Click HERE for a Fox 25 piece featuring the Blaxill family discussing Denis Leary's unfortunate perception of autism. Denis Leary is from Massachusetts which makes it especially satisfying to see this piece from a Boston TV station. Thanks to Mark and his wife Elise for agreeing to go on camera.
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"- He must have heard these words himself. Forgive him, for he knows not what he says."
I agree - I think. One has to remember that these people are either *paid* to act somewhat stupid (basically stand-up - or sit-down - comedians of the worst sort), or put on that persona.. Leary's book, some book by either Rush or some other FOX person a while back about why Ameriacans are fat, stupid, lazy, etc..
BUT, it never ceases to amaze me how often people who are public figures mange to put the foot in so often and not even notice it. This is just one example. Another than comes to mind was Larry Sommer's (Harvard) comment about women and science and math.. Don't these people, just by dent of who they are and the fact that people listen to them and maybe just maybe *think* before they speak?
They must know people listen. Otherwise, why would they talk unless they just like to hear the sound of their own voices (which I'm sure is true)? More importantly, why would people *pay* them to talk, and thus allow them to continue to talk - unfortunately where the rest of us who care not to have to be subjected to it, if only a little bit.
Sigh. Like the biomed-is-bunk/anti-"curebie" segment of the "neurodiverse", yet another distorted (but perhaps not *too* distorted) window into the Mind of The Great Unwashed.
Jim Witte
Posted by: Jim Witte | October 19, 2008 at 11:45 PM
Poor Denis Leary - Anyone who uses the words lazy and stupid for a child is to be pitied- He must have heard these words himself. Forgive him, for he knows not what he says.
Posted by: Cherry Sperlin Misra | October 19, 2008 at 01:15 PM
SJA,
Mark & Family might be very busy to answer your questions, so I'll have a go.
Yes, there are other factors than vaccines at work in the ASD tragedy. But some of those other factors interface with the vax issue; so the latter is still involved.
Glutamate - as in MSG - is one of these factors. It is an excitotoxin, ie, can do damage to the brain. So it alone, in the diet, can be a problem. But in addition, aspartame - which is ubiquitous in foodstuffs these days - is converted in the body in part to glutamate. So this is another factor in brain problems going on in our day and age. Check your foodstuffs.
The link to vaccines is two-fold: (1) Glutamate/glutamic acid lowers glutathione levels, which is necessary for the removal from the body of heavy metals (read, in particular, mercury); and (2) it is found in many vaccines. So it's present right where & when it can do its most damage (inflammation of the brain letting in toxins; etc.). In addition, they have now discovered that the genes for autism code for glutamate synapse formation. As a paper in www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/Autism/tb/5082 states:
"The candidate genes are involved in the trans-synaptic transportation of glutamate, a major excitatory neurotransmitter." So a child with a genetic predisposition to autism is particularly damaged by this presence of glutamate, either in the vaccines or in their diet. It incidentally is high in gluten and casein - that's why the GF/CF diet has been found to be so valuable for many kids on the autism spectrum. (On this matter of the dangers of MSG, see msgtruth.org)
There are significant metabolic markers in parents of children with autism, so this could be looked out for as a warning. (Reported by Dr. Jill James et al, 2006; also see Cuco et al, 2006; Walker et al, 1999; Ono et al 2001. Excellent articles on all this at safeminds.com)
So: many factors involved, indeed. Heavy metals from environmental pollution, etc etc. But with DNA damage coming from a number of sources (including, it is beginning to appear, from the prenatal ultrasounds getting far too extensive in our cultures, without proper testing for its heating properties), the bottom line is that our authorities have been criminally asleep over all this, and a very large broom is prescribed to sweep out the old 'experts' and allow more holistic doctors and authorities to take over. Including people like Dr Russell L Blaylock, a retired neurosurgeon who has spent his time researching in particular this matter of excitotoxins. He has a book on the subject; also there is a v. good interview of him, titled 'The Truth About Aspartame, MSG and Excitoxins', by Dr Mike Adams (NaturalNews.com).
Bottom line: the vax factor is a big one, and deserves all the attention it is getting. But yes, the matter - of damage to our children - is a far more extensive one. Good job, parents, for not letting it lie. As it were...
Posted by: Stan | October 19, 2008 at 11:42 AM
Mr. Blaxill,
I applaud your tenacious commitment to the cause of autism and the parents you represent. As of this point with the barrage of information out there it is very hard to definitively say what the cause of autism is and the role of toxins and vaccines. If you were to cluster families around the world that had autism you could find that a lot of these families have not been vaccinate or do not have an active vaccine program, so where does that leave us? Is there a genetic link that predisposes this? If so is this link something that could predispose a child to become autistic given the correct conditions such as toxin exposure? I would be curious to see if you have come across such research? You have experts in their fields of statistics that draw hard conclusions about numbers and trends, that may or may not be true or will or will not be believed depending on what cause you have. I have come in contact with children in other countries that are autistic and not exposed to vaccines and live in non industrialized nations. So maybe their diets are the cause. Who knows? As you many advocates have said the reasons for autism in every child may be different and the ways to prevent them and heal them as well. Your focus thus should be on helping people find ways to taylor the needs of their children instead of preaching a one for all approach of cause of disease, it is more responsible way of promoting your cause and providing credibility to your words. I wish you well and hope that you make a difference in helping parents find the resources to tailor the cause as well as the treatments for autism instead of promoting a one cure all fix involving thousands of dollars of supplements and special diets because to some of us fighting this condition it just looks like a marketing ploy from just another group and not a real answer. You claim the researchers for vaccines are sponsored by the drug companies yet you are sponsored by the manufacturers or the one cure fits all medications for autism. Just an observation, not an attack at your fight or your continued efforts, just a plea to look at your focus and try to make it more specific to each child than universal since some of your sponsors have made claims that a safe vaccine to one child can be harmful to other just as chelation might work for one child but can harm another. Keep up the good fight.
Posted by: SJA | October 19, 2008 at 04:43 AM
Thanks once again Mark for all that you do.
Posted by: Steve | October 18, 2008 at 09:24 PM
Great interview Mark, I think you said it clearly. I too like Denis Leary, this however was crossing over a line due to ignorance from lack of personal experience. I know he says he has friends with children with real autism, but who's to say those who are higher functioning are just faking, or not as much as a struggle as those with a stronger place on the spectrum? You can't judge those whose shoes you aren't walking in. My husband and I went to see Leary's last show in Boston and it was a really great, much needed night out. This particular jab from him was more of a punch in the gut than most others who have insulted us, probably because I had always liked him. Hopefully he is now realizing what a mistake he's made. I don't know if I will ever be able to laugh as hard at his jokes anymore, that's sad as those of us in this community need laughter for therapy more than most.
Posted by: Allison | October 18, 2008 at 03:29 PM
The funny thing about his response is this: If the comment was really geared towards adults....why would he talk about the parents of kids. He is trying to cover his ass and quite frankly - not working for him.
Posted by: Kasey | October 18, 2008 at 10:40 AM