Autism Briefing Goes Over Big
Click HERE for the podcast on Autism One Radio.
By Dan Olmsted
A full house of about 80 people heard Mark Blaxill and David Kirby address the autism epidemic and its environmental roots Friday -- and one of the attendees was a member of the House who suggested their remarks may soon get even more attention.
"The Energy and Commerce Committee should have both as witnesses," said Rep. Chris Smith, Republican of New Jersey, praising them for the quality of their presentations and citing the urgent health crisis created by the rising numbers of autistic children. He said he would speak with Rep. Carolyn Maloney D-NY, about setting up a hearing. Maloney sponsored the briefing but was unable to attend due to a committee hearing, but her chief of staff, Ben Chevat, introduced Blaxill, Kirby and Smith. (That's Rep. Smith on the right, speaking. David Kirby is in the background.)
Smith spoke eloquently at both the start and the end of the hour-plus briefing; more than anything he said, it was his attendance that gave a boost to autism advocates present. The community lost a strong advocate this year when Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., retired from the House, but Smith seemed more than ready to step up as a thoughtful, fair-minded advocate for parents' concerns. Blaxill reached Smith where he lived, literally -- Blaxill grew up in New Jersey, and noted the autism rate is now 1 in 99. Smith recounted his involvement with parents in Brick Township, N.J., where the autism rate of 1 in 150 in the 1990s first sounded the alarm of rising prevalence. (That's Mark Blaxill speaking.)
Smith, a member of the House since 1980, said he was not anti-vaccine but said the program should not go unexamined if the price is an autism epidemic, and specifically mentioned concern about mercury as a trigger. He said that as part of his work on human trafficking, he traveled internationally extensivlely, and was recently told by parents of a number of children in Lagos, Nigeria, that they believe mercury in vaccines was causing a surge in the condition there.
This was the second year Blaxill and Kirby spoke to Congressional staffers in the Cannon House Office Building. The Hannah Poling and Bailey Banks cases, along with new studies of environmental links -- including vaccines -- gave the proceedings a "mainstream" feeling despite efforts by public health officials and some pediatricians to assert that they question has been "asked and answered." (Below, David Kirby speaks.)
Judging by Smith's comments, the respectful questions, the audience size and the concerns raised by Blaxill and Kirby's presentations, those questions are still being asked in the halls of Congress -- and the next stop may be a Congressional Committee where Blaxill and Kirby will have the attention of a roomful of Congress members.
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Dan Olmsted is Editor of Age of Autism
Do we know if there were any other elected officials present? I contacted Congressman Russ Carnahan from Missouri about this briefing but I did not hear back from his office confirming anything.
Posted by: Erin B | July 20, 2009 at 10:03 AM
As Bob Moffitt said I too intend to publish the names of my representatives and whether they attended. The days of receiving form letters that spout autism 101 statistics will no longer go unchallenged or under reported.
Posted by: Kub Marshman | July 19, 2009 at 07:15 AM
Excellent job!
Posted by: maggie | July 19, 2009 at 06:05 AM
The amount of autism around the world does match fairly well the total number of vaccines received, at what age and with mercury.
The proven harm of repeat vaccines; the proven harm of mercury vaccines and the case study harm of over vaccination and early vaccination is self evident to any who take their blinkers off.
Rhetoric about vaccine success, miniscule amounts of toxin and how many million antigens the body copes with do not EXPLIAN the CAUSE and RISE of autism today.
Obfuscation, obscuration and obstinacy has not saved these vaccinated children, the vaccinated dead babies or otherwise vaccine harmed infants.
The organomercury is toxic and measles, rubella live viruses are bad for us groups have made great progress over the past ten years and the vitriol, personal insults and denigration of people working to help autism children does nothing but reinforce the view that toxic does actually mean toxic and rubella live viurus does actually take out brains as well.
Why people should want to inflict neurological harm on 1 USA child in 3 is not obvious to sane people, so it is logical to think those that do want sick children must be sick in some way themselves.
A ten million dollar pay check to the top vaccine boss does make his sickness bearable.
Putting mom or dad in prison after their vaccinated child dies or turns into a living "vegetable" along with paying for a several hundred thousand dollar trial does not help in the same way.
Many research projects are so bogus that they need rubber stamping by politicians to tell us they are "cosher". Much the same as legal top hats proved the doctors evidence that puts 100's of mothers in prison for life was just fine and death 6 hours after mercury vaccines was not contributing to the cause of death.
Nigeria joins the list of those suspicious of mercury in their vaccines. I recently read a first article from Saudia Arabia that their autism may be higher than the autism record levels in UK and USA. I wait with interest for further news.
When people still overspend research money on genes as a cause for autism and now getting to implicate half of our chromsomes, it is time perhaps to question old established "truths". Is fragile X found in normal children as well as those given the label? The ratio of boys to girls of 2 to 1 is surprising and defies my amateur knowledge of gene illnesses.
We must remember that subdividing problems can lead to erroneous epidemiology without considering the evident fixing or misinterpretation of results that is so obvious.
Autism we need to remember is but 4 per cent of the problem but has attracted as shown here 96 per cent of the best brains to fight it.
I would put this pair of scientists forward for the Nobel Prize. Thats the real one and the alternative one. With current sharing of prizes we could perhaps put a bigger team up for consideration and include certainly Robert Kennedy and apologies for the many that cant be mentioned as there are too many and rising. Fritz Lorscheider for one.
Jane Buergermeister for example has arrived like a flaming comet across the skyline in July 2009 and has already been "shot" down once by those that live in fear of what they have done to others by bad vaccines.
The addition of Senators that listen to David Kirby, Mark Blaxill above will also help.
Let us hope that we do not have to wait another ten years for common sense to prevail.
