-school their children. The sensible considerate parents, their vulnerable kids and schoolhouse staff will thank them.
And of course we all should thank George Washington and the soldiers of the Continental Army for respecting their mandate and the greater good it represented, and for demonstrating and advancing the proven wonders of vaccines.
To serve in today’s U.S. military, almost the identical series of school vaccinations are “mandated” once again for the greater common good, and curiously incompatible with Florida's governor’s position.
Margaret Minutaglio
Palm Coast
