Brian Deer Shows True Colors, Blames Parents for Autism
A fundamental question in the latest controversy surrounding Brian Deer and Andrew Wakefield is how competent and objective a reporter is he? With so much hidden – the data for his latest article, his communications with the GMC – on what basis do we accept the objectivity of his world view? Is this someone with a balanced and lucid account of events? Has he any competence to interpret medical data, for which we only have his word. A still continuing discussion on the web blog LeftBrain/RightBrain has left him looking exposed – challenged to produce his GMC correspondence, the only potential defence he has that he did not unduly try to influence the prosecution of Andy Wakefield, he has become brittle. At one point he comments on the group of parents challenging him:
"And they wonder why their children have problems with their brains." (HERE)
But unless you thought that was simply a one-off injudicious statement he returned the following day to elaborate:
"Well, actually Joseph, I didn't intend that observation as an insult. I made it as a shorthand way of raising an issue that I believe may reasonably be raised.
"I genuinely think that the three individuals I was criticising – and I know who all three of them are – do need to question whether their personal behavioural issues are indicative of a better explanation for their children's issues. Certainly a lot better explanation than MMR.
"The festering nastiness, the creepy repetitiveness, the weasly, deceitful, obsessiveness, all signal pathology to me." (HERE.)
Now, these are fascinating remarks coming from someone who proposes himself capable of interpreting medical and psychiatric records. He comes back to justify an apparently wild statement as a psychodynamic theory of his own idiosyncratic making, only to tail off once again into personal abuse. Moreover, he seems completely oblivious to what he has done: it is apparently all right lash out at people in this way, and claim medical/scientific authority for his observation.
Let us say finally to the Sunday Times and the GMC it is not all right, and this nonsense must stop.
John Stone, based in London, is a Contributing Editor to Age of Autism
What have we given to ourseles the knowledge and assertivness that we need to carry us through , when we come upon liars we deal with them , in educating we enforce our stand and no matter what is thrown we will always throw back , the day will come when he will be thrown to the lions and we will be there to watch the show god bless all parents of Autistic children and adults
Posted by: Deborah Heather | February 24, 2009 at 04:04 PM
Thank you so much for keeping us informed John and AoA!! We apprecaite it very much!!!
Posted by: Lin | February 24, 2009 at 09:51 AM
And what were the names of the accredited schools were Mr. Deer obtained his medical and psychiatric degrees????
Posted by: Jenna B | February 24, 2009 at 09:19 AM
John Fryer
As far we know Deer is only a freelance who gets paid by the story by the Sunday Times, but there were no stories between 15 July 2007 and 8 February 2009.
Posted by: John Stone | February 24, 2009 at 07:22 AM
Hi
Where does Deer get his money from?
He works for the Sunday Times.
Once a paper that could be believed for objectivity and truth but must be treated like every paper and journal probably should be, with suspicion that it issues propaganda when it isn't actually lying to you.
I note that when David Kirby came to England last year to talk that there was reputed to be no papers who would send a reporter or commission a reporter to cover his talk.
I use the old yardstick that medicine gets in right 33 per cent of the time.
This should now be taken as 20 per cent of the time.
To deny vaccine harm or mercury harm etc is rather like trying to deny GMO harm, fluoride harm, pesticide harm, aspartame harm, pharmaceutical drug harm, asbestos harm, lead in petrol harm and of course tobacco harm.
It has to go to the wire.
Mercury dangerous for adults in their cans of food at 20 PPT according to USA regulators in 2009.
130 000 000 PPT thimerosal is an IQ improver for one day babies - Verstraeten 2003.
But all has changed in 2009; Now for the 8 month pregnant mother and her almost term baby we have the new improved IQ improver injected at high speed to give your IQ boost to your new born yes its that 130 000 000 PPT thimerosal complete with 1 000 000 PPT of the methyl component as impurity.
The child now gets his or hers favourite mercury enhancing shots even earlier than the date recommended by Halsey in 1991.
Halsey quote of 1999: Go tell your chemistry professor we would NEVER put mercury in a childs vaccine.
OOOOOOOPS!
Posted by: John Fryer | February 24, 2009 at 05:18 AM
I have been wondering when we would finally get to see the true colors of this lynch mob.
What causes autism?
The NIH says,
" The theory that parental practices are responsible for autism has NOW been disproved." http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
I'm curious when exactly NOW was? And why even say it unless people NOW think it.
I admit it though, I signed off on the vaccines. It's my poor parental practices that had me believing I could trust the NIH, FDA and CDC.
