To Vaccinate or Not

[Bluebell]

.

..one other thing:

I've worked extensively with children, teens, and adults, (and friends) with Autism and other disabilities -

so I speak from years of direct, complex, varied and thorough experience when I say that

the stigma, stereotyping, and prejudice against people with disability that is inherent in the anti-vaccination premise being argued on this thread

- is discriminatory, judgemental and ignorant.

(I'm friends with a prominent (Australian) disability rights activist who would be furious and deeply insulted were Monica (or anyone) to tell her that who (and how) she is - in a differently-abled mind and body - is 'wrong' - a 'disaster' - "damaged".)

There are serious consequences of negative attitudes towards persons with disability.

from: http://nda.ie/Publications/Attitudes/Lit...tudes.html

"Impairment is an objective concept and means that aspects of a person's body do not function or function with difficulty (Crow, 1996). However, when impairment is taken a step further to imply that a person's body, the person and the person's worth is inferior to that of others, then there is an interpretation that is socially created and is therefore not fixed or inevitable (Crow, 1996). Crow argues that one can think of impairment in three, related, ways. First there is the objective concept of impairment. Second, there is the individual interpretation of the subjective experience of impairment. Finally, there is the impact of the wider social context upon impairment, in which misrepresentation, exclusion and discrimination combine to disable people with impairments."

"Gleeson (2006) has attempted to de-construct 'discourses of what is considered normal i.e."normalcy". In the NDA Research Conference in Dublin in 2006 she describes how a powerful but narrow and rigid set of thinking called 'normal' arises and how structures and systems are then organised around this thinking. Reviewing research carried out by people with disabilities Gleeson found that

  - Fear and power under-gird relationships with disability
  - Vulnerability to illness and death are feared and unconsciously that fear is projected onto people with disability
  - Fear turns in to power in that unconsciously people with disabilities are treated as not normal and our projection is reflected in social structures which further isolate and marginalize them
   - From an early age we are socialised into thinking about 'normal' and 'not normal' categories of people and consider those categories to be true or natural."

Some of the most lovely, creative, happy individuals I have ever known - have Autism.


-and before any one asks me if I'm only referring to people with Autism who are "high functioning" - NO - I'm not.

I could share the variety of the life experiences of children and adults I've worked with... over many years... but I don't have the permission (or energy) to do so.


anyhoo- I'm leaving this thread (again)... I just don't have the energy to squander to a *right-fighter.

(*the right-fighter has a goal of conforming all around her/him to an understanding of the one “correct” and “only” perspective in an argument.)


Monica, in the past I've expressed I appreciate (at times) your passion and commitment... but (imo) you are a "right fighter"...

(imo) you are too difficult to exchange ideas with because you have your mind already fully made up... so you come here to convert not to dialogue.  

For example: Shawnna has repeatedly agreed with and/or made concessions to several of your points... but still you continue to receive her replies coloured through a defensive perspective... and repeat fear laden rhetoric.

Also, you're selectively replying to the info I posted (by only focussing on Polio)... and if you allege 'disease has cycles"

- then provide this membership with a thorough, structured solution to this entire issue...

- because we can't take away what's currently holding epidemics at bay without a viable alternative!

I agree vaccine safety is very important - and needs to continue - it's a work in progress..

in the interim what alternative (whole-scale) are you actually proposing?? (The product you sell?)



I don't want this kind of dogmatic exchange in my life... but I have briefly re-joined this thread to make these points - to stand up for disability advocacy and for plain common sense.


-------------------------------

NB: Discrimination is treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit.

```````````````````````````

Splash

i am autistic. i am anti forced vaccination. u know y? it's not because vaccines CAUSE autism. after all, autism is HEREDITARY.

it's because autistics have a VERY SENSITIVE SYSTEM. vaccines & poison in vaccines cause a heap of problems.


so, go ahead & vaccinate ur babies but don't tell me to put mercury in my autistic hypothetical baby.