How To Educate the Masses: One Person at a Time

By Allison Byrd

Reading Rebecca Estepp’s article Obama and McCain Non-Responses to Vaccine Safety Requests , I’d like to passionately offer the following regarding education of the masses, grass-roots style:  How do we do it?

I am one mother living in a comfortable suburb, hidden in a pleasant neighborhood.  How do I reach out, scream warnings, make a difference?  I needed to reach neighbors, teachers, doctors, family and friends.  I needed them to hear the facts, then I needed them to pass the message on.  Our community needs to have a grass-roots movement that will culminate into more people refusing vaccination until it is proven to be safe.  We need to “shake the ground” (Jenny in D.C.) one person at a time.  But how do we share this info with people who do not know they need to listen?   How do we overcome the power that the CDC and AAP hold over this nation -- the power to speak and be believed, no questions asked?  Below, the humble suggestions of one fighting Mom.

Tell Your Story.  Few things are more powerful than one parent relating to another the way her child stopped speaking the day he got five shots.  Or the fact that he was injected with 62.5 micrograms of mercury in one day, when the documented government safe maximum limit is .4 micrograms for your baby’s weight.  “Their” junk science can never take away what we have actually seen with our own eyes.  I have found that people are shocked when I share my own personal facts with them.  Within this horrible epidemic, there are enough personal stories out there to shake things up!

Stick to the Facts.  In our world, people want facts.  There's tons of info out there, and everybody’s got their opinion.  The vital thing is the facts.  I have long said that if typical parents only knew what the CDC does not even deny, they would never allow their children to be vaccinated so blindly.  I find people are very interested in listening to me when I tell them I want to share facts, not opinions; they know my opinion already.  What they do not know is that thimerosal was never tested by the FDA because its use predates the agency, or that children were in fact given massive amounts of it in the 1990s, or that it is still in use today.  They do not know about Simpsonwood or Phase 1 of the VSD Study.  They do not know about the CDC's testimony in 1999 that they only evaluate the safety of single vaccines, not vaccines given together.  These are things that parents - desperate to decide the right thing to do for their kids - want to know.  These are things that change their mind about trusting blindly.

Enlighten people on ADD and ADHD.  I know TONS of people with kids affected by ADD and ADHD.  Let’s face it, we all do.  These people are living oblivious to the fact that their issues are our issues.  Show them where Verstraeten found a significant statistical link between thimerosal and Autism, ADD and ADHD.  This is an intense wake-up call, because most of these people have never considered that they are part of all this buzz in the news about vaccines causing autism and other neurological disorders.

Write a Personal Letter that can be Passed Along.   I have kept family and friends updated from time to time on my son’s health by sending letters (both snail-mail for older family and email to others).  Recently, I went full tilt with a new update.  This is where I told my story and stuck to the facts.   I wanted to reach some acquaintances who were soon to be parents with facts they needed to hear.  The special thing about my letter is that it is a synopsis of important facts, along with my son’s personal story, that is meant to be passed along to your neighbors, friends, doctors, or the pregnant teller at the bank.  This is my answer to the grass roots war; I want to be a weed that Paul Offit cannot kill, no matter what power he holds or what comes from his mouth!  This letter has gone everywhere, and is still going.  Because of it, people have paused on the way to the pediatrician’s office.  They are turning down the blind vaccination method.  They are asking questions and taking the appropriate steps to protect their children.  Each one of us know many people, and many of these people trust us as level-headed, educated and sound thinking parents.  A personal letter from a trusted friend, or the trusted friend of a friend, or even a stranger - delivered at the right time, detailing verifiable facts can speak volumes to those parents who are out there today lost amidst this controversy.  Write your own and get it going!

