Adam Schiff asks Amazon to Censor Books About Vaccination
The latest call for censorship of the vaccine topic is targeting Amazon, which sells books. Lots of books. MY BOOKS. There are books on Amazon that I do not ever want to read on topics I find disgusting, distasteful and even dangerous. I do not want those books censored. I can choose NOT to buy those books,. Censorship of a topic is unAmerican in the extreme. Censorship is the tool of despots and dictators who fear what Schoolhouse Rock taught me in the 1970s. Knowledge is power. Knowledge drives consumer choices.
Do you know how many DIET books are on Amazon? Over 60,000. They are often best sellers, yet Americans are in an obesity epidemic. I wrote a book, a memoir, with a chapter on vaccination. My best friends in the world know that I have vaccine injured children. They have met them. They love them. They read my book. They vaccinated their children with all the vaccines I said were a big NO for me. People read and make their own decisions.
Adam Schiff is from California, by the way. We're also learning that many vaccine related movies have been pulled from Amazon Prime. Can you heel the heels stomping behind you?
By Rachel Becker, in The Verge
Influential Democrat asks Amazon to explain why it promotes vaccine misinformation
‘Every online platform, including Amazon, must act responsibly.’
Congressman Adam Schiff is putting pressure on Amazon to curb the spread of vaccine misinformation in its online store. Misinformation around vaccines — like the debunked myth that it causes autism — has led to some children in the United States not getting vaccinated, and is seen by experts as a ‘major contributor’ to recent measles outbreaks.
Schiff’s letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos follows two others letters Schiff sent to Google head Sundar Pichai and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. In all three, Schiff criticized the platforms for serving up anti-vaccine propaganda where people look for information about vaccines. He also criticized Amazon for accepting paid advertising for anti-vaccine media. “Every online platform, including Amazon, must act responsibly and ensure that they do not contribute to this growing public-health catastrophe,” Schiff wrote.
The letter references a recent report from CNN that revealed that the vast majority of top search results for “vaccine” on Amazon provide anti-vaccination misinformation. CNN also reported that Amazon accepts paid advertisements for promoting anti-vaccine media. Right at the top of the “vaccine” search results is an ad for the free Kindle e-book Vaccines on Trial that fear-mongers about the safety and efficacy of vaccines. (To be fair, there’s also an ad for the $259.19 Kindle edition of the massive, authoritative, evidence-based textbook Plotkin’s Vaccines.) Read more here at THE VERGE.
And Aimee; we all got our soft spots, sweet spots for all these stuff. I got mine too! You should have seen me many years back about hole in the ozone layers. That was lie. Darn vaccines was a lie, I was for them! Oh I was so for them. And those Republicans same as Democrats, neither believe in personal freedoms or - less government. Sigh, Nothing is every what I believed. Nothing.
Posted by: Benedetta | March 05, 2019 at 04:19 PM
Love and hugs to you, and yours Aimee. I stopped giving B vitamins to mine, and he is been so day dreamy of late. I filled up his medicine container last night with plenty. Now if only his Dad will not stop with him, anymore; and they both pig out on a big glutinous bun hamburger at MacDonalds. Then I have to deal with both them. LOL.
I have heard many times that everyone is afraid to not support Democrats because they are the ones that believe in Medicaid, Medicare, social programs, or disability while the Republicans don't; so says the Democratic party leaders. Is it true though?
Or is it just a scare tactic?
I think that all started with President Johnson's great society. He created a lot of social programs many were failures with social security/Medicare money? Social security and many social programs are supported by both parties. I am sure not out of the goodness of either party's heart, but more about them all getting reelected.
Medicaid is from each state government. Depends on which state you live in. If it is a wealthy state they are more generous.
Posted by: Benedetta | March 05, 2019 at 10:40 AM
@Benedetta -
No hard feelings. This is hard on all of us and I think we all worry about the impact of mandates and censorship. I was sort of out sorts that day too - my son is going through a regression and no one knows why or can seemingly do anything about it. Currently exploring medical cannabis as an option.
All of us walk a hard path. I know something about yours from your posts too. I always respect you and wish you well. I hope that even when we have disagreements on something we can work out a way to talk about it and come to a solution.
And you're not totally wrong in your assessment of me. I do support some Democratic positions - Democrats are generally in favor of Medicaid (without it, my son would not have his day program and would sit home all day); IDEA (which has never been fully funded and which desperately needs more funding with influx of students with autism); and SSI (my son's only source of "income").
Take care. I look forward to many more discussions with you and wish the best to you and your family.