Just when will the world wide ban on organomercury long promised in 199 come? All I see is increases in exposure.
Also Mark reminds us that autism harm is just the start of regularising the account of harm done by modern science. We do need to remember that vaccines today are NOT those that helped get the world rid of smallpox. Measles is similar to smallpox, so the use of this to get world wide eradication is essential but you can add dozens of other spurious vaccines and many many repeats to over load babies systems.
The vaccine world has sadly got lost with measles in that the promised eradication has not happened and this can partly explain the venom directed again to cover up their wild claims for vaccines that they cannot deliver.
Posted by: John Fryer Chemist | July 19, 2009 at 04:41 AM
All four of my high functioning autistic children were born in Monmouth County NJ. A neighbor's two autistic children were poster representatives for a genetic-autism group. Kudos to Rep. Smith. The man has personal courage. I wish I had confidence that only scientific awareness is necessary to bring about political change at a time when the drums are beating for a flu epidemic in the fall, the "solution" for which, of course, will be a vaccine.
Posted by: mary podlesak | July 18, 2009 at 04:52 PM
My husband and are are fortunate to know Chris Smith very well. He is our representative and our soon to be 14 year old with autism helped in his campaign last year. He understands our situation and has been a leader for families with autism for a very long time. Thank you Chris Smith, Rep Maloney, David, Mark, Dan and all who helped make this happen!
Posted by: Roe and Geoff in Brick | July 18, 2009 at 08:28 AM
Very exciting!!!
Posted by: Twyla | July 18, 2009 at 12:41 AM
Ginger, that's the best idea I've heard in a long time!
Posted by: Jeanne | July 17, 2009 at 11:40 PM
Hip, hip, hooray!!! So many thanks to all involved!! Truly! We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful souls in our "club."
Posted by: Lin | July 17, 2009 at 10:58 PM
Ginger
It goes way before Gerberding.
Posted by: Keith | July 17, 2009 at 10:50 PM
Thanks to David, Mark and Dan for all their hard work. I keep thinking---another one of these briefings--------something has got to give and SOON!!!!!!!!!!! It's time, it's time, it's time..............
maurine
Posted by: Maurine Meleck | July 17, 2009 at 10:31 PM
My thanks also to David, Mark & Dan for making this event happen again. Sad, however, that it must be recur.
Posted by: nhokkanen | July 17, 2009 at 10:12 PM
HEARINGS! HEARINGS! HEARINGS!
I WANT JULIE GERBERDING ON THE STAND AND UNDER OATH!
AND I WANNA ASK THE QUESTIONS!
Posted by: Ginger Taylor | July 17, 2009 at 09:55 PM
Thank you Ben, and Reps. Maloney, & Smith for hosting; thank you David, Mark for all of your hard work, it is greatly appreciated. Thank you Dan for this re-cap - I've been waiting for details all day, now I've got 'em. :-)
Wow, what a day! Big things to come it sounds like...
Excellent work everyone!!
Posted by: Jeanne | July 17, 2009 at 09:55 PM
Great news! Thank you Mark, David, and Dan for all the work. It's very encouraging to hear about Rep Chris Smith of New Jersey. Smith comes from a state where officially one percent of the children have autism. (And many of us fear the real numbers are far worse.) It should be the responsibility of elected officials to address this crisis, even in the face of opposition from the medical community and federal health officials.
My favorite line: "Smith, a member of the House since 1980, said he was not anti-vaccine but said the program should not go unexamined if the price is an autism epidemic." That is what all of us have asked for, a fair and honest investigation of claim that vaccines cause autism. AND IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET.
Anne Dachel
Media
Posted by: Anne Dachel | July 17, 2009 at 09:45 PM
It's good to know there are a few fair-minded representatives who can speak for our children.
Posted by: Mary K | July 17, 2009 at 08:41 PM
Energy and Commerce committee chaired by our old "friend" Henry Waxman? The one responsible for VICP and indemnification of vax manufacturers in the first place? Waxman pushed out Dingell, who had seniority, in what amounted to a palace coup. I'll be curious to see how much (little) interest he has in holding this hearing.
Posted by: Garbo | July 17, 2009 at 07:29 PM
Look for an attendees list to follow. We need to thank our Reps who were represented at the briefing.
And a big thanks to Rep. Maloney and Smith
Posted by: Pamela | July 17, 2009 at 05:45 PM
Thank you Mark and David....and Rep. Smith.
What an Awesome day!
Posted by: Pamela | July 17, 2009 at 05:19 PM
Thank you so much David, Mark & Dan + Maloney and Smith. This meeting represents a huge milestone for families.
Posted by: Lisa @ TACA | July 17, 2009 at 04:42 PM
I assume a "list" of attendees from Senator and Congressional staffs will eventually be posted.
I eagerly await that list...after having taken the time and making the effort to call and email my NEW YORK STATE representatives.
Having no excuse to deny attendance because they "did not know"...I fully intend to recontact my NEW YORK STATE representive offices to ascertain WHY they ignored this "special session on autism"?
It is my intention to use any "excuse" as an opportunity to "publish" in media..especially...local media..I mean real "local" media..local community stuff...the failure of these legislative staffs to attend.
Posted by: Bob Moffitt | July 17, 2009 at 04:27 PM
YEAH! Thanks to ALL of you, David, Mark, and Dan for continually advocating for all of our sick kids and all of the kids we are trying to prevent from joining them!
This sounds like it was an excellent presentation and maybe a foreshadowing of even bigger things to come.
I love it!
XX
Teresa
ps- I am glad Rep. Smith is concerned about mercury being a trigger. It still is a concern for many of us as well.
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | July 17, 2009 at 04:20 PM