So some forms of the lovely human papillomavirus become genital warts, while other forms of this really common virus lead to cervical cancer in women. Oh wait, surprise, it can lead to penile and anal cancer too, so it’s not just a women’s health issue. But Texas (AKA “Jesus’ favorite state”) has pushed the envelope by recently making an executive order requiring sixth grade girls to be immunized against this virus, presumably before they have a chance to have too many partners. Christians are up in arms, because the immunizations are a slap in the face the “viginity policy” they expect to protect youth from STDs, but others are upset for a completely different reason: Gov. Rick Perry’s ties to the Merck corporation, the company that made and sells the antiviral. Merck is pushing to have the immunization requirements added in other states and in each case there will be questioning of the links between the legislator presenting the law and the powerful lobby.

You don’t think of many of the required immunizations for kids being as contraversial, after all polio erradicated in the 1st world, right? But the lines get murkier as wealthy corporations hold more of the keys to our lives and health. In the film The Corporation there is the proposal that eventually corporations will hold the patents to entire gentic sequences, i.e. Life Itself, or at least a desired parameter of ‘healthy human’. Sci fi dystopian mindfuck here we come-