Speak in Public.  I recently had the opportunity to speak to a Rotary Club about autism.  I was told I could say whatever I wanted, so I told my story and stuck to the facts!!  It was a big success in terms of making people aware that they really need to do their own homework to keep their kids safe.  Now I am making myself available to speak to Mom’s groups and the like.  Many of these groups have speakers weekly or monthly, and are always looking for someone new to volunteer.  Maybe you could tell your child’s story.

Never give anyone a reason to dismiss you.  Make sure in your sharing with people that you have your facts absolutely straight.  Give all the references you can so people can read for themselves.  I am no David Kirby, Dan Olmsted, Kim Stagliano, Ginger Taylor, Lyn Redwood (and all the others I’m leaving out).  I owe these people so much for the research they have done.  I am just the foot soldier passing the truth along.  Join me and let’s shake the ground together!

Allison Byrd lives in North Carolina with her husband, Ken, and two beautiful children, Noah (10 with ASD) and Hannah (8 and healthy).  She was graduated with honors from Appalachian State University with a B.S. in History. She has spent the last eight years studying and employing DAN treatments for our son, with great success.   Noah, once non-verbal and anxiety ridden, is today a happy, talkative, flourishing boy.   Though he is not recovered, she continues to seek interventions that will bring him as far back to health as he can come.  She longs to see the truth exposed in our nation and justice for our injured kids. 

Comments

[Louise Kuo Habakus]

Hi, Allison.

E-mail me! We are building a strong grass roots movement in NJ and parents in other states are joining in so they can build similar efforts in their communities. We're holding parent vaccine choices seminars statewide and promoting screenings of Gary Null's film, Vaccine Nation. We have a rally in Trenton on 9/18 and gearing up for a new legislative session with an active letter writing and call in campaign to get our conscientious exemption to vaccination bill passed. You can get more information at www.njvaccinationchoice.org including a press release (click on Media Information) and the seminars (click on Calendar of Events).

Louise
LKHabakus@verizon.net

[Monica]

They ran the MMR story tonight on my local CBS station! The masses ARE becoming educated!

The story (along with video interview with Dr Berger, Jade's DAN!) is here-
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/health/story.aspx?storyid=87473&catid=12

Perhaps you would like to drop a line of encouragement and thanks to TampaBays10, and Heather Van Nest, who has worked on this story for the last month. Perhaps you can even share your stories, and help further educate the masses!

[Lori Edwards]

I wish someone could type up a copy of facts we should share with other parents. This topic is understandably emotional for many of us, and I often find myself forgetting important information when I go to share it with others. =(

[ObjectiveAutismDad]

Allison, Thank You. You've inspired me to go finish something I started some months ago: a presentation to help people convince others (I need it to convince my mother) that they need to pay attention to this issue. I'm calling it "The Parents Who Cried Wolf"... Because that's what others think of us; except that the sheep keep disappearing. :(

[Angie]

Keep up the GREAT work! I have found that sticking to the facts is what is 'recieved' best. I often refer people 'go right to the source' go right to the CDC and read the ingredients, go right to the source and read about 'their' studies and how they do not test multiple vaccines...often when I find that I see someone whom I have spoken to before, they say 'thanks I looked it up and you are right'.....

I also try to wear my GREEN OUR VACCINES shirt and the other Advocacy T's I have purchased (see the NAA for some great sayings!)...and that is all I have to do for people to come up to me to ask questions or say 'well my doc says this,but I would like to know what you have to say'...its been a GREAT response by just wearing the shirts!

I have since been sent some business cards to also hand out with the ingredients listed..I want to make up some of my own, so that way what I am saying...ya know?

I am also trying to find a printer who can either do it at a really big discount or even donate some car magnet so I can plaster my van with advocacy..simple but powerful statements, and then also put those magnet business card holders on the outside so people can then take a card with more info/websites on it too...

Simple things like this with FACTS, not opiions are going to win this 'war'...I believe that its been far too long where people's 'trust' in the CDC/other 'health' agencies have just pushed thier 'beliefs' far too long to overcome what the FACTS are!

