Levi Quackenboss on San Antonio DA Nico LaHood
Thanks to Levi for letting us share this post.
I’ve thought for two days about writing or not writing this post because I wasn’t sure I had anything to add to the conversation about Nico Lahood standing up against vaccine-induced autism.
If you haven’t heard the national news yet, the elected District Attorney in Bexar County (San Antonio) Texas, contacted the Vaxxed team to share the story of his then-18-month old son regressing into autism after vaccination, along with photos of the debilitating eczema his first child suffered through. His last two children are unvaccinated, as it tends to go in these situations.
Obviously, I decided to write.
Nico is a friend of mine, though he doesn’t know I write this blog. I haven’t seen him on a daily basis in many years, but we used to talk all the time. I laugh at the articles that refer to him as the “controversial Texas DA” as if he was already skating on thin ice before standing up and becoming the new face of the American dad that isn’t taking any shit from Merck.
Let me set the record straight on Nico Lahood: he is beloved in San Antonio.
Nico gives exactly zero fucks about what his actions might do at the polls, and not just because his job is set until 2018. As a Democrat, he unseated a 16-year Republican District Attorney in an election where voters were casting straight-Republican tickets. His opponent was the only Republican in the county to lose her job. Democrats who had better things to do that day left their homes to go stand in line and vote for him, when they ordinarily would have skipped it. That is how much he is loved. When he became DA it was probably a pay cut compared to the success he had in private practice.
He first ran for DA in 2010 at the age of 37, which is ridiculously young, but not unheard of. During his first attempt, the sitting DA released his criminal records that he’d filed to have sealed, which were from 1994 when he was arrested for selling 200 (now they’re reporting it as 300) pills of ecstasy to an undercover cop at the strip club he worked at. I don’t know what you were up to in 1994 but I sure am glad there aren’t records of what I was up to. Nico was given a deferred sentence, completed his probation, and the case against him for selling a drug once patented by Merck was dismissed.
So what did Nico do when the DA released his records? He made a commercial about it. He ran a political ad admitting the entire thing. That’s how many fucks he gives. He knows he’d made a youthful mistake but more than that, he knew the current corrupt DA needed to get the hell out of that office and that he was the guy to make that happen.
Nico narrowly lost in 2010 so he came right back at the DA in 2014 and knocked her out. He was endorsed by Eva Longoria and Tim Duncan. When the incumbent refused to debate him, he held his own interview of her using an empty chair because that lady never showed up for anything. Read more here.
And in years to come many will wish they had spoken out,like Mr and Mrs La Hood , and history will treat them harshly for not speaking out. Just as this Surgeon states below on MESH, the greed, the hype, and the reputations..
Top surgeon says doctors are complicit in mesh scandal and it stains reputation of whole medical profession
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/health/top-surgeon-says-doctors-complicit-8766225
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | September 04, 2016 at 02:05 PM
This is Todd (from 'Harpocrates Speaks') commenting on Orac's post on LaHood:
"Part of the issue is that the anti-vaccine movement has this PR juggernaut that rolls along without caring about facts or reality. It’s all emotion and fantasy, but they have a compelling (though false) story to hook people. The science-based community doesn’t have that. Fear, doubt, and anger are so much more powerful than facts, reason, and logic."
1) The science-based fellows (SBF's) don't promote fear...at comment #9 we get this:
"More and more, I believe we’re going to have to see kids start dying of these diseases again to get these people to shut up."
2) The SBF's don't doubt...emphasising the very standpoint of real science.
3) The SBF's never get angry...hence use of terms such as 'ignorant dolt' and 'clown' have nothing inherently ad hominem about them when used by an SBF such as Orac in his post, linked below:
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2016/09/01/a-district-attorney-embarrasses-himself-spewing-antivaccine-nonsense/
You're right Harpo Todd - who can debate such facts, reason and logic? And isn't it obvious that this post is written by someone gripped by emotion and sheer fantasy, and 'anti-vaccine' to boot?
Posted by: Benjamin | September 03, 2016 at 12:44 AM
I wonder if there are some who are threatened and trying to discourage tough talk. I notice "they" don't like it when we fight back or fight fire with fire. Tough $H/T!
Posted by: @Kita | September 02, 2016 at 04:43 PM
Lol Carol
Posted by: Twyla | September 02, 2016 at 03:41 PM
Let's not lose track of the main story here, which is that this is an amazing video and it's amazing that this couple is speaking out. They are so articulate and personable, and Nico is in a prominent position. What they are doing should be done by lots more prominent people. So many are cowering, afraid to criticize this government program. Thank you, Nico and Davida!!
It's also amazing that Del, Andy, Polly et al are traveling around the country in a big beautifully painted RV gathering people's stories and speaking out. Some asked why they weren't just making the movie free online, but here's an example of why -- they are making so many connections with people around the country. Thank you so much, Vaxxed producers, driver, and crew!!
I love Levi Quackenboss's writing. He is so concise and to the point. I don't think he has a vaccine injured family member, so he is one of the few who gets this without direct experience. I don't mind the swear words which to me are cathartic. I can see why some are offended or saying that this is going to turn off some readers. But I'm all in favor of AoA posting his articles anyways. AoA posts a variety of voices.
