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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 11/30/2010 : 21:33:23
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This one caught my eye. If you live close to one of these theaters, give them a call...
SafeMinds propaganda blocked by skeptics
This week the anti-vaccine propaganda organization SafeMinds is rolling out a commercial in some movie theaters that makes bogus claims designed to scare people away from getting their annual flu shot.
Initially, I heard about this from #65279;an article in Skepchick#65279; that reported which cineplexes would feature the commercial and urged skeptics to contact the management to voice their outrage. One of the theaters set to air the commercial was the AMC Empire 25 in New York City.
Fortunately, only a few hours after I added myself to the over a thousand#65279; who participated in the campaign by contacting AMC and writing a Letter to the Editor for my local newspaper, #65279;a representative from that company responded#65279; by saying they will not air this commercial or any other ads on the topic.
But AMC isn’t the only company set to air the ads, and given the well known importance of herd immunity to vaccine efficacy, this misinformation campaign by SafeMinds poses a direct threat to the public health and must be challenged head on. Contrary to what audiences will hear from this commercial, every reputable health organization on planet Earth recommends vaccination against the flu and agrees that the overwhelming evidence demonstrates that the vaccine is more than reasonably safe and reasonably effective... |
See link for the list.
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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podcat
Skeptic Friend
435 Posts |
Posted - 11/30/2010 : 21:53:45 [Permalink]
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On a related topic, I rented The Cove from Netflix. I loved the film and thought it was a great documentary that showed the cruelty shown to dolphins by the Japanese workers. I also thought the related short on mercury poising in fish was informative, but later in that short subject, Robert F. Kennedy came on claiming that there was mercury in vaccines that causes autism. That lowered the value of the DVD in my eyes. |
“In a modern...society, everybody has the absolute right to believe whatever they damn well please, but they don't have the same right to be taken seriously”.
-Barry Williams, co-founder, Australian Skeptics |
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2010 : 19:14:46 [Permalink]
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I hope Robert F Kennedy's entire family die of measles and Tuberculosis. |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2010 : 20:03:49 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by On fire for Christ
I hope Robert F Kennedy's entire family die of measles and Tuberculosis.
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Because that is the christian thing to think.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong. -- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n. The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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podcat
Skeptic Friend
435 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2010 : 20:56:32 [Permalink]
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While I think that Robert Kennedy is wrong on that topic, I think that wishing death on anyone is a horrid thing to do. |
“In a modern...society, everybody has the absolute right to believe whatever they damn well please, but they don't have the same right to be taken seriously”.
-Barry Williams, co-founder, Australian Skeptics |
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Robb
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2010 : 12:30:41 [Permalink]
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This is a point of discussion in our family because my nephew is autistic and was diagnosed after he was vaccinated. My sister is not religious and is in the medical field and she knows intellectually that there is not strong evidence that vaccinations are the cause of autism, but she has admitted to me that she wishes there was. I think people that have autistic children have a need to know why and that is why many people believe there is a link.
I think Christians are susceptible to this as well because many think that anything worldly is bad. The scary thing is that probably about 15-20% of children of Christian parents I know have not been vaccinated. I got banned from a Christian forum once for questioning the claims made by the admins there that vaccinations do more harm than good. I am not proud of Christians when they do this but I believe it to be true.
I hope no theaters show these ads.
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Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. - George Washington |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2010 : 15:54:01 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Robb ...there is not strong evidence that vaccinations are the cause of autism... |
There is no evidence of that, period.
There are a certain amount of months from birth when you usually give your child vaccine. There are a certain other amount of months before autism becomes apparent. There is no connection between those other than one time period expires before the other, which makes one event precede the other, without one being the cause of the other.
I think people that have autistic children have a need to know why and that is why many people believe there is a link. | I think so too. They can't accept that God would be so shitty that he'd "bless" them with an autistic child, so they'd rather blame something else. Vaccines just come in handy.
