Sully wrote a post yesterday about how the so-called autism community that Safe Minds alleges it is part of is running blatantly antivax adverts in cinemas whilst ignoring autism related stories.
As counterpoint to that, I came across two stories in the online version of the Daily Mail yesterday with two supremely differing outcomes.
In story one, the Mail reports on the so-called ‘super-vaccination’ ie the 6 in 1 shot.
The ‘super-vaccination’ day will involve three injections to protect against measles, mumps, rubella, two forms of meningitis and bacteria that can cause pneumonia.
This post has 99 comments, mainly antivax and lots who try the emotive gambit of suggesting vaccines caused their childs autism.
My son was bright as a button, attentive and talking before MMR jab and I chose to give it to him thinking that the government must have researched it.. what a fool I was thinking that the MMR jab must be better than the threat of becominng sterile, blind, or brain damaged by the possible effects of mumps, measles or rubella. Instead within 3 months of the jab, my boy stopped talking, started flapping his arms and running on tip toes. He’s now nearly 7 and hasn’t said a word for about 5 and a half years.
and thats just one example, there are a lot more along those lines.
In the second story, last updated on the same day, the Mail reports on the story of one Nicole Wilson who was struck with Meningitis – a vaccine preventable disease.
Nicole survived — just — but, as a result of the disease, the once active teenager who loved gymnastics and dancing has lost both legs, most of her fingers, and the sight in one eye. She has also been left infertile.
…
more than 10 per cent of students have never even heard of the disease, while half don’t know if they’ve been vaccinated against it…
This story? Zero comments.
It is incredible to me how uncaring the ‘autism’ community has become, truly incredible.
Left Brain Right Brain 
All the same names I see. It’s your comments that are the shame in all of this stuff. My daughter like many autistic kids was a beautiful child before she was ground down by ghastly stuff you and your frightful friends insist is so good for our children. The shame is entirely yours.
Tony Bateson, Oxford, UK.
What ghastly stuff is that Tony? And hey, guess what? My autistic child was is and will be beautiful. You should get over your silly ideas and concentrate on improving your thoughts on your daughter.
Kevin… I have an example where your silence came across as “uncaring.” How about a little girl named Ashley Brock, who died not too long after Katie McKarren… but not from the hand of a distraught parent… but because she wandered off and drowned in a pool next to her house… like so many autistic children do.
Where were you? Did you make a point to befriend the Brock family as you did the McKarren’s? No, you didn’t. Because it doesn’t speak to your cause of neurodiversity. In fact, it’s a case against neurodiversity. It supports the need for recovery.
So when an extremely low number of people succumb to a “preventable” disease… and you don’t hear a peep out of us… just keep your foot away from your mouth.
Erik, long time no hear. Still as pointless as ever I see.
What happened to Ashely Brock was a tragedy, however, the reason I couldn’t befriend them as you put it was because they never commented on the blog and therefore I had no way to contact them. Anyone who has lost a child/family relation and has been on this blog I’ve contacted.
As for you attitude about an extremely low number of people being ill, losing limbs or dying from vaccine preventable diseases – you are just as sick as you ever were Erik. Time’s not been a healer for you and I wager your daughter is just as autistic as she ever was too despite extremely painful Lupron injections, chelation and any other woo you could ram down her throat.
I had meningitis when I was four. There was no vaccine back then. I was far more fortunate than that young girl, but I still lost about a month of my life. And at age 4, a month is a long time. Easy for us grown-ups to forget that, but it’s true.
Vaccines do not cause autism. But they do prevent some really terrible illnesses. How could someone deny vaccination to a child based purely on a *whim* that maybe there is some sort of link to autism? There’s no evidence; it’s just a whim. Some people are so afraid of autism, it seemed they’d rather take the chance that their children will be killed or maimed than avoid a purely hypothetical risk of autism.
That is deeply tragic on many levels.
There’s really no reason to continue to call them the “autism community.” The “anti-vaccine community” is a much more accurate description. They do very little that has to do with autism. Their main concerns seem to be thimerosal in the flu vaccine, Gardasil, the true identity of science-based bloggers, and whether progressives or conservatives should ideologically side with them.
Gee, Erik. I guess those children who wander off and drown who aren’t autistic don’t count, huh? Only autistic ones who Kev didn’t know? What a creep you are.
Tony: get a life. If you opened your eyes you would find plenty of unvaccinated autistic people; we’ve told you about them. And if your daughter is no longer beautiful to you, you need to take a long hard look at yourself.
Ground down by what? NTs? Militant anti-vax NTs? Because that is the only thing that tries to ground me down! Those who refuse to accept that AS is apart of what makes me unique.
And I may be concieted, but I hit the jackpot in the genetics department as far as looks go. This aspie here is a looker! 😛 For everyone who tells you that you are not beautiful because of being on the spectrum:
Every day is so wonderful
And suddenly, i saw debris
Now and then, I get insecure
From all the pain, I’m so ashamed
I am beautiful no matter what they say
Words can’t bring me down
I am beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can’t bring me down
So don’t you bring me down today
To all your friends, you’re delirious
So consumed in all your doom
Trying hard to fill the emptiness
The piece is gone left the puzzle undone
That’s the way it is
You are beautiful no matter what they say
Words can’t bring you down
You are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can’t bring you down
Don’t you bring me down today…
No matter what we do
(no matter what we do)
No matter what they say
(no matter what they say)
When the sun is shining through
Then the clouds won’t stay
And everywhere we go
(everywhere we go)
The sun won’t always shine
(sun won’t always shine)
But tomorrow will find a way
All the other times
’cause we are beautiful no matter what they say
Yes, words won’t bring us down, oh no
We are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can’t bring us down
Don’t you bring me down today
Don’t you bring me down today
Don’t you bring me down today
Beautiful by Christina Aguliera
And to the parents who write comments like that:
I’m a little boy with glasses
The one they call the geek
A little girl who never smiles
‘Cause I’ve got braces on my teeth
And I know how it feels
To cry myself to sleep
I’m that kid on every playground
Who’s always chosen last
A single teenage mother
Tryin’ to overcome my past
You don’t have to be my friend
But is it too much to ask
Don’t laugh at me
Don’t call me names
Don’t get your pleasure from my pain
In God’s eyes we’re all the same
Someday we’ll all have perfect wings
Don’t laugh at me
I’m the cripple on the corner
You’ve passed me on the street
And I wouldn’t be out here beggin’
If I had enough to eat
And don’t think I don’t notice
That our eyes never meet
I lost my wife and little boy when
Someone cross that yellow line
The day we laid them in the ground
Is the day I lost my mind
And right now I’m down to holdin’
This little cardboard sign…so
Don’t laugh at me
Don’t call me names
Don’t get your pleasure from my pain
In God’s eyes we’re all the same
Someday we’ll all have perfect wings
Don’t laugh at me
I’m fat, I’m thin, I’m short, I’m tall
I’m deaf, I’m blind, hey, aren’t we all
Don’t laugh at me
Don’t call me names
Don’t get your pleasure from my pain
In God’s eyes we’re all the same
Someday we’ll all have perfect wings
Don’t laugh at me
Don’t Laugh at Me by Mark Wills