Posted by: Aimee Doyle | March 05, 2019 at 07:35 AM
@ Hans Litten: Here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7I96ymBmnk
Posted by: Michael S. | March 05, 2019 at 12:44 AM
Sorry Aimee.
I probably did mean it as an insult and should not have. Long tiresome days, and nights gets me short on temper, and I should not have taken it out on you. Please forgive me my fellow mother of sorrow and friend.
I am glad you set the record straight on what you believe, and that we fully agree with one another on a great deal of things.
I brought up healthcare as an example of when one party has all the power, and how they still don't do anything for the American people. With all the power, and all scary responsibility that they better do it; they still managed to help the medical corporations while pretending to do something for the American people. Something would have been to lower medical cost.
I also brought up healthcare because "they" still want to take our rights away - the right to sue--(I have heard of that somewhere before' we both have!).
Our autism leaders keep telling us to keep our heads up, our hearts strong, that the truth has to come out. Has to.
What is two years compared to the time that has gone by already on this issue, and all the lives that will never reach their full potential.
I never expected that it would happened in just two years to tell the truth. There are still "too many" just "Too Many" people that thinks nothing about vaccines period, and when they do; they are safe and effective and no big deal. The truth will win out, but not till it is so obvious that --- you finish that thought.
Posted by: Benedetta | March 04, 2019 at 04:31 PM
Surely it would be unwise to boycott Amazon at the present time while they are still providing a service for most products.
Posted by: For Prime Member | March 04, 2019 at 01:10 PM
Prime members:
1. Contact customer support and ask why Prime content is being removed at the request of congresspeople
2. Cancel your 'Subscribe and Save' items NOW (I know it's inconvenient but we have to speak a language Amazon will understand and that is their bottom line.)
Posted by: Prime member? | March 04, 2019 at 12:54 PM
Story seems to have been REMOVED ! Can anyone else find it ?
Hobart council seeks answers on anti-vaxxer stall at health expo
www.abc.net.au
The presence of anti-vaccination material at a State Government and Hobart City Council-sponsored event is under scrutiny.
Posted by: Hans Litten | March 04, 2019 at 05:53 AM
When it comes to trampling our guaranteed First Amendment rights, our silence is our consent. The general public isn't reading Age of Autism, so we have to become more visible. I've written Schiff about his stance of vaccines and I'm sure he's never bothered to read any of his email pertaining to the subject as he's likely already had his mind made up for him. Organizing a protest might be effective if it was staged AGAINST Whole Foods because fighting against money sometimes brings attention, and also, there might be some sympathetic shoppers on the side of health freedom and the right to free speech.
Posted by: Michael S. | March 04, 2019 at 04:40 AM
Like many other Autism parents, I reduced my shopping at Amazon to a great extent. I buy very few low value items at Amazon that are not usually available at other places or not easy to find elsewhere. So, my Amazon shopping bill is $100-$200 per year.
Posted by: R Prasad | March 03, 2019 at 06:35 PM
This story prompts a new definition for a Congress(so)man.
New definition for Congressman or Congresswoman: A Congress person who stifles, suppresses and censors the people and their opinion to serve his/her personal selfish goals??
Posted by: R Prasad | March 03, 2019 at 06:31 PM
Tim, I understand that Vaxxed is no longer available for live streaming on Amazon, although customer can still buy the DVDs.
With YouTube banning advertisements on antivaxx videos and talk that Facebook is about to manipulate its algorithm to down-list us, it seems these companies are trying to have their cake and eat it too. They want to do the PC thing and take a slap at us, but they're also extremely concerned about doing anything drastic that would entail serious lost business. Consider Facebook got to be such a media giant at the expense of the MSM. Feeling that the news was too sanitized and censored, people turned away from them and onto Facebook for the 'real' goods. Asking Facebook now to ban us amounts to requesting that Facebook relinquish the stolen loot. I imagine Facebook though did not get so big by making really stupid moves, and I would be very surprised if they take serious actions against us. Indeed things are getting scary for the provaccine cause when the antivaccine one is starting to draw in money.
Posted by: Greg | March 03, 2019 at 03:55 PM
Any American man or woman WHO professes Censorship, Book Burning or removal of parts of our Constitutional rights to free speech should be removed from office.
Posted by: Shelley Tzorfas | March 03, 2019 at 02:49 PM
@Benedetta - "You are such a little Democrat. It runs so very, very deep; like it is part of your heart."
I suspect that's an insult. I don't call people names. Why do you feel the need to insult me? Yes I'm angry because Trump has done nothing. Quite frankly, I think that's appropriate. Thousands of children have been diagnosed with autism during the past two years, and he and his administration have done nothing.
