I am hopeful that we can agree on this fundamental point: Children have human rights, including the right of adolescents to be listened to and respected, particularly on matters related to decisions about their own bodies, health, and well-being.
In that vein, I am writing with great concern that your recently filed lawsuit against a District of Columbia (D.C.) law on vaccines for children goes well beyond your views on vaccines and will undermine children’s broader human rights.
Unfortunately, there are people, like Fox News’s Tucker Carlson, who has asserted that kids “are not citizens, they are children, they are not 18. . . .” As is often the case, he is wrong. Children may not be able to vote or legally drink alcohol, but they are full citizens and have fundamental rights and interests.