Of course, if people want to keep chasing after mercury, I'm hardly going to stop them.

[conuly]

Though I really fail to see how not spending all your money on an unproven and potentially dangerous treatment makes you the stupid one.

I like the quote here.

"The problem is that doctors keep telling people that autism is not caused by mercury to cover their asses. They screwed up by giving our kids way too much mercury. Those of us who know this don’t like seeing unknowing parents allowing their kids to rot in the abyss of autism. Wake up and smell the coffee is approprite. Anyone who is not chelating to get rid of the mercury is guilty of child abuse. Every doctor who is not telling their patients to chelate is guilty of malpractice. There was no autism until Eli Lilly started putting mercury in vaccines. Aside from fragile X which some say is not really autism, it is all caused by mercury. Any parent who listens to the doctors tell them that there is no known cause or cure for autism is too damn stupid to have kids.

Rot in the abyss of autism. That has a rather nice ring to it. *glances down* Rot in the abyss... you'd think I'd see more flesh falling off if I were rotting... *shrugs* Rot in the abyss... like a zombie?

I can see the headlines now:

It came from... the abyss. The beast that stalks your children... the terror that flaps in the night. It is... THE ROTTING ZOMBIE AUTIE! Coming soon to a theater near you!

*lurches away awkwardly*

*lurches back with arms extended*

Remember the Salon article about autism I posted recently? Lo, the rebuttal!

Comments

[conuly]

Being autistic, that doesn't mean you want everyone else to be autistic, does it?

Well..... *grins*

Actually, I'm fairly happy as I am. I don't want to "cure" autism because I think there's a lot to be said for diversity. That said, it follows that I don't really want to cure non-autistics either.

However, the controversy here is multifold:

1. Parents are being told there's a cure for their kids. Not only does this prevent them from actually helping their children, and from accepting them as they are, but the so-called cure is dangerous. It's also expensive. People are being scammed out of their life-savings for cures that don't exist, for children who need help, not snake oil "cures".
2. Money that could go to help kids and adults is instead being funnelled into proving a connection between mercury and autism that, in all likelihood, doesn't exist.
3. In general, the emphasis on cures that, no matter the cause of autism I doubt will ever exist (and don't want anyway) takes away from the idea of helping autistics without cures, or of accepting people.

I agree, dangerous chemicals shouldn't be in our medicines. But people also shouldn't waste their time and money chasing after mythical cures when the truth is clear, obvious, and shows that the cures are worthless.

[mortaine.livejournal.com]

Okay.... I'm still not sure I see a connection between "money for an autism cure" and "money for preventing autism or any other possible side effect of injecting babies with a known poison."

I see the connection between "money for a cure" and "money for treatment," sure. And I know nothing about this proposed cure. But removing mercury from vaccines won't cure anyone of anything, right? Once you have it, that's pretty much it, isn't it?

Or maybe I don't see the connection because I'm not autistic and have no autistic children, and therefore I'm being too logical or obtuse or something. It seems to me that the websites and articles you pointed to confuse the issues as well, conflating mercury in the vaccines with some sort of "you're not curing this!" propaganda.

Mercury should not be in our vaccines, period, because it's dangerous, regardless of its effect on autism in children. Removing mercury from vaccines won't cure people of autism if they already have it.

A parent of an autistic kid can choose to opt for a cure, deciding for themselves whether it's worth the risk, or can opt for other ways to treat autism, but in either case, the "damage" is done-- the kid has autism already.

*shakes head* I know I'm not being very clear, here. I guess to me it seems like a lot of these websites and articles are trying to get mercury out of the vaccines, when it seems like a no-brainer that you don't inject babies with a known poisonous chemical...

[conuly]

The people who say that autism is caused by mercury often advocate a specific "cure" for autism - chelation. This is not only expensive, but it has been shown to have some serious dangers - and it's worthless. So people are spending the money that could, and should be spent on helping their children for a worthless therapy. And then they spend more money on it, throwing good money after bad.

So not only isn't the kid getting helped, but the family is going bankrupt endangering their child's life.

[conuly]

Additionally, of course, I object to the language. Autistics aren't "rotting", and we're not "trapped", and we're not "lost" or "stolen" either. Not all institutionalized, not worthless, not in need of "rescue". I object to this language wherever I hear it.