You also say I like Schiff and add "I bet you have a tender spot for him because he is a Democrat. He is a swamp creature."
Where exactly do you get this? For the record - I do NOT like Schiff. I adamantly oppose what he is doing. I do NOT like Pan - and adamantly opposed what was happening in California with respect to SB277. I don't think you can find any examples in my posts where I have supported either of them. I don't support any Democrats who advocate vaccine mandates or censorship. So please don't say things about me without supporting evidence.
I've been an independent most of my voting life. I have often criticized the Democrats for their policies with respect to vaccines and autism. Yes, I criticize Republicans too, especially when they have the power to make a difference on this issue, and choose not to. Yes, Government Oversight and Reform Committee, I mean you. Yes, Trump, I mean you.
Why are you okay with Trump doing nothing? I really, really don't get this on an issue this important to the next generation of children. You say "Trump is all alone" How so? Could you explain how he has no power to do anything about the autism/vaccine situation? It seems that he's gotten all the other things he wanted: federal appointees, Supreme Court justices, legislation, etc. During the past two years, how many of his appointments to government agencies were denied by the Republican Congress? People like Price, Azar, Gottlieb, Fitzgerald, Redfield - Trump appointees all - control the vaccine agenda and conversation in America. Plus, he has Twitter - and could easily tweet about this issue if it were important to him.
Benedetta - I'm not sure why you brought up the other matters on health care. For the record, I think there was a lot wrong with Obamacare, and I don't think you can find a post where I said otherwise.
Posted by: Aimee Doyle | March 03, 2019 at 02:07 PM
Aimee: You are such a little Democrat. It runs so very, very deep; like it is part of your heart.
Once again; Democrats did most Americans no favor when they had it "ALL" a few years back on health insurance. They loved winning it all, drunk on power, but you could see they were a bit scared too. Cause they knew it was all them, and they could not refuse to doing something (at least appearing to do something all because the other evil party was stopping it all and obstructing.
Still they managed to say that Republicans were just obstructing everything; as they made sure any help with medical cost benefitted their donors and friends but not the average citizen. Don't get me wrong; the Republicans were the same way. I listened to Mitch McConnel's second in command at a large breakfast held by the bank and he suggested that they pass legislation to stop junk medical lawsuits. Since I was sitting right in front; I shook my head "NO" vigorously, and thank goodness he saw me. I told him afterwards our rights to sue for vaccine injuries had left us in a mess with vaccine safety. Ohhh, but they would like to do just that. President Bush wanted to, too. The Republicans had nothing when it came to medical health cost; just like the Democrats had nothing cause they are unwilling both; BOTH to confront the real problems of rich, medical, middle men billionaires/millionaires --rich.
. . For heaven sakes.
Trump is all by himself; except for maybe a "Few" count on one hand; some really decent politicians that right now seem more on the Republican side than the Democrat side. I mean there is really very little real talent, no heart of a public servant among them. They are all swamp creatures the Republicans and the Democrats. You like Schiff? I bet you have a tender spot for him because he is a Democrat. He is a swamp creature. Just like Sessions was a swamp creature. I am telling you Aimee it is "US" -- you and me against them all; and right now one man Trump.
What ever happened to Posey? Old Jason E. Chaffetz said he was going to do something and he did; he quit!
Posted by: Benedetta | March 03, 2019 at 12:39 PM
I don't see that Vaxxed has been removed from Amazon, and searching for it by "vaxxed" brings it up early in the list. The movie ranking is "Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV) #1 in Movies & TV > DVD > Special Interests"
With that said, I've seen numerous more subtle censorship on amazon, from removed or hidden reviews to failure to return something in a less-specific search. It definitely takes place.
Posted by: Tim Lundeen | March 03, 2019 at 12:37 PM
@Bob -
So you think it is more important to focus on what Schiff did rather than what Trump did not do. Got it - you're certainly entitled to your priorities. But I think both are important. You are criticizing Schiff (as do I) for using his power, and I am criticizing Trump for not using his power to do something. Both action and inaction lead to worsening the autism crisis in this country and so yes, I call out both.
This is why I feel it necessary to comment on what Trump is not doing.
1. Trump agreed during his campaign that autism was a crisis and promised to do something about it. He has done nothing, despite having the world's largest bully pulpit, a Congress willing to vote his legislation into law, and affirm his nominated appointees to government agencies.
2. Autism is a crisis! How many children were diagnosed with autism during the past two years while the administration did nothing? I just don't understand why there isn't an outcry about this. Every day we don't do something, more children are diagnosed with autism.
Why are so many people okay with inaction?
