Dr. David Gorski and His Merry Band of Idiots Don’t Like Full Page Ads
By J.B. Handley
Like clockwork, a long, crass, meandering post from Dr. David Gorski, known to the dorkosphere as “Orac”, was guaranteed to hit soon after Generation Rescue’s Ad.
Now, let me be fair, Dr. Gorski is actually damn funny as a writer. Consider this post:
“If stupid were a poison, all life on earth would be dead and rotting from the emanations of the two articles contained under the above link. And if stupid really did burn, the surface of the earth would consist of nothing more than charred rock, with the oceans themselves vaporized.”
Of course, funny is a relative term. As writing goes, it’s damn funny. The fact that it’s coming from a research scientist who also interacts with breast cancer patients in his job as the Assistant Program Leader (which I think is one rung up from “piss boy”) at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and considers himself a research scientist makes his writing less funny.
I have some quick advice for potential patients of Dr. Gorski: If you are looking for someone who is crass, arrogant, very black & white in his thinking, suffers from a weird Blogger-God complex, and spends all of his free time blogging, Dr. Gorski is your guy. Consider this gem from Dr. Gorski:
“My recreation of choice most evenings these days is to blog. It truly is my hobby”?
If his bedside manner matches his blogside manner, look out. Don’t believe me? Fine, here’s one more Orac haiku:
“You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Orac”
The reason Mr. Gorski drives us nuts is because he selectively applies his scientific standards to anything that supports his position—a common behavior of the mainstream health establishment. He reminds us of our pediatricians who told us we were crazy.
In Mr. Gorski’s world, highly flawed epidemiology gets a hall pass but anybody or anything that supports a connection between vaccines and autism is quackery written by cranks. Ask him to apply his high standards to the CDC’s “science” and he won’t do it.
Anyway, I actually enjoy posting on Orac’s blog now and again, if only to read the almost incomprehensible level of insults the other side is happy to heap on me, so long as they are anonymous. I know that Orac’s blog is trafficked by many of our worst enemies, so I find it satisfying to read how crazy-making our side’s pursuit of truth is for them. In that spirit, I thought the below, recently posted to Orac’s blog, would be of interest.
Gentleman:
It's a distinct pleasure to blog amongst such distinguished, anonymous, crass, insulting "scientists."
That said, I will make several points that demonstrate how much bullshit many (but not all) of you are full of.
Scientists lose their benefit when they lose their connection to the real world, as many of you appear to have done, so I'm going to ground my discourse in a real world example:
A mom has a 2 month old child. Like 90% plus of parents, she takes her child in for a 2 month "well baby visit" with her pediatrician. At this visit, her 2 month old receives the following vaccines: Hep B, Rotavirus, DTaP, Hib, PCV, Polio, and Flu. That's 7 vaccines in approximately 15 minutes. This happens every day in the U.S. In fact, it's probably happened several times just since I wrote that sentence.
After the appointment, the child appears listless, disoriented, nauseated, and can't stop crying for several days. At her pediatrician's recommendation, she gives Tylenol. 3 days after the visit, her child develops eczema. A week later, the crying has stopped, but the child's gaze appears more distant, according to the Mom.
A year goes by, Mom keeps vaccinating, the child hits 14 months, and is diagnosed with autism. (That's about as early as you can get a diagnosis)
Now, the Mom pieces the whole history of her child together and starts to suspect it’s the vaccines, and she keeps going back to that 2 month visit where things really changed.
You, one of you many anonymous, crass, arrogant jerks, is now her new doctor. You need to explain to her that it's not the vaccines. So, which scientific study do you pull out first? And, I'll give you some choices:
- Do you pull out the CDC study that compared fully vaccinated children who had received more and less thimerosal in their vaccines?
- Do you pull out the Danish study that compares Danish children -- all of whom received considerably fewer vaccines than American children-- who got all their vaccines with thimerosal and all their vaccines without thimerosal?
- Do you pull out the studies of children who received all their vaccines except MMR?
Which one of these studies answers definitively to this mom that the 2 month visit and attendant problems was a figment of her imagination? Which one?
