Commentary
This episode of “
Crossroads, Navy Seals Challenge Vaccine Mandate,” takes a look at the fact that Navy Seals are being told by their superior officers that they will be considered “undeployable” if they refuse to take the COVID vaccine with no options of medical or religious exemptions. These Seals and other members of the U.S. Armed Forces are taking their case to court and fighting for their personal rights. The host, Joshua Philipp interviews R. Davis Younts, the military lawyer who is representing them. The interview starts with the question of how Mr. Younts got involved in the case. He stated he was approached by a constitutional lawyer who advised him that there was a group of over 30 Navy Seals who were Christians who had been asking for information on the vaccine deadline and how to file exemptions. By the time they were advised of the deadline, they had less than two weeks to file an exemption for it to be considered valid. Mr. Younts has seven clients that he is personally representing and is working with a non-profit organization called Stand with Lawyers.org that was founded by a group of pastors and other religious leaders for the purpose of getting donations for legal representation. He said as more financial support comes in, he will represent more individuals. Calls for help are coming in from all of the divisions of the Armed Forces seeking representation and guidance.
The next segment of the video delves into the belief by many of the Seals that certain groups who were showing resistance are singled out. These groups have been the target of arbitrary deadlines that are not necessarily enforced across the board, and they are spearheading the effort to get questions answered and deadlines better defined. Some were given only 48 hours to either take the vaccine or file their exemptions. Filing exemptions is a lengthy process so there is no way they would have been able to meet these deadlines. A lot of these groups were also located in geographically isolated areas so the effort by the lawyers is to get them information that is needed and organize rallying points so they will not feel as isolated.
The host then presents the question that many are asking, which is why not just go ahead and get the vaccine? Mr. Younts replies by advising that natural immunity is not being recognized by the military as a solution. For other viruses, the military has the policy that if natural immunity is demonstrated, then there is no need to take the vaccine, but they are not treating the corona virus with the same consideration. No one has been able to explain this decision and the logic or lack thereof behind it. There are other faith based concerns about the vaccine and its introduction into the body without proper testing. This and the fact that mRNA vaccines use fetal cells from aborted babies has brought up religious concerns as well. The other legal concern being raised is the precedent that military personnel are only required to take FDA approved vaccines and so the question stands, when will an FDA approved vaccine be made available to military staff? The Pfizer vaccine that was FDA approved is not the same one that is being offered to the military members. Three points are identified with areas that the military is not following its own protocols and they are:
- The right to informed consent
- The regulation preventing them from getting vaccines that are not FDA approved
- The recognition of natural immunity
Mr. Younts expounds on this by explaining that his clients are being given these deadlines by top officials who seem to have the same questions that they do but are being told that their questions will not be considered or explained. They are also being told on the one hand to file religious exemptions but that those exemptions will not be granted. He also showed a leaked document from the Coast Guard that was given to its chaplains indicating that they are trying to trap military members into saying political things leading to a denial of their exemptions. The chaplains are instructed to ask leading questions about political issues instead of religious reasons for accommodations and then to document them. There are also concerns about the decision makers moving up the chain of command to higher and higher levels that could eventually reach bureaucrats at the Pentagon level.
Navy Seals Told They’re Undeployable Take Legal Stand Against Vaccine Mandates: Military Lawyer R. Davis Younts l The Crossroads [Full Episode] Watch the full episode here.The Religious Freedom Restoration Act
In the next part of the video, Mr. Younts brings up an excellent point when he states, “We do have the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which does apply to the military, so the default legal position for a religious accommodation even in the military is yes.” The Religious Freedom Restoration Act is legislation that basically says religious beliefs cannot be discriminated against. No matter what the belief is or if others agree with it, the answer according to this law states that as long as the person says it is against their faith, the accommodation will be given, if at all possible. Mr. Younts then discusses how the decision to take this vaccine is a religious concern for his clients. Believing that we are created in God’s image and the Bible admonishes us to take care of our bodies, the fact that natural immunity is disregarded is a problem. God created us with the ability to develop natural immunities against diseases and the introduction of some vaccines can be harmful. There are also concerns that the corona virus vaccine possibly changes the immune system in a detrimental way. The mRNA that is used in this vaccine has not been studied enough to see the long-term effects of the vaccine.
The host concludes by asking Mr. Younts about what is at stake if his clients lose their cases and don’t take the vaccine. He explains that even if they are granted the accommodation, they will no longer be able to be Navy Seals. If you are considered non-deployable in the military, then your service is terminated. This is a grave concern since these men have sacrificed much to serve for the love of their country. Also, if the accommodation is denied, they will receive an order to take the vaccine and will face a court martial if they choose to not take it. In the final question of the interview, Mr. Younts is asked to explain how all of this affects Americans and why we should be concerned. Mr. Younts replies by saying that this has the potential to effect military readiness and that when there is a mandate and a deadline, questions should be able to be asked and answered to address those concerns as this is our right.
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Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
