Support passage of vital alternative health care bill in Wash. state

January 18, 2004

If you live in Washington state or know someone who does and, whether or not you use alternative healthcare or its practitioners, it is important that anyone living in the state of Washington be informed ASAP that HB 2355, a bill introduced in the Wash. state House of Representatives, 1/9/04, and referred to the House Health Care Committee, now needs to be scheduled for a hearing or it will "die" in committee.

Residents of Washington state need to Email or telephone the chairperson of the Health Care Committee and request HB 2355 be given a hearing date.

Contact: Representative Cody, Chairperson

House Health Care Committee

Telephone: (Olympia0 (360)786-7678

Email: cody_ei

Mail: P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504

It is the intention of HB 2355, "AN ACT Relating to complimentary and alternative health care practitioners..." to protect the individual's sovereign right to decide how, by whom and with what they shall choose to maintain their health or prevent disease. HB 2355 will enable complimentary/alternative healthcare providers to continue to practice, legally, in Washington state, provided they give full disclosure.

Legislation identical/similar to Washington state's HB 2355 has already been enacted in California and Minnesota and there are groundswells of activity within other states wherein satisfied users of alternative healthcare are petitioning for the establishment of legislation to insure they can continue to freely access its practitioners.

In Washington state, for a proposal (bill) is read (introduced) to the House of Representatives and/or the Senate where it is given a number and assigned to a committee to investigate it; however, the Chairperson of the committee must see to it the bill is scheduled a hearing date. THIS IS WHAT INTERESTED PARTIES RESIDING IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON MUST NOW DO: Contact the Chairperson, Cody, D, Dist. 34 (see addresses above), requesting that HB 2355 be given a hearing and this must be done within the next few days! If you do not live in Wash. state, PASS THE WORD to those you know who do!

To view a copy of HB 2355, go to www.leg.wa.gov and type in HB 2355.

This proposed legislation is a direct result of on-going persecution, threats, harassment, entrapment and unjustified prosecution of alternative healthcare practitioners in Oregon (where I used to live) and Washington (where I've lived most of my life) and it is my suggestion to those living in other states, including Oregon, that they, if some of them haven't already, should set about to follow the example of we here in Washington state who are sick and tired of some within the establishment whose "sick" behavior is motivated only by the desire to eliminate their healthy competition.

Remember, even if you don't use the services of a chiropractor, massage therapist, naturopathic doctor, nutritionist, healthologist, et al, you should support HB 2355 for no other reason than to support the freedom of choice in healthcare which ultimately affects all of us. A loss of freedom in one area ultimately erodes all freedom, everywhere.

Diagnosis by the medical establishment some 30 years ago contraindicated drug therapy for my drug-sensitized son and me. A knowlegable, circumspect referral by an MD to an "alternative" health care practitioner restored our health. Use of an MD (for diagnosis only) and alternative healthcare providers and non-toxic (drug-free) products has continued to maintain us in optimum health. Now, at 64 years of age, I have little in common with my chronological peers---unless I look into a mirror ("Wow, when did that happen?"), because I sure don't feel nor act old!

Double-blind testing is where neither the subject nor the MD monitoring them knows which bottle, jar or tube of the substance being tested holds the suspect drug or substance. Only complete fools or those with a questionable agenda will question this circumspect process. The product we were tested for was, then, in more than 20% of the drugs sold thirty years ago (it's used in more than 50% of the drugs sold now). It is suicide for those like us to expect the services of an MD to keep us completely healthy and therefore the need to continue to be able to access alternative healthcare products and practitioners, when necessary.

ACTION TO TAKE: Contact the chairperson of the Washington state House of Representatives Health Care Committee (see above) immediately, urging her to schedule HB 2355 for a hearing.

REMEMBER: If you do not live in Washington state but know someone who does, PASS THIS IFORMATION ON TO THEM A.S.A.P.!

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