Posted by: Aimee Doyle | March 03, 2019 at 11:52 AM
A year or so ago I stopped all Amazon purchases because they scrubbed approximately 1000 negative reviews of a Hilary Clinton book on the excuse that these were just persons who had a different political view than hers, not a true negative review of her book. When Amazon started to censor information creating a false reality like Google had been doing for years, I figured I'd had enough.
(BTW, I stopped using Google directly as a search engine in 2006.) I guess it is time to put pressure on other Amazon shoppers as well as pressure on Adam Schiff. Failure to uphold the first amendment should not condoned by silence.
Posted by: Michael S. | March 03, 2019 at 11:18 AM
@ Aimee ….
Good to hear you "agree that both parties are responsible.
Also good to hear … "the censorship Adam Schiff is promoting is reprehensible. Maybe the outcry against censorship will make a difference. I certainly hope so."
I am disappointed in some of Trump's appointments and failure to be more active regarding vaccines as I hoped he would be … but … I do not feel it necessary to continually comment on all of the things Trump is NOT DOING .. every time someone in office ACTUALLY DOES SOMETHING .. SUCH AS … SEND LETTERS DEMANDING CENSORSHIP OF THE THREE GIANT TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONS. I think it better to remain FOCUSED on WHAT SCHIFF DID .. THAN WHAT TRUMP DID NOT DO.
Just my humble opinion ..
Posted by: Bob Moffit | March 03, 2019 at 11:17 AM
@Bob - Fair enough. I agree that both parties are responsible - I think I've always said that. I think this situation has arisen, over decades, because both parties are controlled by corporate, profit-driven interest rather than being truly representative of citizen concerns. I agree that the censorship that Adam Schiff is promoting is reprehensible. Maybe the outcry against censorship will make a difference. I certainly hope so.
However, here's why I'm holding Republicans particularly responsible now. It is unusual when one party has the kind of total control the Republicans had for the last two years (it's much more common to have a divided government - with Congress split,or the President and Congress split). Republicans had two years where they held all the power (Presidency, Congress, Supreme Court, and appointed Republican heads to all government agencies) and they did NOTHING about vaccines or the autism epidemic. Why weren't they called out for this? Why weren't they held accountable by readers on this page and in the larger community? I think this is the most urgent health crisis we are currently facing.
For the record, I've been a political independent most of my voting life. And like you, I am sad and angry about the state of our politics. However, Trump promised to do something about autism and he had the tools to do it. He's done nothing to make things better that I can see - and has arguably made things worse - I'm thinking Scott Gottlieb as head of the FDA and the recent actions he's taken.
Posted by: Aimee Doyle | March 03, 2019 at 08:42 AM
@ Aimee re: "Democrats haven't fully taken hold of Congress - they only hold the house. Republicans still hold the Presidency, the Supreme Court, and the Senate. "
With all due respect .. while it is true the Republicans hold the house, Presidency, Supreme Court and Senate .. my comments directed towards Adam Schiff were not critical of him because he is a DEMOCRAT .. they were directed at him because HE IS THE ONE USING HIS POSITION AS NEWLY INSTALLED DEMOCRATIC HOUSE LEADERSHIP SENDING LETTERS TO THE GIANT MEDIA OUTLETS .. AMAZON, GOOGLE AND FACEBOOK .. demanding they CENSOR any and all information that is critical or even raises serious questions regarding the safety and efficiency of vaccines and the polices by which those vaccines are recommended/approved and monitored.
Letters by the way .. that were not sent until NOW .. by HIM.
How many times must it be said .. in my humble opinion .. that BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES ARE HEAVILY INVESTED OCCUPANTS OF THAT CORRUPT SWAMP THAT GOVERNS OUR COUNTRY AS WELL AS OUR EVERY DAY LIVES .. BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES HAVE FAILED .. AND .. CONTINUE TO FAIL .. ON THE ISSUE OF VACCINES … TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE THEY ARE ELECTED TO REPRESENT. INSTEAD OF CONDUCTING VIGOROUS OVERSIGHT AND REGULATION OF THE VACCINE INDUSTRY .. THEY HAVE INSTEAD BECOME SURROGATES FOR THE VACCINE INDUSTRY.