I have also dealt with some great pushing back from our relatives...geez you would think to some of them that I have 5 heads or something when I talk about this...I have learned really quick to just answer questions and tell your honest story..that gets the most positive reaction....those people that will never listen...I end the conversation with usually 'I am sorry we cant agree, I am just trying to close our club to more members (thanks Jenny for that 'line') and fight like HECK that no one else has to experience what our children have experienced. I am here for questions if you ever have any, and I promise, if you want FACTS, I can give them to you, unopinionated facts...'...

Some have come back, some have said they took my info to heart and were so 'upset' w/the CDC/AAP/Docs that wont listen....only to find out that same person, who made their own choice to tell me they were going to talk to their doc and at least postpone vaccinations..come to find out that her child, had a bad flu/fever for 1 whole week, and then the day after the fever broke, took her to 'get her shots for school'...Gosh! I held my tongue and cried that night to sleep....I coudnt believe it, why did I 'waste' my time answering her questions when she totally didnt 'get it'...at least, I always have told everyone...if you choose to vaccinate, that is your choice, I would never change the fact that you have a CHOICE...but at the very very very least, make sure when/if you DO vaccinate, please make sure that your child has been healthy for at least the 2 weeks before the shots...AND give motrin if nessacary, not tylenol (I explain why as well)...

I then logged on to the various message boards and it became very clear to WHY I 'wasted' my time...because I truely believe in the FACTS, in our own experiences, and that WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. I decided at that moment to never let it getme 'down' again, that when it happens again, because I am sure it will happen again, that it will just 'fuel my fire' even more...because I will NOT LET the AAP/CDC the other opinionated LIARS win anymore....! Plain and simple!

Sites like this and other message/support boards have saved my family, they have given me my 'google' degree, they have SAVED our family from further disaster and further injury and damage from vaccines, they have given us a FUTURE that is BRIGHT, BRIGHTER than I ever could have imagined after both of our sons had regressed after thier vaccine damage...they have given me HOPE that the tides are changing and that FINALLY the TRUTH will come out and we will be closing our club to new members sooner than we think! So, to everyone who has posted anywhere about anything about Autism, Special Diets, Vaccines, Any subject dealing with anything related..I thank YOU! If you were challenging a post, I thank YOU because not only is it Healthy to challenge statements, but it helps us all think outside of the box and makes us all more knowledgeable!

So, to all of you! THANK YOU! Keep up the GREAT work! Together we can, and ALREADY have, made a HUGE difference, in our lives and the lives of many many many children out there!

Thanks!
Angie
Mom to Ethan, Alex, and Megan

[jill robinson]

i too have been thinking about writing my story and sending it to family members and friends. ginger...about your comment on GI issues and someone saying they wanted to get them in to see Dr. Buie. i tried to get my son into see Dr. Buie and they told me he was not taking on new patients. they told me to see his collegue. needless to say we aren't seeing him anymore. and now that we have started with a DAN doc my sons GI issues are much better.

[Lawrence]

It seems like the one thing that most people agree on here is that there is an autism epidemic of uncertain dimensions. If you can get the public to agree on that one extremely important point, you'll be winning against the forces of darkness (the autism denialists) that want to hoodwink people into thinking that it's all just a mirage of misdiagnosis or diagnostic substitution. If we don't know the real cause, how do we know that it's going to stop at 1 in 150 or 1 in 100? The public needs to know the worst case scenario, i.e. that because we don't know for sure what is going on, in ten years the situation could be far worse. Could autism become the norm in twenty or thirty years? Until we absolutely know the cause, all bets are off.

A very inclusive "Search for the Cause of the Epidemic of Autism" movement that wants every single lead and theory pursued is the one that could attract the biggest coalition of support from concerned citizens.