So, here are 2 truths that the honest members of this forum will have to agree with, no matter how they may feel about who is writing this:
1. Anyone saying, "It's been asked and answered, vaccines don't cause autism" is categorically lying.
2. The honest questions, to get honest answers, have never been asked. Science can easily be hijacked and abused by asking an unhelpful question, answering it, and then claiming the study actually answers something else. In the community of scientists, some of whom read this blog, that has been done repeatedly. You have no science to answer this Mom's concerns, it doesn't yet exist.
In that way, I think the CDC and others have done an extreme disservice to honest doctors and scientists. By not asking the hard questions, and facing potentially hard answers, they leave themselves open to extreme criticism.
I also need to point something out to all of you that many of you seem to deny: the vaccines program’s rate of adverse events is only acceptable if autism isn’t one of them.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that the right science, given the extreme complexity of administering seven vaccines in 15 minutes to a two month old, is very, very hard to create. Moreover, the ethical considerations become insurmountable if you are withholding lifesaving vaccines from children who would have otherwise received them.
But, viewing the problem as extremely complex does not give science an excuse to run away. The parent complaints are not stopping, our community is growing, our resources are growing. We believe the vaccine program IS creating an adverse event rate of 1 in 150 or higher, so we will fight like hell.
The honest scientists will join us in conceding what has not yet been done to answer the concerns of parents and what needs to be done. Some ideas, far from exhaustive, for science that could be done to explore the concerns of parents further:
1. Do appropriate blood work and an MRI on 1,000 children who are 11 weeks old. Give them 7 vaccines at their 2 month well baby visit. Do a follow-up MRI the next day and 3 months later and all the blood work. See what you see.
2. Study unvaccinated kids. Now, I read Prometheus’ post about confounders, and I found a fatal flaw in his argument: the CDC “estimate” that 0.3% of children are completely unvaccinated is complete and utter bullshit. If you just spent time in California or Oregon, you’d realize there is closer to 5-10% of kids completely unvaccinated. We have some counties in Oregon where the number is upwards of 15-20%. So, kids who otherwise live the same lives could be found next door to each other.
3. Study the biology of children who experience regressive autism, as characterized by their parents and doctors, and examine all biological markers to try and establish differences and the origin of the differences.
4. Go to countries where the schedule of vaccines is materially different and study outcomes of a wide variety of things like: autism, asthma, diabetes, etc.
5. Use animals that most closely resemble humans and do a vax/unvax study on them: give one group the first 2 years of our schedule, give the second group absolutely nothing, and see if there is any difference whatsoever in neurology or otherwise. These animals would need to be monitored for a minimum of 3 years.
Are any of these good ideas in the abstract? Probably. Are some better than others? Indeed. Here’s one thing that is true:
They all beat the living shit out of the unbelievably clear lie that “science has already spoken” on this issue. It’s unreasonable to be exasperated that guys like me are still talking about this issue when nothing honest has been done to address it.
Any of you calling yourselves scientists who have ever uttered the words, “the science has shown that vaccines don’t cause autism” or anything near that should immediately step away from your computer, walk into your back yard, and yell, for all your neighbors to hear, “I am a fucking moron!”
With love,
JB Handley
J.B. Handley is co-founder of Generation Rescue and a contributor to Age of Autism.
Hey, Oeidipus - you bet we moderate comments. Most blogs do. Know what else we do? We use our real names and not pseudonyms from old TV shows or bastardized Greek mythology.
I ran your comment because it's so typically representative of your ilk, calling us liars and cowards while using a screen name. And on a post that's ancient history - just you like are on AoA. Ciao. And give my love to your Mom...
Kim (you can call me Medusa) Stagliano
Posted by: Managing Editor for Oedipus Frets | October 31, 2009 at 04:25 PM
Comments are moderated. True sign of a liar and a coward. Funny you rail about someone else's blog and comments. But you control the reaction to your own. Is this a fair court?
Posted by: Oedipaa Maas | October 31, 2009 at 03:11 PM
I believe Dr. Gorski is investigating whether Riluzole is beneficial in the treatment of breast cancer. As far as I can tell, Riluzole is only available as Rilutek from Aventis.
I suspect Gorski will determine that Rilutek has some slight benefit compared to placebo. Just a hunch.
Posted by: Carol | May 16, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Way to go JB! You rock! Thanks for continuing to push the envelope and for having big enough cajones to keep all of us pissed off and moving forward.
