"Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups."
So I ran across this today: a post to an "autism is caused by mercury" message board. I have withheld the nom-de-'Net.
"I saw an ad on TV early this morning promoting - When you buy 1 package of pampers they will give 1 free Vaccine to a needy child. I think it was a vaccine in a foreign country. The voice of the person sounded like actress Salma with UNCEF. Gosh we cannot keep up with the delusion of people they drum up to support vaccines. I am just amazed. There are a whole a lot of people not reading the news, nor listening to the news. How could they have missed the recent story
about Hannah Poling?? Or we just a small group with eyes wide open, and ears not full of wax or
bellies full of beans?? Can we stop this ?? Can we all call and complain?
http://www.pampers.com/ or call 1-800-726-7377"
The level of ignorance displayed here about both public health issues and the actual facts of the Poling case (aside from the Ray Hudson-like nonsense metaphors) is disturbing. It reminds me, again, that we are in a country populated by people who believe blindly what the talking heads on TV tell them, and that such people constantly seek to increase their misplaced panic and outrage. They will read 20 Evidence of Harms before they read one scientific study, and then claim that everyone ELSE is stupid.
Y'know, it's funny...when you're in a place where it's hard enough for kids to survive into adulthood as a matter of course, people seem not to be bothered as much by the idea that vaccines might pose a slight risk to an extremely small group of people with certain genetic predispositions.
If you'll excuse me, I need to e-mail Pampers to support their efforts. If they only hear from the freakshows, they'll think that's all there is.
"I saw an ad on TV early this morning promoting - When you buy 1 package of pampers they will give 1 free Vaccine to a needy child. I think it was a vaccine in a foreign country. The voice of the person sounded like actress Salma with UNCEF. Gosh we cannot keep up with the delusion of people they drum up to support vaccines. I am just amazed. There are a whole a lot of people not reading the news, nor listening to the news. How could they have missed the recent story
about Hannah Poling?? Or we just a small group with eyes wide open, and ears not full of wax or
bellies full of beans?? Can we stop this ?? Can we all call and complain?
http://www.pampers.com/ or call 1-800-726-7377"
The level of ignorance displayed here about both public health issues and the actual facts of the Poling case (aside from the Ray Hudson-like nonsense metaphors) is disturbing. It reminds me, again, that we are in a country populated by people who believe blindly what the talking heads on TV tell them, and that such people constantly seek to increase their misplaced panic and outrage. They will read 20 Evidence of Harms before they read one scientific study, and then claim that everyone ELSE is stupid.
Y'know, it's funny...when you're in a place where it's hard enough for kids to survive into adulthood as a matter of course, people seem not to be bothered as much by the idea that vaccines might pose a slight risk to an extremely small group of people with certain genetic predispositions.
If you'll excuse me, I need to e-mail Pampers to support their efforts. If they only hear from the freakshows, they'll think that's all there is.
Labels: autism, stupidity is a scarier "epidemic"
posted by ilse at 3:59 PM
4 Comments:
It never ceases to amaze me that people who think there is a huge conspiracy among physicians and scientists and the government don't even question what they read on internet message boards and in chain emails.
I never used Pampers much, but I might just buy some for a baby gift or two.
Unfortunately, stupid people in small groups incite the uneducated masses to create the even larger groups of even more stupid people, and unfortunately those same opinions are swayed by the slightest breeze in some of misguided direction. It is a sad statement about humans, but most are sheep. Maybe the shepherds should use that walking stick to beat some sense into the mindless creatures instead of leading them from green pasture to green pasture.
Hi, Lovely to hear from you. I've meant to tell you for some time that you have a beautiful writing voice.
If it wouldn't endanger my position as your husband's lifelong love obsession, I might fight him for you! ;-)
Seriously though, I really admire the way you think and write about your sons. I thought of you both when I saw the promo for the CNN bit. You know me, I'm a crunchy nutjob too, but when they trumpet that She had cured her son with veganism or some such tripe I really felt for you trying to cope with real life and real science in the face of that kind of public circus nonsense.
Fear is so much more intoxicating, more seductive than facts and logic. That's why so many politicians, religious leaders, and advertisers use it. It works.
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