[curt linderman sr]

I started two years ago, writing in the "letters to the editor" of our weekly liberal newspaper. I write exclusively on the autism issue and never miss a week. Because of all of the buzz over the articles (both pro and con), the local paper has gained readership and they allowed me to write a page and a half article regarding the autism / vaccine debate just a couple of weeks ago.
I also send this very same letter out as a weeekly newsletter to subscribers ( i offer it free) and I now (because of word of mouth alone) have over 100 people that get this letter via e mail.
this writing has turned into a contributing writer gig with Autism File Magazine (out of the UK but coming to the U.S. in Sept!) and has now landed me the opportunity to host a daily live show on Autism One Radio!
Look for Linderman Live! on AO Radio soon! we can all make a difference in our own way.
Keep up the good fight everyone!

[Ginger Taylor]

Our case manager for Chandler's in home services has been interested in all that we are doing, and the vaccine/autism connection. She and her boss invited me to do an in service presentation for their staff.

Friday I went in and gave an overview of the history of the evolution of medical view of autism, the vaccine/toxins/etc. connections, DAN! treatments etc... They were more than receptive, they were way ahead of me!

For example, I would talk about some of the signs of GI issues and one would turn to her boss and say, "That sounds like the client I was talking to you about this morning, I will talk to her mom about getting her in to see Dr. Buie". They were brainstorming on how to get this information to their clients and asked me to come back. So I am going to have a DAN doc and his autism mom liaison do the next one and they are going to invite the parents of their clients.

They also were interested in more information on the vaccine injury compensation fund so their vaccine related clients could get more funding for treatments.

It was WONDERFUL to see professionals who truly have a heart for serving our kids the best they can get excited about new ways to help them and their families.

Consider feeling out the agencies that are serving your kids and see if they would be interested in more formal information from you on how to improve the health picture of their clients.

[Monica]

I have found the internet to be a powerful tool in educating parents about the dangers in vaccination. I have been a member of www.momstampabay.com, a website hosted by WTSP, Tampa's local CBS affiliate.

It has been a very community involved website, even hosting luncheons and make-overs for local moms.

Of course, practically everyone at WTSP knows Jade's story by now, including the lead anchor, Heather Van Nest, who is committed to covering green living stories.

Last week, I replied to an email to Heather, as she wanted info regarding VAERS, and the NVICP for an upcoming story.

The story she is working on? How parents are splitting up the MMR, and what recourse they can take if their child has an AE, or is injured. The doctor that Heather will be interviewing for the story? Dr Berger, my daughter's DAN!

I would say we are making progress folks!

Momstampabay.com is the beta version of www.momslikeme.com, hosted by Gannet (who owns many news media outlets throughout the country). The reporters and producers of the local Gannet station are the ones who admin these sites.

You may want to check it out. I know I have explained what has happened to Jade on our local site, and it has opened MANY eyes. While I have never told anyone NOT to vaccinate, I have hopefully encouraged many parents to make educated decisions about their children's vaccinations.

[Rachel]

A lot of new moms get info. from online groups like Cafemom.com (that has over a million members and is growing rapidly).
I have submitted factual info. to the groups on cafemom like "pregnancy" and "advice for moms". One of my posts with lots of factual info. entitled "Top Ten Reasons to Think Twice before Vaccinating" garnered over 6,000 views and about 260 comments. Many women thanked me and said they were going to research further. There are several other online groups that I have not been to. This is a great way to have an impact. We just have to stick to the facts and personal stories and keep the emotion/opinion out of it!

[Kim Davis]

You're right. We can do this one person at a time. I recently had a WIC appointment for my son and was able to share alot of information about autism with the nutritionist, some of it concerning vaccines.

She wrote down the web addresses of TACA, Generation Rescue, and Dr. Bock's 4-As site, and was very interested in reading Dr. Bock's book.

When I next see her, I'm going to give her that book, along with a copy of Robert Kennedy's article for Rolling Stone magazine.

The thing is, she'd already heard alot of the buzz and was eager for more info. If this is a war, then our bombing raids have already softened the target.