“Hopefully, the determination by the special masters will help reassure parents that vaccines do not cause autism,” the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement that pledged to continue research into possible causes and better treatments.
Posted by: bensmyson | February 23, 2009 at 11:59 PM
A psychiatrist friend once told me "we criticize in others that which we most dislike about ourselves."
Brian Deer: "The festering nastiness, the creepy repetitiveness, the weasly, deceitful, obsessiveness, all signal pathology to me."
Pretty much says it all, doesn't it?
Posted by: Garbo | February 23, 2009 at 02:35 PM
I’m not at all surprised that Deer made those comments. I find it incredible though, that a few of the anti-Wakefield posters are shocked by his comments; did they seriously think he was championing children, or people with autism, or even neuro-diversity? And yet, if for KL et al the purpose of that site is advocating neuro-diversity, why aren’t they all over Deer for those comments?
Posted by: samaxtics | February 23, 2009 at 01:34 PM
PER...........
"Has anyone filed a FOIA request for any correspondence between Mr. Deer and anyone at HHS?
Could make for a good article :)"
Posted by: ObjectiveAutismDad
I have no idea but I will see tonight about writing letters (to both Federal agencies) and getting them out in the mail....tomorrow morning. Two reasons why I will do it.
1. To do what I can to help the Cedillo family and other two families.
2. Our son, Eric was affected by the MMR vaccine and our family went through hell because of it.
Ray Gallup
Posted by: Ray Gallup | February 23, 2009 at 01:17 PM
"the festering nastiness, the creepy repetitiveness, the weasly, deceitful obsessivenss, all signal pathology to me."
Brian Deer just described himself perfectly.
Posted by: jen | February 23, 2009 at 01:16 PM
festering nastiness, the creepy repetitiveness, the weasly, deceitful, obsessiveness
--------------------
If Deer is alert to this, he is simply obviously someone astute to great cognitive skills.
If one is to mince purloin one must first....
Naw, not worth it.
Posted by: Media Scholar | February 23, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Has anyone filed a FOIA request for any correspondence between Mr. Deer and anyone at HHS?
Could make for a good article :)
Posted by: ObjectiveAutismDad | February 23, 2009 at 12:10 PM
A good investigative reporter worth his salt should be able to turn over the rocks with Brian Deer and see what Rats come scurrying out from under these rocks.
Posted by: Ray Gallup | February 23, 2009 at 11:57 AM
PER............
Brian Deer
Investigative Reporter
The Sunday Times
of London
Someone should be an investigative reporter on Brian Deer!!!! Lots of questions that can be asked.
Who pays for him to travel to USA locations to spread his pro-vaccine nonsense?
What were his communications with the US Dept of Justice and Dept of HHS and what effect did it have on the Federal Court decisions a couple of weeks ago (the Cedillo case and two others).
Why is he carrying on a personal vendetta against Andy Wakefield and parents who have children damaged by the MMR vaccine?
Etc., etc., etc.
Posted by: Ray Gallup | February 23, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Stop Hate Speech Now!
Brian Deer and the UK Mail Reporter who suggested her friend's child with Autism shouldn't have lived, both need to be banished to the Tower of London!
Posted by: karenatlanta | February 23, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Makes you wonder where Deer is getting his money from to travel from the UK to the US???
Plus the fact that he communicated with the US Dept of Justice and Dept of HHS before the three MMR cases were adjucated AGAINST the 3 plaintiffs before the Federal Court on vaccines.
per...............
So ...Brian Deer is now the darling of the AMA?
http://briandeer.com/solved/michigan-meister.pdf
Science, the Media and Responsibility for Child Health
Lessons Learned from the MMR Vaccine
Featuring:
Catherine DeAngelis,
M.D., M.P.H.
Editor in Chief
The Journal of the
American Medical Association
Brian Deer
Investigative Reporter
The Sunday Times
of London
Posted by: Ray Gallup | February 23, 2009 at 09:21 AM
I'm looking forward to all of these buttholes eventually going down in flames.
Hopefully this will be sooner rather than later.
Something should definately be done about the way that the Special Masters used Brian Deer for info on the cases and than had the audacity to claim that WE were living in Alice in Wonderland! If this isn't a great reason for an appeal, I don't know what could be.
Posted by: c. linderman sr | February 23, 2009 at 09:10 AM
And to think, our government used him to win their case against our kids. Shameful.
Posted by: Holly M. | February 23, 2009 at 07:32 AM
He is digging his own hole. Nice.
Posted by: Natasa | February 23, 2009 at 06:15 AM