My friend .. I am approaching 80 years of age .. my eldest daughter .. now 54 .. mother to three of my five grandchildren .. diagnosed with ITP .. at that time an extremely RARE BLOOD DISEASE .. had her spleen surgically removed at the age of 4 .. and .. it took 35 years before I learned her rare blood disease was caused by a VACCINE she had received. My third grandson just turned 19 .. regressed at 2 years of age .. diagnosed autistic .. remains non-verbal and fixated on Elmo to this very day. In my LIFETIME … every institution that YOU have identified .. the Presidency, Supreme Court, Senate and Congress .. were at various times controlled by EITHER REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATIC PARTY .. and .. after DECADES of witnessing the FAILURE OF BOTH PARTIES TO SERIOUSLY ADDRESS THE EVER INCREASING DAMAGE TO SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS ... I HAVE COME TO ONE CONCLUSION ON THIS ISSUE .. I NOW CONSIDER BOTH REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC PARTIES A VIRTUAL SWAMP OF CORRUPTION .. WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN MORE OF A PROBLEM THAN A SOLUTION TO OUR CHILDREN AND LONG SUFFERING COMMUNITIES.
Posted by: Bob Moffit | March 03, 2019 at 07:50 AM
" Oh duck, ooh Pooh !"
The rabbit -duck illusion -Wikipedia
Matt McGinn - Magic Shadow Show YouTube
"The opposite of love is not hate ,it is indifference" Elie Wiesel .
[WHO] World Health Organisation needs to produce it's basic risk assessments, for all the recommended vaccinations it is promoting . No risk assessments available ? as not completed?
leaves evidence based medicine in a sorry state of "Bumping it's gums on fresh air" with nothing to sell but "A hope and a promise" speaking out of both sides of one mouth at the same time, to sell a "Best interest" risk assessment as safe and effective but a bit ,a tad and a wee titch unsafe at the
same time? Does the machinary workings really think that the public's heads zipp or button up the back !
Posted by: Morag | March 03, 2019 at 04:26 AM
@ Beleaguered Autism Mom "Isn't contacting the speaker of the house requesting his censure in order? (citing his letters to CEOs to limit free speech considering his non-existent background/knowledge of vaccination)"
I live in California, and Schiff is my Rep. What about a recall? The government cannot advocate the termination of free speech. If this was brought to court, some sort of precedent could be set criminalizing what he has done. It's pretty blatant.
Posted by: Michael S. | March 03, 2019 at 04:03 AM
Email Jeff Bezos at [email protected]
Below is the email I just sent, and below mine is an email sent by a friend and colleague. Please join us!
Subject: Amazon's censorship of materials critical of vaccines is abhorrent
Dear Jeff,
I am the mother of a severely and permanently vaccine-injured young adult child. He suffered catastrophic brain injury due to his "routine" childhood vaccinations. I was not provided with any of the risks associated with vaccines prior to him, or prior to either of his 2 siblings, being vaccinated. That was in the early to mid-90s. Not much has changed since then, as parents continue to be blatantly lied to about the safety, efficacy, and necessity of vaccines. Our son is now 25 years old, must be supervised around the clock, is fully dependent, will never live independently, will never work, will never get married, will never have children, and will never reach the potential with which he was born. He is one of millions whose lives have been decimated by vaccinations.
For more than 2 decades now, I have researched, written, and spoken on the topic of vaccines. To think that my work, and that of my colleagues, is being censored is both unbelievable and reprehensible. Such censorship violates the freedom that we proudly claim as American. My work, and that of my colleagues, might very well be the means by which an individual or parent learns how and why to protect themselves and their children from vaccine-induced harm and death.
Perhaps you have never researched vaccines, their sordid history, their heinous ingredients, their abominable failure rate, the chronic illnesses and developmental disabilities they cause, the fertility they destroy, the lives they prematurely end, the immunity they destroy, and the health benefits they cause recipients to forever forfeit. Assuming that might be the case, I invite and encourage you to watch or read two comprehensive vaccine-related presentations I have given in the past 2 years:
Why Is This Legal? by Laura Hayes
https://www.ageofautism.com/2018/11/why-is-this-legal-presentation-on-vaccines-by-laura-hayes.html
Vaccines: What Is There to Be 'Pro' About? by Laura Hayes
https://www.ageofautism.com/2016/12/vaccines-what-is-there-to-be-pro-about-laura-hayes-to-weston-a-price-foundation-conference.html#comments
I will not continue to give my, or my family's, business to Amazon/Whole Foods if it does not cease and desist in its censorship of that which is critical of vaccines and the many who profit from them.
Sincerely,
Laura Hayes
Granite Bay, CA
Here is one from a friend and colleague of mine. Please join us!