As far as the mention of Nico being busted at the age of 21 for a drug sale, this is something that Nico is very open about because his opponents don't let him forget it. It comes up whenever he runs for office and, from what I read, his approach is to be forthright rather than trying to suppress this story. The Pharmafia trolls are sure to bring it up, so I think this is a preemptive mention, so that when we hear it from other sources we say, "Yeah, I already knew about that. It's in the past. He's been living a good law abiding life for years now, hard working prosecutor, father, husband," instead of, "OMG! He must not be who I thought he was!"
Posted by: Twyla | September 02, 2016 at 12:13 PM
Like SpongeBob I enjoy the occasional sentence enhancer. I don't understand what the (dolphin chirp, seal bark, foghorn) problem is.
Posted by: Carol | September 02, 2016 at 09:49 AM
Nico LaHood for President.
Posted by: Jane | September 01, 2016 at 08:33 PM
Dan, your say "vulgarity" is OK if it's by Levi. Where do you (you clearly being the censor) draw the line?
The most most vulgar and most obscene graphic of all is the official Child Immunization Schedule never shown here on AoA.
Why does AoA not show this horrific Graphic?
?
Posted by: david m burd | September 01, 2016 at 06:56 PM
The profanity is a non-issue for me. Quackenboss is an in-your-face kind of guy (or girl) but usually has something interesting to say. If the language bothers you why not post your comments on his/her site rather than here? All AoA did was share a link.
More interesting to me is the background information about LaHood which Quackenboss was able to share.
Posted by: Cait from Canada | September 01, 2016 at 05:45 PM
When all is well it is nice to sound erudite. Profanity. The profanity lies in the fact that we have all those autistic kids. What can be a greater profanity than to have to experience one more autistic child. Get over profanity! The people here are really trying to stop that kind of profanity.
Posted by: Birgit Calhoun | September 01, 2016 at 05:25 PM
Hi Kita, thanks for commenting. we don't usually have much vulgarity. levi is a unique voice who deserves to be heard and to avoid him altogether or put dashes where the bad words are just don't seem like good options. there is something about the current state of affairs in the autism world that makes the occasional swear word feel warranted, at least to my ear. -- dan
Posted by: Dan Olmsted | September 01, 2016 at 05:00 PM
There is no denigration at all, just a summary of stuff that the opposition would have dredged up at the first chance. Please. Where has appropriate got you at this point? If anything it's time to get more disobedient.
Posted by: @Kapoore | September 01, 2016 at 04:50 PM
Bottom line: "Profanity" via person-to-person discourse is not a problem.
BUT, in public/media statements on such as autism/vaccines issues it can only "turn people off" - and thus lose track of the extreme dangers of vaccines.
Posted by: david m burd | September 01, 2016 at 04:15 PM
I have never posted before, but I read here every day.
The vulgar language is, in my opinion, regardless of the urgency of the message, disrespectful of the readers, the language and our culture. It is a move to the lowest common denominator. Courtesy serves, in part, to invite others to rise to higher levels which facilitates broader discourse at its best.
It shows a real lack of imagination as well. Regardless of what language we use in private, what is said in a public forum is another matter. If the writer can't bother to come up with a more concise, insightful and skillful mode of expression I can't be bothered to read it, either. Thus the message is lost and I'll think twice about going to that source for information in the future.
Posted by: Kita | September 01, 2016 at 04:06 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFzl8251jIY
Houston Council Member Jack Christie Discusses "VAXXED" Documentary
Posted by: Linda1 | September 01, 2016 at 03:01 PM
I agree about the profanity being inappropriate. This seems like a denigration of a man who in the video shows so much courage and compassion. First of all there is the profanity and then there is drudging up the past that is not so great. If I had a friend like this, I would really question whether he was a friend at all. Maybe this is a hit piece in disguise. Nico is a hero; his friend is not.
Posted by: kapoore | September 01, 2016 at 02:31 PM
talks the talk walks the walk ..true pro.
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | September 01, 2016 at 01:38 PM
"Why the unnecessary profanity? Real turn off."
I think it's appropriate. Because the perpetrators are so holier than thou, so proper, so superior, so snooty, so dishonest, so criminal, Levi cuts through the phony facade and drags these creeps into the street with those they are attacking. Street talk in this case is actually perfect.
Posted by: Linda1 | September 01, 2016 at 12:53 PM
I'm a fan of profanity when it's making a strong point. This man is up against a ruthless media machine that is already setting him up as "controversial." Get over your sensitivity because many in the media use that term and if ever there was a time for righteous anger it's now.
Fantastic to read about this hero who will stand up to the pharmaceutical shills.
Posted by: for Tom | September 01, 2016 at 11:50 AM
Like.
Posted by: Dan Burns | September 01, 2016 at 11:02 AM
Why the unnecessary profanity? Real turn off.
Posted by: Tom Hoyt | September 01, 2016 at 10:34 AM
In this Vaccine Holocaust, one is either a crook, a coward, or a hero.
Nico LaHood is a hero.
Time for a lot more heroes to man up.
Posted by: Laura Hayes | September 01, 2016 at 09:52 AM
Finally admitting that vaccines are the cause of the Autism epidemic is a vote winner .
Not a vote loser .
and that is the problem Offit and Gerberding and all the other soon to be convicts have.
Posted by: White Rose | September 01, 2016 at 08:02 AM