CI Collaborates with NHFC

Late on the night of September 23rd, Clifford Carnicom, founder and president of Carnicom Institute, set out by train from Spokane, Washington to attend the 2014 United States Health Freedom Congress in St. Paul Minnesota.  He was invited by Diane Miller, JD, Director of Law and Public Policy for the National Health Freedom Coalition (NHFC), and the National Health Freedom Action.  These organizations bring together leaders from across the country who are working toward health freedoms and the legislation which can secure these freedoms for people in the United States.  Clifford was honored to be invited and to offer a view of his work to people unfamiliar with it.  At the same time, he was eager to learn about the work of the other members.  I interviewed Clifford upon his return.

KW: Clifford, you seem very eager to share your experience of the Health Freedom Congress.  What happened there?  What’s it all about?

CEC: I am excited by my experience there.  It was so encouraging to see that many other organizations are working along similar lines as Carnicom Institute.  We each have our different focus areas, of course, but generally we are working to provide a climate in which people have access to health care of their choosing, rather than being forced into accepting health care that does not fit with their values and preferences.  You’ve probably heard the stories about people losing their children because they refused a certain course of prescribed and mandated treatment.  The National Health Freedom Coalition is at the forefront of a movement that will give people the rights to decide for themselves what kind of healthcare they want without being penalized for their choices.  The NHFC also created the legislation to protect healthcare practitioners in what are called Safe Harbor Laws.  A safe harbor provides protection so that those providing alternative healthcare will not be penalized for practicing medicine which falls outside the domain of conventional medicine.

KW:  That’s impressive, Clifford.  I hear about people whose practices have been closed down by the authorities for practicing medicine without a license, even though these people did have licenses or certifications in their chosen field of alternative medicine.

CEC: Conventional medical professionals have, in many cases, been given powers that far exceed what is reasonable and it was never intended to be so.  It all depends on how you define medicine.  Nine states have passed health freedom legislation that was spearheaded by the NHFC.  This legislation is sweeping the nation and more than two dozen other states are working on similar legislation. These laws define the scope of licensing, as well as support the freedoms to which people are entitled.  People have a right to informed consent and a right to choose.

KW: Why did they ask you to come?

CEC: They recognize that CI and scores of other organizations are working along the same lines.  The focus of the organizations which make up the NHFC encompass a broad range of issues, including vaccines and GMOs.  They are gradually increasing the scope of issues they are bringing to the table; this year they decided it was important to begin learning about geoengineering.  CI extended the discussion to include the full range of the research, which includes bioengineering as well.

KW: How did you bring this issue to the people attending?

CEC: The conference was structured to allow for discussion in smaller groups.  There were no presentations by voting members of the congress, of which I was one.  But though I was not one of the speakers, I was working and making connections whenever I could… in the hallways, at the breaks, and in the small groups.  Many connections and understandings were reached, but not to the depths that we will seek in the future.  Many people showed an interest in our organization and would like to learn what we do.  Likewise, I had an equal interest in understanding the other organizations and what they are working toward.  We are all sharing the same interests here.  What they didn’t know when they invited me was whether CI was working along the same lines.  They found out that we share common goals and a seriousness about the depth of the issues involved with health freedoms.  However, our work is international in scope, while that of the other organizations is at the national or state level.  It became overwhelming to many of them because it was outside of their normal turf.

KW: So now what, Clifford?  Where do we go from here?

CEC: I want to forge a collaboration between CI and the other organizations that are part of the Coalition, and I want to bring the public into an understanding of all the issues at stake here.  There is CI, there are the members of the Coalition, and there is the public.  I am looking toward increased awareness, involvement, and action between all parties.  I want to openly declare Carnicom Institute’s advocacy and active support for the National Health Freedom Coalition.  Additionally, the public has a responsibility to become educated in the shared principles of CI and the Coalition, such as informed consent, and to become aware of the work that is being done to benefit the public.  This awareness will present the work of Carnicom Institute in relationship to the larger themes that involve the violations of basic human rights and the freedom of choice.  What excites me is the potential for a more powerful network of public involvement through the collaboration of Carnicom Institute and the National Freedom Health Coalition.