For anyone who happens to follow American politics...

[403]

A quote from Republican senator and presidential hopeful John McCain:

“It’s indisputable that autism is on the rise among children,” Senator John McCain said while campaigning recently in Texas. “The question is, What’s causing it? And we go back and forth, and there’s strong evidence that indicates that it’s got to do with a preservative in

Comments

[bjorker]

Why the hell is everyone so against the idea or possibility that vaccines have something to do with autism? I am NO McCain fan, NO NO NO, this has nothing to do with that. I just don't understand what everyone is being so damn defensive about.

What's worse is all the offensive comments here in a place that's supposed to be welcoming to those that are "different"? Can't we have our opinions? I feel like everyone must be reading wayyyy too far into it, because I just don't see how it's an offensive thought or theory. I am offended by some of the things that people are saying here, however.

I guess I'll go sit in my corner and prepare to be ostracized.

[mysticsong]

Probably because scientific evidence has been released - over the last few years and within the last few months - stating that there is no relationship.

http://www.nbc11.com/news/1772236/detail.html (2002)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4311613.stm (2005)

http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/iso/concerns/mmr_autism_factsheet.htm

I can't find the recent news story, but I posted it to this community not long ago.

[foundunicorn]

I'm not saying that cause autism, but it's getting them noted.
I tend to have a low functioning day after my flu shot.
"Kids Vaccine Linked to Fever, Seizures
By MIKE STOBBE (AP Medical Writer)
From Associated Press
February 28, 2008 6:27 PM EST"
http://my.earthlink.net/article/hea?guid=20080228/47c63fd0_3421_1334520080228-1788232137

[bjorker]

I just don't believe that is why everyone has such a strong reaction to this.

Nor do I believe that it has been disproved.

[403]

The backlash is mainly because it's being used as a propaganda tool by people who want to get money out of their government, because vaccination is a prerequisite for things like attending public schools. Google 'vaccienes stole my baby' sometime. That sort of thing doesn't really go well in a community where a number of us don't see ourselves as broken.

(Also, personally, antivaxers scare me. It's like they want to go back to the days when a kid was almost as likely to die of disease as to see their fifth birthday. Even in the vanishingly small chance that they're right, I'd take a certainty of being autistic over a chance of being dead, any day of the week.)

[bjorker]

Was there a point to this comment, besides intending to make me feel a certain negative emotion? Obviously I understand that there are studies that say this. Do I think that's the whole story? No. Do I think that they are unbiased? No. You believe what you want, but I think many people on this community are too busy being defensive to think of all the possibilities and issues involved with this subject

[conuly]

He's entitled to hold whatever opinions he likes. He's *not* entitled to claim that science supports them when that's contrary to fact. If he wants to think the earth is flat, that the moon is made of green cheese, that the sun is really pulled by horses - great. But nobody would stop us from laughing if he said it aloud!