Posted by: Amy Stouch | March 02, 2009 at 01:51 PM
HA HA HA HA!
JB that is some funny shit!
DON'T TUG ON SUPERMAN'S CAPE! ROTFL!
Posted by: Elucidatus | February 28, 2009 at 06:20 PM
Craig said "JB, excellent article, as always. I would one day like to meet you in person and shake your hand....
.....while holding Kelli's purse, so she can take a pic, to send to Kim, so she can plaster it all over the internet, but I won't give a crap, cuz I'll be downing a Jimmy Buffett 10-buck-a-pop-drink."
(Heeeeeee''sssssss backkkkkkkk!)
Posted by: Kelli Ann Davis -- To Craig | February 28, 2009 at 05:19 PM
I've dogged this friggin idiot gorski many times on my radio show. This guy is a work of art (as in I'd like to nail him to the wall?). I have never read anyone else that can infuriate me more. He is a lemming with his head up the ass of the idiot lemming in front of him!
J.B. keep up the great work and drop the F bomb when it's appropriate...like whenever F$%^&%$G Snyderman, Offit, Johnson, or anyone from the cdc, the aap etc open their fuc&^%g mouths to speak!
You're a hero to many of us JB
Posted by: curt linderman sr | February 28, 2009 at 01:48 PM
I just wanted to let you know that everytime generation rescue take's out a full page ad in the USA Today...like they did last Feb., I take the articles to my frame shop have them framed, mat and all with my color scheme chocolate and water blue, then I hang them as artwork in our gameroom/media/wet bar area. Just picked up the Baily ad that generation rescue ran from this week and am about to find a F**king nail to hammer into my wall and hang more of the truth up, my favorite artwork!Thanks for getting and staying pissed JB and marching on! Sorry Elizabeth, but if you don't have this kind of fire under your buttock, your never gonna stay the course with all the biomedical treatments and possibly have a real good chance at recovering your child from this vaccine-induced damage...Join us Elizabeth and get pissed!
Posted by: Dana C. Sturdivant | February 28, 2009 at 12:57 PM
My father once said to me"It's not a crime, that your son has Autism, it would be a crime if you do nothing about it." I will walk for Autism, I will raise money for research,I will read about Autism, I will learn, I will know. What the Anons are doing is criminal, but all it does is strengthen my convictions, and fuel my fire. Their determination to attack, and insult us says we are doing it right. Thank you to JB and all the people who face this on the frontlines, your courage is awesome. You stand strong in the face of this bullshit, and stand strong like a soldier faces battle with an enemy.
Posted by: Lisa Clark | February 28, 2009 at 12:44 PM
Rock the F*CK on, JB!!! We are pissed, and if we are talking about people like ORAC or Profit, then we need to speak their garbage language. After all, it is all they spew. Thanks, JB!!! When speaking of our "pediatrician" who said biomedical intervention was "abuse" I used the word as#*ole. It is one of the only words my child ever repeated, and I am proud of him :) At least he used the word appropriately.
Posted by: A Warrior Mom | February 28, 2009 at 12:11 PM
How cute. Being offended by a couple of silly little words and not being offended at an entire generation being destroyed by a mad science experiment.
Get fucking real.
Posted by: Harry Hofherr | February 28, 2009 at 09:50 AM
Elizabeth, while I understand your concern and why you would be slightly offended by some of the language, you may want to look on some of the other hate-sites out there (like the idiot's site that JB so eloquently ridiculed) and see some of the language they throw at us. Perhaps then, you'll understand where our ire comes from.
Posted by: Craig Willoughby | February 28, 2009 at 09:41 AM
To the Elizabeth who wrote this:
"I am a first time reader and find it hard to take anything you say seriously because of the foul language you use."
I understand totally what you were saying and feel exactly the same way. Same thing happened to me:
I was deeply offended by your use of the word "hard." It is a four-letter word that serves no purpose other than to alienate people like me who prefer to use less obscene words like "difficult" or "tough" or "arduous."
If you return to this site, please be careful to follow the list of offensive and unoffensive words that individual bloggers maintain.
