How to deal with Idiots?
How do you deal with idiots who think vaccines cause autism and advocate harmful therapies? They are so thickheaded....
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Cinnamon and sugary
Softly Spoken lies
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Delphiki
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Well 100% of people who drink Mountain Dew do die...eventually.
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Cinnamon and sugary
Softly Spoken lies
You never know just how you look
Through other people's eyes
Autism FAQs http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt186115.html
Delphiki
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Well 100% of people who drink Mountain Dew do die...eventually.
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Well you can go with that if you want.
For those predisposed to conspiracy theories, the presentation of evidence contrary to said theory only serves to bolster and reinforce the notion that a conspiracy exists, since--in their mind--an omnipotent, elite "they" are in total and absolute control (of the flow of information). The pessimist would say there's really nothing that can be done and that, by engaging them, you're actually making it/them "worse."
So, like League_Girl said, the easiest/quickest thing to do would be to disengage, politely if at all possible.
If you feel like wasting your time, breath & energy, you could direct them to the Internet, where they would find that the initial Lancet article/doctor that started all of this nonsense has been roundly and widely debunked, refuted, rebuffed and reprimanded. But by doing so, you're also directing that same person to the large Conspiracy Theory Echo Chamber that is The Internet. Moreover, they'll also have to contend with Google and other search engines feeding back search results that only serve to reinforce their current beliefs/interests.
Echo Chamber + 'Positive' Feedback Loop = Uh Oh.
As maddening as this is, I do pity these folks. More than that, I pity their children (for a whole host of reasons); they're playing roulette with their kids' health.
Honestly, those responsible for continuing to perpetrate this nonsense ought to be ashamed. More than a few of them simply HAVE to know better, but still string these people along anyway. Must be something in for them, I guess. (Who's the Conspiracy Theorist, now? D'oh!).
Regards to All. Thanks to original poster and all subsequent posters.
P.S. @Delphiki: Ha! Well-played; I feel compelled to get started on my "why statistics is inherently evil and why no sane (wo)man should accept their claims without skepticism" rant, but I will resist the urge.
lostonearth35
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LeeTimmer
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I ignore them and all the other idiots who say AS - even autism itself - isn't real. They say stupid things like, "You just need to eat better." Well, sometimes that helps (anyone, for that matter), but you quickly realize what kind of uneducated person you're dealing with.
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My ex-boss had an Aspie son and a classic autistic daughter. He claimed the MMR caused it. Yet, even when I knew nothing about autism, I could see there was a strong parallel between his own odd behaviour and that of his children. I'm sure I've read a few quotes where the "MMR" parents are given the AQ screening questionnaire come to their senses and realise their childs behaviour is simply a more intense expression of their own characteristics.
This is one way to go about it, but it needs to be done very delicately.
Jason
I don't think these people are idiots who think vaccines or at least an additive to vaccines can cause autism. There are a variety of things that cause autism including premature births, but vaccines are just one of them. I have been hearing on the news about these autism causing vaccines for some time now. So the best thing we can do is do our research before we resort to name calling.
VACCINES CAUSING AUTISM
Besides this article there are many more.
Verdandi
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I don't think these people are idiots who think vaccines or at least an additive to vaccines can cause autism. There are a variety of things that cause autism including premature births, but vaccines are just one of them. I have been hearing on the news about these autism causing vaccines for some time now. So the best thing we can do is do our research before we resort to name calling.
VACCINES CAUSING AUTISM
Besides this article there are many more.
Vaccines don't cause autism. Andrew Wakefield lost his license to practice in the UK because of the way he tried to promote the notion that vaccines cause autism.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 0X01000974
The hypothesis that MMR vaccines cause autism was first raised by reports of cases in which developmental regression occurred soon after MMR vaccination. A previous study found no evidence to support this hypothesis. It has recently been suggested that MMR vaccine might cause autism, but that the induction interval need not be short. The data from the earlier study were reanalysed to test this second hypothesis. Our results do not support this hypothesis, and provide further evidence against a causal association between MMR vaccination and autism.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908388/
Although child vaccination rates remain high, some parental concern persists that vaccines might cause autism. Three specific hypotheses have been proposed: (1) the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine causes autism by damaging the intestinal lining, which allows the entrance of encephalopathic proteins; (2) thimerosal, an ethylmercury-containing preservative in some vaccines, is toxic to the central nervous system; and (3) the simultaneous administration of multiple vaccines overwhelms or weakens the immune system. We will discuss the genesis of each of these theories and review the relevant epidemiological evidence.
A worldwide increase in the rate of autism diagnoses—likely driven by broadened diagnostic criteria and increased awareness—has fueled concerns that an environmental exposure like vaccines might cause autism. Theories for this putative association have centered on the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, thimerosal, and the large number of vaccines currently administered. However, both epidemiological and biological studies fail to support these claims.
The idea that vaccines cause autism is conspiracy theory rubbish.
I was told by a mother of an Autistic girl that having an injection will make my Asperger's Syndrome worse (I was 9 years old then). My mum didn't know whether to believe her or not, because this woman did sound worried and she didn't let her Autistic child have the injection. Perhaps she was just overparanoid because of hearing so much talk about the MMR that she didn't want her child's Autism to get worse or something. Sometimes these threats can frighten parents.
Just look at this December 21 2012 thing - most people all believe it and are frightened. Heck - even I believe it! It's media - people believe everything they read.
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Female
I don't think these people are idiots who think vaccines or at least an additive to vaccines can cause autism. There are a variety of things that cause autism including premature births, but vaccines are just one of them. I have been hearing on the news about these autism causing vaccines for some time now. So the best thing we can do is do our research before we resort to name calling.
VACCINES CAUSING AUTISM
Besides this article there are many more.
Vaccines don't cause autism. Andrew Wakefield lost his license to practice in the UK because of the way he tried to promote the notion that vaccines cause autism.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 0X01000974
And neither does the article in the link I posted. It was the additive called thimerosal which is a preservative that was put in vaccines and that is why it was removed. Did you read the article? If you did you would have seen the name of the additive. So why do you think removing an additive is a conspiracy?
The hypothesis that MMR vaccines cause autism was first raised by reports of cases in which developmental regression occurred soon after MMR vaccination. A previous study found no evidence to support this hypothesis. It has recently been suggested that MMR vaccine might cause autism, but that the induction interval need not be short. The data from the earlier study were reanalysed to test this second hypothesis. Our results do not support this hypothesis, and provide further evidence against a causal association between MMR vaccination and autism.
Although child vaccination rates remain high, some parental concern persists that vaccines might cause autism. Three specific hypotheses have been proposed: (1) the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine causes autism by damaging the intestinal lining, which allows the entrance of encephalopathic proteins; (2) thimerosal, an ethylmercury-containing preservative in some vaccines, is toxic to the central nervous system; and (3) the simultaneous administration of multiple vaccines overwhelms or weakens the immune system. We will discuss the genesis of each of these theories and review the relevant epidemiological evidence.
A worldwide increase in the rate of autism diagnoses—likely driven by broadened diagnostic criteria and increased awareness—has fueled concerns that an environmental exposure like vaccines might cause autism. Theories for this putative association have centered on the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, thimerosal, and the large number of vaccines currently administered. However, both epidemiological and biological studies fail to support these claims.
Last edited by Dirtdigger on 06 Jul 2012, 10:17 am, edited 1 time in total.