Dear Jeff,
I just heard about Amazon's intent to pull anything "anti-vax." You have many incredible resources that those of us with vaccine injured family members (yes, vaccine injury happens - frequently) have purchased and relied on for years. Many of the products you sell will be referred to as "antivax" because they dare to tell the truth about vaccine injury, the lack of safety studies done on vaccines, the lack of efficacy, and the zero-liability Pharma has with multi-billion-dollar vaccine sales. The books and movies I have purchased from Amazon have been "pro-truth," but will be referred to as "anti-vaccine" in this campaign to censor. Quality research is cited in every "anti-vax" book or movie I have purchased from Amazon. Vaccine injury is common, and it can be devastating for life. Once it happens to you or a loved one, obtaining resources to figure out what is going on is vital. Please do not take away access to those resources. People deserve to read or watch and decide for themselves as informed consumers which medical procedures are right for themselves and their families. Just as with many other health/nutrition offerings from Amazon that are not censored, consumers must have the choice to learn about all aspects of vaccines -- including the history, ingredient lists, adverse reaction tables, injury statistics. Do not censor access to the information needed to truly have informed consent. This censorship and control over what people can choose to read or watch is quite frightening and reminiscent of very dark times in world history. I hope you will reconsider the decision to censor information about vaccine truth and vaccine injury.
Thank You,
Posted by: Laura Hayes | March 02, 2019 at 10:40 PM
It says it is a best seller. It is a great movie. I hope it don't vanish on my amazon link also!
Posted by: Benedetta | March 02, 2019 at 10:17 PM
I found Vaxxed on Amazon. DVD for 24 dollars?
Posted by: Benedetta | March 02, 2019 at 10:16 PM
Vaxxed is still available on Amazon. Hope it will continue. What Schiff is demanding is an installation of outright fascism in the US. We know very well how fascism ended. The new medical fascism will end in revolution, no doubt. And it will end in destruction and nationalization of all pharmaceutical corporations. I am now going to vote for socialists. It seems, it is the only way to destroy these genocidal corporations and save young generations.
https://www.amazon.com/Vaxxed-Cover-Up-Catastrophe-Del-Bigtree/dp/B01IHSJO6M/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_3?crid=1B4IL9EQA3YFO&keywords=vaxed+dvd&qid=1551578504&s=gateway&sprefix=Vaxxed%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-3-fkmrnull
Posted by: no-vac | March 02, 2019 at 09:12 PM
@Bob
Democrats haven't fully taken hold of Congress - they only hold the house. Republicans still hold the Presidency, the Supreme Court, and the Senate.
Why didn't the Republicans do anything about this issue when they controlled the government for two years? And the Republican controlled Senate still has the power to hold hearings. Trump still has the power to issue executive orders and to tweet. Certainly Trump has more power than Schiff. Why not use it?
Posted by: Aimee Doyle | March 02, 2019 at 08:58 PM
Another example of Amazon crashing and burning
https://www.autisminvestigated.com/amazon-prime-censorship/
Posted by: Autism Investigated | March 02, 2019 at 08:55 PM
Tell him why he made a mistake. Don't leave it up to someone else. https://schiff.house.gov/contact
Posted by: V J West | March 02, 2019 at 06:18 PM
It is frightening that the media now brazenly advocates outright censorship. And note that the Verge wants to include in the ban books that are obviously not "antivax" but simply recommend alternative vaccination schedules. Yet the Verge tacitly admits that we are winning in the open marketplace of ideas: note that nearly all of Amazon's vaccination bestsellers are more or less critical of current vaccination policy. I very much doubt that the Verge author -- or Adam Schiff -- have actually read the books they want to ban.
In addition to hiring thousands of internal censors (a growth profession for twentysomethings) the big tech companies offer censorship privileges to an assortment of "trusted flaggers", representing establishmentarian groups of both the left and right:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-twitter-solicit-outside-groups-often-on-the-right-to-referee-political-speech-11546966779
Peter Hotez wants "medical experts" to be one of these "trusted flaggers", and they probably already are. In that capacity they can, and no doubt will, block anything that makes doctors look bad.
Posted by: Jonathan Rose | March 02, 2019 at 04:46 PM
SNIP from the IPAC letter to Zuckerberg:
Dear Mr. Zuckerberg,
"With reports this mid-February that Facebook is considering censoring so-called "anti-vaccine" posts, I am writing to convince you that the people doing these posts are mislabeled, purposively, and that their messages are being misrepresented. In fact, these people should not be labeled at all; they are, simply, "American citizens".
The population of Americans who have concerns over vaccines have a legitimate concern, and they, like all Americans, have Constitutional rights under the First Amendment and elsewhere to communicate with each other. Moreover, they have a civic duty to participate in their own government, and Facebook provides a public forum both for communication and for virtual assembly. Finally, they in fact have the right, under the US Code of Federal Regulations, to refuse to participate in clinical studies on vaccine safety. The pressure upon you to silence those reporting issues with vaccines is the latest attempt of individuals who have been short-circuiting US Congressional mandates to make vaccines safer.
