Email from Generation Rescue (Jenny McCarthy's group)?!

[errantpenny]

Did anyone else receive an email from Generation Rescue? One just landed in my inbox. I'm a member of a few autism-related yahoo groups, as well as a new member of autism.change.org. I'm really curious as to how Generation Rescue got my email address. Obviously, they thought I had an interest in autism, (or, more likely, some random software linked

Comments

[old_cutter_john]

I received no such email. Generation Rescue is a business. The financial motivations for advocating research into environmental triggers are obvious. From a business perspective, the likelihood of actually finding environmental triggers and reversing their effects is irrelevant. Indeed it would be to their disadvantage to succeed too well. Generation Rescue has a right to send email, disseminate propaganda and ask for money. We have a right to say no or ignore them. We also have a right to send email, disseminate propaganda and ask for money. There are a few autistic activists who actually do that sort of thing. I imagine they inspire the same sort of reaction among curebie parents that Generation Rescue inspired in you.

[errantpenny]

Oh, I'm not disputing their right to email me. I know they have that right. The email somehow made it past my spam filter, which is set to knock out almost everything. I guess my email program didn't read it as spam.

The fact that I got the email didn't anger me--that's the part that amused me. There's a lot of irony in this. I was mostly ignorant of this organization before. However, I now know much more about their message and intent (which I oppose), because they sent an email directly to me hoping for support. That really tickles me. It really ends up being counter-productive for them.

My anger is with the content of the email and the articles quoted in it, not with the fact that I received it. That was just a result of their marketing effort, whatever it was.

[gremy]

Everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts.
-Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

But I really wish most autism money would be used to actually *help* us while a smaller amount is used for research. And scientists need to really make up their minds. I'll admit I am slightly in the environmental factor camp since I'm the only "official" autistic individual in my family...although I have definitely inherited some of my characteristics from both my parents. I also heard it could potentially be an evolutionary struggle between the father's genes and mother's genes that causes it. I don't know. I would really like to know, but again, I would definitely prefer that they focus on helping us instead of research or trying to "cure" us.

[errantpenny]

But I really wish most autism money would be used to actually *help* us while a smaller amount is used for research.Exactly! The autism research funding "pie" cannot be that big, so I wish a bigger slice was allotted to finding optimum services, education programs, therapies, etc

[errantpenny]

It disturbs me how little voice they attribute to us; as though, by virtue of our condition, we're not fit to self-analyze or make judgements about our own needs.

Yes, I agree with you. Very well said.

[velvetgunpowder]

Bwahahahahahaha.

Yes.

I like that response actually.

[azalynn]

Wow. I did get that email. And was thinking, "WTF, how did these people get my email address?"

[quinanne]

your response?

i'm applauding you.

[ramsey_sitc]

You know, I once heard that they only include the "unsub" option to make sure that's a used e-mail. Once they know it's used they can send other things to you.

That's what I heard at least.