A Little Clarification · Mar 3, 08:10 PM

There’s been a lot of discussion going on at The Huffington Post about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s latest salvo aimed at the Centers for Disease Control. Responses have ranged from effusive praise for one who is presumably “fighting the good fight” and uncovering conspiracies of heartless, reckless bureaucrats willing to put the health of innocent children at risk; expressions of concern for families with autistic children and public health in general; outrage over the failure of “unrestrained amoral capitalism”; and calls for impeachment. An environmentalist lambasted Kennedy for damaging the credibility of the clean energy movement with his attack on the Cape Wind Project; a doctor took the opportunity to detail his hypothesis that autism is the consequence of viral infection.

Some commenters rejected the assertion that thimerosal causes autism and bemoaned Kennedy’s willingness to promote it. One suggested that “it’s possible for the CDC to be corrupt AND for thimerosal to not cause autism”; others referenced Orac’s excellent response to RFK Jr.’s article. “Concerned Parent” spoke animatedly about the dubious credentials and practices of certain promoters of biomedical treatments for autism. These commenters were predictably accused of being “paid apologists,” “pharmica shills,” and “suspiciously informed.” Eventually I had my say, focusing on how enticements to litigation have influenced the attributions parents make about their autistic children’s development, and how conspiracy-mongering and scientifically-insupportable preoccupation with thimerosal and “toxicity” enables the emotional and financial exploitation of parents and children alike, and puts children’s health at risk.

The next day, “grabaclue” decided to set things straight (or so s/he thought) with the following declaration:

For the sake of the general public who may be here on this blog post for informational purposes. Here’s a few things that you need to know.
1) neurodiversity:
They believe that being autistic is just a different type of human wiring. They believe that being autistic is not a disorder, but is a part of who they are.
Sounds nice doesn’t it. No issues from me with the concept. The BIG problem is that these people want to completely discredit any person/parent who believes that their child has been injured by thimerosal containing vaccinations. They go through great lengths to mock parents who have seen their children regress after vaccinations.

“grabaclue” then went on at some length about the inimitable Autism Diva.

I read this and thought—he don’t know me very well, do he? I prepared the following comment and post it here as well as at The Huffington Post, since I have met with this kind of misunderstanding in the past from those who equate my willingness to express certain opinions with a desire to “discredit parents.”

As far as I can tell, “grabaclue” is a total stranger to me. Yet s/he names me personally, then claims that I “believe that being autistic is not a disorder, but is a part of who (I am),” that I “want to completely discredit any person/parent who believes that their child has been injured by thimerosal containing vaccinations,” and that I “go through great lengths to mock parents who have seen their children regress after vaccinations.”
I am not autistic, and have never claimed to be. I am a parent, family member and friend to people on the autistic spectrum. I am convinced that parents need to enable autistic children to feel comfortable in their own skin, to help them get an appropriate and comprehensive education, and to address every single one of their medical needs.
I object to the exploitation of parents and autistic people by ambulance chasers, political opportunists, and profiteers who market “autism treatments” for which insufficient evidence exists to support inflated claims of efficacy. “Treatments” all too often have painful consequences glorified as “healing crises” rather than unnecessary suffering. I am highly suspicious of practitioners and mail-order laboratories who justify keeping children trapped on a neverending merry-go-round of “detoxification,” pill-popping, shots and intravenous treatments. Some chelationists have even stated that
the need to eliminate heavy metals never actually ends so its a life long activity, chelation and detox, for all of us in this age of toxicity,
and encourage parents to
keep on chelating, even after the behaviour is normal.
I do not question parents’ love for their children, and do not question their observations about their children’s problems, but I often take issue with their attributions about the cause of phenomena that they observe—attributions that are strongly influenced by those who stand to profit handsomely from them. I also take issue with individuals whose preoccupation with prevailing in litigation predisposes them to question the integrity of anyone who interprets scientific evidence or personal experiences in a different manner than they do. I do not mock parents, even those with whom I disagree strongly. My attitude can be summarized by the title of one of my weblog entries, Indisputable Love, Arguable Conclusions
I welcome anyone who has read “grabaclue”’s unfounded accusations and assumptions about my beliefs and my words to visit my weblog, read a few things that I actually have written, and get beyond the demonization and the stereotypes.

Comments


  1. Grabaclue’s rant sounds a lot like Sue M’s rants.

    — Ms Clark    Mar 3, 10:25 PM    #

  2. So does “stopthelies”.

    — Dave Seidel    Mar 3, 10:32 PM    #

  3. I think there’s hope: grabaclue anagrams to C arguable.

    — Dell Adams    Mar 4, 01:03 AM    #

  4. quickly reading posts and takes a doubletake…

    C arguable != C elegans

    at least wrt the ability to type

    — Bartholomew Cubbins    Mar 5, 01:24 AM    #

  5. “stopthelies” anagrams to
    pets helios

    Thought you’d like to know that.

    Could be
    “helios pets”, too

    — Ms Clark    Mar 6, 04:53 AM    #