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Autism unawareness month

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paolo
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12 Apr 2008, 3:09 pm

I have asked for a Google Alert about autism: there is a deluge of news about “curing” autism, vaccines, Jenny McCarthy and similia. What I find extremely damaging any serious information policy is the way the Vaccines-thesis is treated on a parity basis with the opposite position which is up to now the only one scientifically validated. But all newsmakers now seem to feel obliged to give equal space and standing to the two positions, as if they were Republicans vs. Democrats, or Labor vs. Tories (even this should be questionable).



Apuleyo
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12 Apr 2008, 5:10 pm

According to the Darwin awards, these parents who oppose vaccination deserve an honorific mention for deliberately putting their children in harm's way and thus annihilating their genes and saving the gene pool from their stupidity.


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Odin
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12 Apr 2008, 6:26 pm

My local Barnes & Noble bookstore has a little Autism Awareness Month display and all but two of the books (one by Temple Grandin and one by Daniel Tammett) spew the typical negitive memes of Autism. :x


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Orwell
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12 Apr 2008, 6:43 pm

Apuleyo wrote:
According to the Darwin awards, these parents who oppose vaccination deserve an honorific mention for deliberately putting their children in harm's way and thus annihilating their genes and saving the gene pool from their stupidity.

The Darwin Awards generally strike me as rather cruel-spirited, but that one made me laugh.


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Mikomi
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12 Apr 2008, 7:07 pm

Perhaps if people WITH autism were in charge of spreading awareness, we would not be so poorly represented.


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pakled
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12 Apr 2008, 7:47 pm

every month is Autism Unawareness month...;)

Haven't been to the Darwin awards site in almost a decade. They said they wouldn't be updating it. Havta check that out...



NewportBeachDude
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13 Apr 2008, 3:13 pm

paolo wrote:
I have asked for a Google Alert about autism: there is a deluge of news about “curing” autism, vaccines, Jenny McCarthy and similia. What I find extremely damaging any serious information policy is the way the Vaccines-thesis is treated on a parity basis with the opposite position which is up to now the only one scientifically validated. But all newsmakers now seem to feel obliged to give equal space and standing to the two positions, as if they were Republicans vs. Democrats, or Labor vs. Tories (even this should be questionable).


Most of the programs I've seen on TV and have participated in personally this month don't even get into the vaccine theories. There have been some awesome programs on this month and awareness activities in the community. Most don't even go there and all have been informative and uplifting.



Ryn
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13 Apr 2008, 5:40 pm

Odin wrote:
My local Barnes & Noble bookstore has a little Autism Awareness Month display and all but two of the books (one by Temple Grandin and one by Daniel Tammett) spew the typical negitive memes of Autism. :x


I've noticed that as well and if really frustrated me.



HereComeTheLizards
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13 Apr 2008, 5:50 pm

The problem is that, by the very definition, and whatever their personal qualities, autistic people don't 'come across' well. This naturally has a negative imapct on how autism is perceived in the media, which is about nothing if not 'presentation'.


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LeKiwi
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13 Apr 2008, 6:02 pm

Apuleyo wrote:
According to the Darwin awards, these parents who oppose vaccination deserve an honorific mention for deliberately putting their children in harm's way and thus annihilating their genes and saving the gene pool from their stupidity.


See, that's a matter of opinion. I think anyone who injects their children with multiple doses of aluminium, mercury, embalming fluid, anti-freeze, and aborted animal and fetal tissues is deliberately putting their children in harm's way. Specially when it doesn't guarantee any benefit. :)


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