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..." Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq: Send them unarmed civilians for target practice.. Collateralmurder. |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2010 : 16:38:28 [Permalink]
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Well, it's not a God thing. The anti vaccination crowd is new age, Christian, and also includes non-believers. What they share is a suspicion that Big Pharma and other nefarious interests are covering up the truth because they make more money by lying. And that kind of thinking is all over the place. This is a conspiracy thing. And religion has no corner on that market.
As for the parents of kids with autism, they are grasping at anything because heads must roll. |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2010 : 08:41:42 [Permalink]
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<fact mode> Well, we know that the American government are lying to the people. About many things... <irony- and sarcasm-mode> So why not about vaccines and autism. So it has to be a conspiracy. Is it paranoia if they really are out to get you?
Just sayin'.
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..." Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq: Send them unarmed civilians for target practice.. Collateralmurder. |
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2010 : 18:03:23 [Permalink]
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Because that is the christian thing to think.
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Well I never claimed to be perfect.... |
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Robb
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2010 : 19:01:53 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
Originally posted by Robb ...there is not strong evidence that vaccinations are the cause of autism... |
There is no evidence of that, period. | noted. This is what I meant.
I think people that have autistic children have a need to know why and that is why many people believe there is a link. | I think so too. They can't accept that God would be so shitty that he'd "bless" them with an autistic child, so they'd rather blame something else. Vaccines just come in handy.
| Are you saying autistic children ar shitty? or just less valuable than a normal child? |
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. - George Washington |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2010 : 03:21:04 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Robb
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse They can't accept that God would be so shitty that he'd "bless" them with an autistic child, so they'd rather blame something else. Vaccines just come in handy.
| Are you saying autistic children ar shitty? | No I was just using hyperbole in an attempt at mocking Christian families with autistic families who can't accept that life sometimes bite you where it hurts, through no fault of theirs. Any kind of cosmic Karma is illusionary. Life isn't fair, it just is. Placing blame anywhere is just an exercise in self-deception.
or just less valuable than a normal child?
| That would depend on which criteria you use to assess value. I don't have children, and I don't plan to have any. If my wife gets knocked up, I will insist on abortion. What criteria parents use, I can only imagine.
From a community point of view, an autistic child will never be a productive member of society. But the same goes (in varying degrees) for other defects and crippling ailments from child-decease for which we give vaccines. Maybe some day, we will find a way to diagnose autism in foetuses. Then parents will have the option to abort the pregnancy and start over. Don't you think at least some parents would take that option?
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..." Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq: Send them unarmed civilians for target practice.. Collateralmurder. |
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2010 : 11:12:50 [Permalink]
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If my wife gets knocked up, I will insist on abortion. |
So much for women's right to choose. |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2010 : 12:03:56 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by On fire for Christ
If my wife gets knocked up, I will insist on abortion. |
So much for women's right to choose.
| I didn't say I would forcibly abort her pregnancy against her will. I don't understand how you could possibly read that into what I said.
There's a reason why we are using contraceptives: None of us are interested in having children. It's a joint decision, made after weighing in not only our disinterest in raising children, but medical aspects as well. I carry a hereditary kidney decease that could have me on kidney transplant waiting list within 10 years. That's not something we'd want to pass on.
I would insist, and should she go on, she'd be doing it on her own. But it will still be up to her, ultimately, though.
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..." Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq: Send them unarmed civilians for target practice.. Collateralmurder. |
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2010 : 12:10:13 [Permalink]
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Right so by "insist on" you meant "ask for". The word insist implies you do not accept refusal. |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2010 : 12:50:03 [Permalink]
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Mab: From a community point of view, an autistic child will never be a productive member of society. |
Don't feel that I'm picking on you today. But the above statement is somewhat incorrect. The autistic spectrum is wide and there are plenty of people who are autistic but with milder forms of the disorder who are very productive members of society. Some of them you may have met and didn't even realize that they were autistic, even if they seemed a bit strange. |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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