Parents have a difficult enough time raising their children to be adults without unasked-for government interference. But that is what happened to a family of seven in Massachusetts. Sticking to their religious principles, fleeing the state, they were arrested and handcuffed in front of their five young children, all for refusing a vaccine for their baby.
Beginnings
“Izzy” Rivera and his wife homeschool their children, from elementary to nine months old, in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. They believe in God and try to follow Him. At the most recent pediatrician visit, the medical officer wanted to vaccinate the infant. The parents declined based on religious opinion. He reported them to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) for child endangerment.
Evasion
Local authorities later banged on their home doors for over thirty minutes, when the family hid in a closet. This happened twice. At that point, Izzy moved his family out of the state.
Texas
After three days, the family arrived in Texas, thinking they were free from the unconstitutional following of no law. However, a credit card charge brought the Fitchburg authorities to the chase again! On March 8th, authorities tracked them down and they were surrounded by a variety of 15 to 20 Texas law enforcement officers, ranging from police, US Marshals, and Texas Troopers, all with guns drawn. The parents were handcuffed and taken away in front of their children.
Charges
Despite citing religious exemptions, which are the law in Massachusetts, the father, Isael Rivera, is being held in Worcester County Jail on a $250,000 bond or 25K cash bail. He is charged with kidnapping his own children, of whom he is the guardian!
After the arrest, the children were medically examined upon returning to Massachusetts and found to be in good health.
The pediatrician’s office, DCF, and the Fitchburg Police Department declined to comment. Authorities have yet to produce a warrant that justifies the urgency or necessity of the pursuit. It is unclear whether the children were transported back from Texas to Massachusetts, where they are staying with Ruth’s mother and sister while in DCF custody.
As the story that has sparked outrage across the country continues to unfold, the questions remain: why was a lawful family hunted down like fugitives and treated like criminals? What were the Texas troopers told to make them intervene? How can this be prevented in the future? Incidentally, they are natural-born American citizens, not illegals.
The article missed a couple of key questions:
1) Where was the Governor of Texas, who would have had to sign off on the Extradition paperwork?
2) Where was the Texas Attorney General, whose office should have been involved on something of this scope?
Two more pretenders, claiming to be true representatives of the people, of individual rights and sovereignty, when they are just as quick to sell out like so many of the rest.