But if additional, non-pejorative labels are useful, the correct terms for the populations in question are "ex-vaxxers", "the vaccine risk aware", "the vaccine injured", and yes, some are outright, self-identified "anti-vaxxers". Almost all have been human subjects in vaccine safety studies without being properly consented.
As a lifelong scientist who has devoted my life to the reduction of pain and suffering, I would not be truly informed on the realities of vaccine risk had I not decided to write a chapter on vaccines as biomedical success story in one of my books. I will provide you with specific verifiable facts and their accompanying references, to help you in your decision-making on whether Facebook posts by members of the vaccine-risk aware community are, in fact, anti-science. I propose that regulatory agencies have been captured and that a dangerous form of corporatism has become entrenched in the US government that poses a serious risk to some families.
Fact 1. The Pharmaceutical industry has captured the CDC, the FDA, and Congress.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, former CDC Director, was hired by Merck, Inc. after keeping Dr. William Thompson silent on concerns over how his colleagues at CDC were handling findings of positive association between on-time MMR vaccination and autism.1,2,3
The CDC Foundation receives donations from over 200 corporations, many of which are vaccine manufacturers, in 2017 reporting over $470,000,000 income from donors.4..."
Posted by: Bayareamom | March 02, 2019 at 04:18 PM
Looks like Jeff is planning to open non-Whole Foods grocery stores and also acquire regional grocery chains, too. I guess he wants to control and monopolize all the food in our nation. I hope the other grocery store chains resist acquisition.
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/amazon-open-foods-grocery-chain/story?id=61425225
Posted by: The Original Someone #1 | March 02, 2019 at 03:41 PM
I hope great minds are putting together alternatives for disseminating information and buying books, videos, etc. Forrest Maready has said that he may consider starting an old-fashioned print magazine sent through the mail to connect. This is awful, but I guess we knew it was coming. Facebook, Amazon, etc., are private entities and so they don't have to guarantee freedom of speech and of the press. The worrisome thing is if they plan to say that it is endangering public health to not vax and talk to others about it, and criminalize doing so. I hope there would be enough public backlash to prevent that from happening, but we may have to just wait and see. It would be easy to go to court and say So what is the terrible damage you say has been done? Millions with autism and autoimmune disease, now how many have died because they caught x disease from an unvaxxed person? Oh, yeah. Zero. So not really akin to yelling fire in a crowded theater and trampling many to death. You say 100 people caught measles? Well, lucky them. Did they die? Were they disabled by the experience? And now back to how many were disabled by the vaccine.
I keep looking to see what the vote was on the Brett Guthrie MMR hearing but haven't seen anything. When was it or will it be?
Posted by: cia parker | March 02, 2019 at 03:32 PM
https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00009585
Adam Schiff got a lot more money than usual in 2018. It is these law firms and the investors they represent, profiting from liability-free vaccines that are driving the censorship. Isn't contacting the speaker of the house requesting his censure in order? (citing his letters to CEOs to limit free speech considering his non-existent background/knowledge of vaccination)
Posted by: Beleaguered Autism Mom | March 02, 2019 at 03:25 PM
Benedetta: Amazon apparently is, vanishing Vaxxed without a trace.
Posted by: Gary Ogden | March 02, 2019 at 03:15 PM
Unfortunately, Amazon did abide:
https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/amazon-pulls-anti-vaccination-documentaries-prime-video-1203153487/
Posted by: Bayareamom | March 02, 2019 at 03:11 PM
All forms of communication in the United States will need to be shut down very soon.
due to the NEW very special, MMR vaccine / "Merck's Master Race"
those who avoid it become the masters
Posted by: go Trump | March 02, 2019 at 03:09 PM
@ Benedetta:
Sadly, Jeff Bezos has caved to the will of some Congressman named Schiff out in California. He has removed some movies like Vaxxed from Amazon. Jeff is now complicit in all of this, too.
As I do not live in California, there is nothing I can do about Schiff. I most certainly don't vote for him, but apparently enough people in California still do. I do wish, however, that someone would do some digging and come out with some serious dirt on him. Surely there is something quite unnervingly spectacular hidden somewhere about him. These days, only a great big scandal is enough to unseat someone like him.
Posted by: The Original Someone #1 | March 02, 2019 at 02:56 PM
But amazon is not abiding by it right?
Schiff can write all the letters he wants. Wild eyed, crazy man.
Posted by: Benedetta | March 02, 2019 at 01:58 PM
Adam Schiff I did not think he had time for this?
