Resolution to Protect Life 

During the April 23, 2024 Board of Commissioners meeting, there was much discussion regarding the resolution on protecting life.

Allison Miedema shared the following:

Before I read what I have prepared to say regarding the resolution on Promoting Life in Ottawa County, I want to look out to my fellow board members and constituents and just acknowledge that all of you are precious, and you have all been made in the image of God, and I’m thankful for all of you whether or not we agree on things or we don’t.

I will be voting yes for this resolution.

The Declaration of Independence states:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

There is a quote by an unknown author: “As a painting reveals the existence of the artist, creation reveals the existence of the Creator.”

All of us have a Creator and are given the freewill this side of heaven to accept Him or not as Lord over our life. Each of us has been given certain unalienable rights. Each of us are here today because someone chose life for us. This is a fact that cannot be disputed.

In society today, there is acknowledgement by the scientific community that human life begins at conception. This is also testified about in the Word of God.

Psalm 139:13–16 says:

13 For you created my inmost being;

 you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,

    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;

    all the days ordained for me were written in your book

    before one of them came to be.

Let’s go back to the Declaration of Independence. ALL men are created equal and endowed to be given life. We must protect all life, especially the vulnerable unborn who are our future and need us to be their voice. 

The lie to our society is that we are taking away women’s rights when we promote saving the life of the unborn baby. In reality, women have been lied to for years and are being harmed physically, mentally and emotionally when they go through with ending the life of their baby.

I am thankful for the men and women here in our county who are walking alongside of expectant mothers and fathers, both prior to giving birth and after. 

Regardless of your circumstances, there are individuals waiting to help you and to give you hope for your future—whether that is through the process of adoption or choosing to keep your child. Many of these same people will also wrap their arms around the woman or man who experienced the loss of their baby through abortion. 

One place I can personally recommend is Positive Options. They have centers in Allendale, Holland, Grand Haven and Allegan, and their services are NO cost.
mypositiveoptions.org is their website.

All life is precious, from conception to our last breath.

The entire board conversation can be to listened here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/N5folK1Z3-U?si=CbIY4wXn-QddI15m&t=11779
(Minute mark 3:16:20–3:38:33)

Autism Awareness Month Resolution

Allison Miedema shared the following during discussion amongst board members regarding the resolution on promoting awareness of autism.

I began teaching in 2000, and over the next two decades I personally noticed a rising trend of children that displayed signs of autism. As mentioned in the resolution, there is an alarming uptick of children being identified with autism. For example, in 2020, 1 in 36 eight-year-old children were identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD. 

This is over four times since the year 2000. Again, this is over four times since the year 2000. This is truly an epidemic.

While I am thankful for the present work that is being done to help families as was already mentioned in the resolution, there is more to be done. More needs to be done. Anecdotally speaking, I have met many parents that desire their stories to be taken seriously and not discounted. I have met many who have shared how their child displayed no symptoms of autism until after receiving certain vaccines. Instead of discounting their stories, we should take them seriously and invest time and money into researching the causes. 

Children are suffering needlessly. As we just took up a resolution to protect life, this epidemic of harm to a child and their family’s well-being is urgent and unacceptable. 

Recently the CDC changed the wording from April being autism awareness month to being autism acceptance month. From my perspective, this changes the advocacy on their behalf. This is unacceptable.

We need to stop the group think and use critical thinking and research. 

We need to go upstream and not be afraid of what we will see.

Not so many years ago, we didn’t know the harms caused by nicotine in cigarettes.

Cigarettes are still sold but they now come with a warning. 

I believe a big reason why parents’ voices are not being heeded is due to power and money that stems from the Big business of the pharmaceutical company. The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 received much hesitation even by President Reagan himself upon signing it. Congress passed the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act REMOVING ALL LIABILITY for vaccine injuries from manufacturers.

MI for Vaccine Choice website and even the CDC share similar data. If you look at the year 1962, only 5 total doses of vaccines were given. In 1983, 22 doses were given. Now in 2024, 79 doses of vaccines are the recommended schedule for children. 

Again, we need to stop the group think and use critical thinking and research.

Thank you moms and dads for investing so much time into your children and never giving up on them. You are resilient, strong, brave and your love for your children overcomes insurmountable hurdles thrown your way. 

Thank you to those in our community that provide care and intervention for children and adults with ASD. 

And thank you to those who are investigating the causes of the increase in ASD diagnosis in children and the continued research and development and treatment strategies for children and individuals with autism.

The entire board conversation can be listened to here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/N5folK1Z3-U?si=T8b54vSMjhoMtUpc&t=13115
(Minute mark 3:38:33–3:49:19)