These lists have not been published, and you likely won't know you have offended someone unless they post about it on this blog dedicated to helping sick children. Nonetheless, you should still try to intuit these private lists. To assist you, here are a few more words that offend my sensibilities and that I would prefer that you never use:
epidemiology (epidemiological, and other variants)
herd immunity
neurodiverse
trolls
Thank you for respecting my sensibilities on this blog open to the public.
Posted by: David Taylor | February 28, 2009 at 08:54 AM
After the rally, I was initially shocked that pictures of me holding a poster with my children were posted on various blogs, calling me horrible names. I couldn't understand that they didn't understand what happened to my kids, why I was doing this, and that I love the boys so dearly. I didn't understand why I was called an "antivaxxer", since my children had been fully vaccinated!
It may be difficult to keep my "eyes on the prize" when there is so much white noise going on. I don't believe my children matter to this individual.
What's most important, though? This individual doesn't matter to my children.
Posted by: Alison Davis | February 28, 2009 at 07:42 AM
In reading the comments, I couldn't help but think that if you're not angry enough to curse about what is happening to a generation of children even if yours has not been effected, then you need to do a bit more reading until you are.
JB, awesome post, just awesome. Truly fucking awesome!
Posted by: Michelle | February 28, 2009 at 01:53 AM
Elizabeth does have a point... I swear all the time... I am not very smart... it all happened after my many vaccine in the army :)
I am proud however that "Fuck" is a word my barely-verbal autistic son uses appropriately (in traffic).
As for Orac... Oh man! This guy actually has a job? I just thought he was a big loser with no life... Now I have to correct that image in my head. He is a big loser, with no life, and a crappy job!
What does ring true... what I do wonder --is how these scientist can look at all the evidence and not see the biological plausibilty.
--I was going to ask if perhaps they went to community college, but that is not fair for all the very smart people in community college. Maybe they got their degrees from cracker jacks boxes. Or maybe you have to follow the money.
Today in the car, I was pondering Paul Offit --who I now call "All Proffit" in my head, I don't even say his real name anymore.
And Mr. Proffit, don't get a big head thinking about how I was thinking about you... I was in my car thinking, "How can this man, who is supposedly educated, look at all the evidence and not see it? Is he really that stupid, or is he really that corrupt."
Shame on the "scientists" who refuse to question the bad science like J.B. listed above.
Posted by: Jenny Webster | February 27, 2009 at 11:52 PM
Elizabeth,
Please understand that toady AoA was blowing off steam and using that sort of language to express that even the most patient and honorable folks have to swear like a sailor in frustration at times. As Kim said, you picked a rather unfortunate day to start reading...this is not the norm. I hope you come back- there is no better news source for autism-related information anywhere . Please do not discount this highly informative web source.
I can assure you, the utter foulness of the lies of people like Orac are far more offensive than any 4-letter word ever spoken by our side
Posted by: Julie Swenson | February 27, 2009 at 11:32 PM
Loved it, epithets included. Dead and maimed children and the bystanders who perpetuate the crime...I really can't think of a theme more appropriate for uncorking a blue streak.
Our kids' ABA therapist is getting her masters at a Christian college. She described a lecture by a priest and theology professor who believed that, since curse words are the language of "working people", Jesus would not have objected and true Christians shouldn't either (and should adopt the manner of speaking).
She was explaining why she thought seeing (and quoting) films like "Step Brothers" was an expression of faith.
I'd venture a guess that Jesus would find Will Farrell funny. Orac, not so much.
Posted by: Gatogorra | February 27, 2009 at 11:14 PM
"The Hypocrisy! It burns with the stupidity of a thousand Oracs!!!!!"
OMG!! I f-ing love it!
Yes, Dorkski's posts are mindless prattle. Seriously, I'm still marvelling at how he was able to complete his doctorate when it seems he is unable to muster enough brain power to cut a fart. I've seen navel lint with more intelligence. And his group of mindless zombies are some of the stupidest smart people I have ever had the displeasure of encountering. If these are the people who are running our medical institutions, then no wonder the Medical Industry is tanking so bad, and I truly fear for the health and welfare of future Americans. These idiots need to get off the freaking golf courses and take some courses on critical thinking.
JB, excellent article, as always. I would one day like to meet you in person and shake your hand.