I thought he was busy on TV, lying with every other word coming out of his lips.
By the way; have you noticed his eyes?
The wild eyed look, strabismus, I have been looking for it more, now, and might be getting kind of good at it. Adam Schiff has strabismus. My, my, my he don't even know, and being so rewarded in his crazy thinking. It is a mad, mad world and is only going to get worse, I think.
Posted by: Benedetta | March 02, 2019 at 01:48 PM
May the Streisand Effect be always with him.
Posted by: greyone | March 02, 2019 at 01:44 PM
With all due respect to boycotting Amazon … I think the greater enemy of our community is ADAM SCHIFF .. congressman from California .. as it is the Congressman who is sending letters .. not only Amazon .. but also to Google head Sundar Pichai and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg .. with the intended purpose of prevailing upon ALL THREE GIANT INTERNET PLATFORMS to cease and desist serving up anti-vaccine propaganda where people look for information about vaccines.
Now that the Adam Schiff's Democratic Party has taken control of Congress .. he is in an even stronger position to continue the "delay, deny hope they die" oversight policies that have failed for DECADES to regulate the vaccine industry .. resulting in ever increasing numbers of recommended and approved vaccines … which are nowhere near as 'SAFE AND EFFECTIVE' as our Public Health bureaucracies … CDC, HHS, IOM, FDA insist they are.
I suspect concerns are growing that more and more parents are refusing to vaccinate their children .. so much so that Schiff feels it necessary to go public with his letters to these giant corporations .. and .. I am hoping there are some Congress Representatives who will publicly CHALLENGE this effort to CENSOR books that have critical information regarding UNAVOIDABLY UNSAFE vaccines in the US. If the books that Schiff wants to CENSOR contain information that is provably FALSE AND MISLEADING .. let him take to the floor of the house and DEMAND HOUSE HEARINGS ON THE SAFETY AND EFFICENCY OF VACCINES .. CALLING AS WITNESSES TO TESTIFY THOSE WHO HAVE AUTHORED THESE BOOKS.
Indeed .. Schiff can immediately demand public health bureaucracies initiate a truly independent, scientific study of "vaccinated v. unvaccinated" populations .. to ascertain if BOTH populations have suffered the same inexplicable, dramatic increase in chronic autoimmune disorders that were far less common in ALL PREVIOUS GENERATIONS … AS WELL AS COUNTRIES THAT DO NOT HEAVILY-AGGRESSIVELY VACCINATE THEIR CHILDREN AS DOES THE UNITED STATES.
Let AN OPEN CONGRESSIONAL DISCUSSION ON VACCINES BEGIN .. LET ADAM SCHIFF LEAD THE WAY ..
Posted by: Bob Moffit | March 02, 2019 at 01:14 PM
Not an MD: I no longer shop at Whole Foods or Amazon. We are entering a period of full-throttle medical fascism. A period of darkness. Adam Schiff has apparently wiped clean of our Constitution those quaint words, "Congress shall make no law. . .abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. . . ." He's either never heard of them, or has nothing but contempt for the citizenry. The only good news here is that the cat is out of the bag, otherwise, why would they take such draconian measures to try to stuff it back in? We will not be silenced. The criminals will not succeed in taking over the full reins of our government. Odd, as I write this, to see an amazon logo to the right of the page. How long will that be there, I wonder?
Posted by: Gary Ogden | March 02, 2019 at 12:43 PM
My first thought is this is truly Orwellian. But really I feel like I’m living in the Twilight Zone now.
Posted by: 4Bobby | March 02, 2019 at 12:34 PM
It is time to boycott both Amazon and Whole Foods and any other company associated with Jeff Bezos. Jeff is about to lose $19,500 from me this year from the loss of my Whole Foods shopping alone. I can now find many wonderful organic products at ShopRite and at Costco. I don't NEED to shop at Whole Foods for either food or supplements, do you? I sure don't NEED to shop at Amazon for anything, either.
I'm done with this crap. If Mr. Bezos wants to see our might and what we think about his new censorship of vaccine injury related items on Amazon, let's all boycott Whole Foods and Amazon, effective immediately. If you are a Prime Member, drop your membership and tell them why you did. If you have an Amazon account, close it, and tell them why you did. What a big dent we can make! Let him feel OUR pain for a change, in the only way he can feel pain--by devaluating his companies' stock prices, by diminishing his profits! Are you game? I am! Let's let where we choose to spend our money speak for us. There is no mandate to shop at these Bezos owned places--- at least not yet!
Posted by: Not an MD | March 02, 2019 at 11:56 AM