Posted by: Craig Willoughby | February 27, 2009 at 11:05 PM
Ooh boy...I hope Elizabeth is just reading out of curiosity, because if a couple of "swear words" are going to make her cringe, I wouldn't want to know how she reacts to yeast, mucous, and blood - those being literal. And that's just the poop. Personally, I welcome the emotion. I wish there were more people in the world like those who post and comment on AoA. Without all of you, my family wouldn't be making the progress we are. Cuss on!!!
Posted by: Adrienne | February 27, 2009 at 09:03 PM
J.B., way to stick it to them!
p.s. I am a big fan of swearing -sometimes you just gotta vent!!!
Posted by: jen | February 27, 2009 at 08:49 PM
J.B, I am thankful for you on a daily basis. Rock on!!! Elizabeth, I'm sorry that you were offended, but WE ARE PISSED!
Posted by: Nicole | February 27, 2009 at 08:20 PM
JB,
Amazingly poignant and damn funny too. It's freaking hard, but keep on fighting the Salmon Fight: uphill all the way, with rabid, wackosphere bears tossed in throughout to wreak havoc on your logical ascent to the truth.
Kudos, sir.
Posted by: Julie Swenson | February 27, 2009 at 07:04 PM
From "across the pond":- To avoid confusion, would the "new" Elizabeth who posted for the first time today care to change her posting name? You see, this site already had an Elizabeth (from Oregon) when I turned up so I post as "ElizaCassandra" (in Greek mythology Cassandra famously always told the truth but was never believed - seems appropriate somehow).
Posted by: ElizaCassandra | February 27, 2009 at 06:56 PM
Yikes!! Good thing Elizabeth missed the "boob study" post a few months back and my own "guys (plus Jenny) who have balls" list I posted a few days ago.
JB's tame compared to some of the verbage that flies around here ;-)
Posted by: Kelli Ann Davis | February 27, 2009 at 06:50 PM
"I am a first time reader and find it hard to take anything you say seriously because of the foul language you use. Smart minds have such a great command of the language they do not need to curse as you do."
Even smart minds have their limits of endurance. Have you never ever cussed in your life before? Come and spend a week at my house, or wait, you should have been here to hear my son have an all out meltdown because we ran out of baking soda for his bath. When that happens you don't know who to cuss - yourself, your son, the pediatricians who injected him with MF'ing vaccines his body could not handle, the other peds who completely missed the mito dysfunction diagnosis, the CDC who is utterly oblivious to the disaster, the FDA that doesn't do its job, the pharmaceutical industry that is corrupt to the hilt, the President who doesn't have a clue as to what's going on. Tell me Elizabeth, who do I cuss? Don't tell me not to because that my dear would be well nigh impossible.
Posted by: For Elizabeth | February 27, 2009 at 06:32 PM
I love it! Thank you, JB for a humorous yet accurate analysis of Orac/Gorski.
I also think there is more lurking behind his caped-crusader wacko/dorkosphere mission. He is just too invested in this topic that the strawman arguments do not explain.
Either way, I enjoy taking off his mask on huffpo and exposing him for the offit wannabe that he tries to portray..but he just has not mastered the ability to bullshit (there's that word again!) and confabulate like his hero.
But he is damn funny.
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | February 27, 2009 at 06:22 PM
Elizabeth,
Evangelical conservative Christian here.
There is no injustice greater than the innocent loss of a young defenseless child, needlessly damaged by an unchecked vaccine.
The passion and fury is fallout from seeing millions/billions spent in the name of studying Autism and vaccines come off unscathed - despite published adverse effects.
Unstudied, indemnified, mandated and government funded vaccines, pronounced the Holy Grail.
It's a sick day when people can glory in a parent's pain, a child's suffering.
It's enough to make a good person swear.
I bet a few expletives flew when slavery was being abolished.
These kind of "man made" travesties deserve to be cursed.
Posted by: karenatlanta | February 27, 2009 at 06:00 PM
Hard to find anything funny these days. It just seems like the world is getting tougher and meaner towards parents. I am so thankful that AOA is here. Keep up the great work. We need some solutions soon...
Posted by: Tanners Dad | February 27, 2009 at 05:57 PM
I too, do hope Elizabeth will return. AoA is the best!
I do have to say tho' I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent person. There are days when it seems like every other word out of my mouth is bullshit or F%$k. There are days when autism or just life in general commands much dropping of the f bomb. And one must admit that sometimes the F bomb is just the most appropriate word. It's a verb :D, an adjective, a noun, and an adverb. What other word can you say that about?
JB - way to go man! Thanks for the laugh. Orac would rather see a study on whether autism causes foul language before one that would tell us the truth about vaccines. He truly is "a fucking moran".
Posted by: Angela Warner | February 27, 2009 at 05:39 PM
It's your quiet demeanor that I like so much JB! LOL.
No other form of medicine is given such indemnity from scrutiny.
I was studying Jenner's (Father of modern vaccines.) address to parliament and tho' his vaccine trials were lacking scientific proof, he sold officials on the fact that vaccines would be a very lucrative investment for the State. In fact they have.
Posted by: karenatlanta | February 27, 2009 at 05:35 PM
You know Jb although I did get a laugh out of your post..I think in this day an age you need to be more careful when speaking about the ethically challanged. We are in the age of politically correct.
Perhaps you can reccommend ethics classes to your ethically challanged friend.Loved the Generation rescue ad. So nice to see the truth in a newspaper for once.
Posted by: Paula p Proffit Merckelos | February 27, 2009 at 04:54 PM
If Orac was an Oreck he'd still suck.
Posted by: Kerbob1 | February 27, 2009 at 04:50 PM
Elizabeth has some catching up to do. Let's hope she's not a "skim to the conclusion" type of reader.
Prefacing the f-bomb was a fairly lengthy explanation of what's truly obscene -- the mistakes and malfeasance that ensure the continued vaccine injury of children. Hence the justified outrage.
What's that saying... "If you're not angry, you're not paying attention." Sadly the unpleasant implications of vaccine injury can repel even the most pristine scientific minds. And children pay.
Posted by: nhokkanen | February 27, 2009 at 04:27 PM
You know, in addition to posting the studies that directly contradict them, I find that Orac et al tend to flee when one brings up the FDA threatening to shut down Merck's PA manufacturing plant and pull their product for contamination violations. Especially in light of Merck's subsequent factory "upgrades" that have NOTHING TO DO! with the FDA order (but that resulted in vaccine shortages), and their COMPLETELY UNRELATED! decision to sell their related vaccine testing facility to another company, which then of course kept all the same staff. Gee whillikers, doesn't that smell like shenanigans to you, Beaver? Don'tcha think maybe that if vaccines are mandatory, then ALL DOCUMENTS relating to their manufacture and safety should be completely public?
Posted by: Garbo | February 27, 2009 at 04:17 PM
Any of you calling yourselves scientists who have ever uttered the words, “the science has shown that vaccines don’t cause autism” or anything near that should immediately step away from your computer, walk into your back yard, and yell, for all your neighbors to hear, “I am a fucking moron!”
With love,
JB Handley
***************
Well JB, they may not "love" you but *I* "love" you!!!! Just for the last line alone. LOVED IT.
Is that really a pic of The "great" Orac at the top? He sorta looks like Lurch with glasses. Ok, that was a low blow but I just wanted one swipe at the asshole. See even we autism parents can stoop to immuture, ignorant insults once in awhile. The difference is we recover our dignity fairly quickly. These people had none to begin with.
Once again, great post JB.
Posted by: rileysmom | February 27, 2009 at 04:11 PM
Wondering what really is the bottom line with these people, the core issue of them trying to silence our voices? What is their real agenda? Could they secretly just be happy to see growing number of children with autism? (apologies if that question been asked and answered)
Posted by: Natasa | February 27, 2009 at 04:01 PM
Welcome, Elizabeth - you did pick an interesting day to start reading us! Bullshit and Fuck on the same home page... Yes, I suppose we do look a bit adult today. You'll also find some of the hardest hitting and most informative info on autism here. Give us a chance, I promise, we never swear on Sunday.
Kim Stagliano
Managing Editor
Posted by: Managing Editor for Elizabeth | February 27, 2009 at 03:52 PM
Anthony Edwards called he wants his character from the "Revenge of the Nerd's" look back.
Posted by: Gilbert Lowell | February 27, 2009 at 03:46 PM
I am a first time reader and find it hard to take anything you say seriously because of the foul language you use. Smart minds have such a great command of the language they do not need to curse as you do.
Posted by: Elizabeth | February 27, 2009 at 03:31 PM
Ah, yes, my antithesis. Here is someone who does not know how to have a reasonable debate. Here is someone who is so pumped up on his own ego that he talks about himself in the third person. Indeed, this man is a truly pitiful excuse for a doctor, and a human being.
Mostly, I lurk, but I sometimes go to his site and post a comment or two, to kick the anthill, so to speak. I love watching how the ants respond when I do so. I call them that because they are just like mindless drones following the bidding of their queen. His writing is not funny, his sense of self-importance is over-inflated, and the man thinks that the only person who's opinion should matter is his own.
Take the following response to Dr. Gordan's HuffPo article:
"Let me state very simply, vaccines can cause autism." Odd that you're so confident of this but so utterly unable to present even a whit of evidence to justify such confidence. "No real scientist would encourage us to stop studying this possibility." Straw man argument. The possibility *has* been studied time and time again. At some point, we reach the point of diminishing returns. "The proof is not there yet. It will be found." This sounds uncannily like "The X-Files" and its tagline, "the truth is out there." Of course, given the mass of evidence that does not support the vaccine-autism link, it's about as likely that you will find what you are looking for as it is that there are aliens using black oil as a prelude to colonizing the earth. "Let's hope it doesn't take another fifty years and hundreds of court cases to convince the government and the public. Private industry is once again duping the FDA, doctors and the public. The conflicts of interest are obscene and illegal." Dr. Jay, I used to think there was hope for you, but now I despair. You are clearly as deluded and unreachable as Jenny McCarthy, J.B. Handley, Barbara Loe Fisher, and the rest of the antivaccine cultists. Oh, and stop whining when you are correctly identified as a an antivaccinationist, because these last two posts demonstrate unequivocally that you are"
He is fond of straw men, is he not? Maybe we should send him to Oz? Look at his response to one of your regulars:
"Oh, please, Craig. Give me a frikkin' break. Attacking the scientific consensus based on dubious arguments is the mark of a pseudoscientist. Michael Crichton, in case you didn't know, was a global warming denialist, and that's the context in which he made that quote. Moreover, being a doctor is absolutely no guarantee that one understands the scientific method, and doctors are notoriously prone to pseudoscience when they wander outside of their area of expertise. There are plenty of doctors who have signed the "Dissent from Darwin" document. They're creationists. And you are completely wrong. The question has been as closed to settled as science can make it. You simply don't know what you are talking about."
He is a doctor, isn't he? Wow...and Mr. Willoughby's comment was quite polite and asked a very valid question. And this is how he responded; you're wrong because I say you're wrong. He does't provide a whit of evidence (something he accused Dr. Gordon of).
The Hypocrisy! It burns with the stupidity of a thousand Oracs!!!!!
Posted by: Caro | February 27, 2009 at 03:12 PM
J.B. - Thank you so much for the biggest laugh I have had in a while. I hadn't realized how badly I needed a laugh, until right now.
When the hell is Jim Carrey coming out with another new movie? I hope it is very soon.
Posted by: Gayle | February 27, 2009 at 03:05 PM
One other thing. Regarding this comment: "The reason Mr. Gorski drives us nuts is because he selectively applies his scientific standards to anything that supports his position"... One of the things that I find drives people like Orac, ANB and a few other regular posters on the HuffPo articles is to actually refer them to peer reviewed studies that contradict their position. They usually stop posting on those threads when I do that; or they post some ignorant response that clearly demonstrates they didn't actually read the study completely -- or at all.
Posted by: ObjectiveAutismDad | February 27, 2009 at 02:46 PM
HA HA HA HA! I loved the ending! Thank you. This made my day. I had never heard your first suggested study... This is an EXCELLENT idea. My guess is that it would scare the crap out of everyone. Then Dr. Sears and other like minded Doctors will look even more like the heroes they are.
Posted by: ObjectiveAutismDad | February 27, 2009 at 02:43 PM
I was going to refrain from saying something negative about David Gorski because his family recently suffered a loss. However he does not extend a similar courtesy to all the families whose members have suffered health damage and death from vaccines. Our period of mourning continues as long as vaccine injury remains unacknowledged, uninvestigated, and unprevented.
Posted by: nhokkanen | February 27, 2009 at 02:40 PM