Why Autism is Going to Be Here Much, Much Longer...

Unless Major Change Happens...

Opinion by Consumer Advocate  Tim Bolen 

Sunday, March 3rd, 2013

This is the third article in a series focusing on the fact that Autism is a social issue that could have been, and should have been, solved a long time ago. 

The first two articles you can access in the table to the right.  This is an article I did NOT want to have to write for I simply do NOT like to have to openly question, or criticize, those that, for want of a better phrase, are on our side.  Or, at least, APPEAR to be on our side.

But serious questions have been raised - and those accused have not answered those questions satisfactorily - if at all.  Because of this situation there is a huge rift in the Autism community and it is my recommendation to the North American Health Freedom Movement that we keep a hands off approach, offering NO help, or assistance, to them, until the Autism community solves its internal dissent situation.  Why?  To assist, at this point, would only help to perpetuate a VERY bad internal situation. 

For about three years now I've been immersed in Autism politics, writing about it, primarily focusing on opposition strategies and tactics using the Mark and David Geier case series, Brian Hooker PhD's investigation of the CDC series, the assault on Thimerosal in vaccines at the United Nations program to remove mercury from the environment series, and the series on the Doctor's Data versus Stephen Barrett federal court case.  I painted a picture, for my readers, of the opposition for all to see.

But, in my examination of the big Autism picture, something was very clear.  And, that was that despite a very well-organized defense of vaccines, by what I call the "Vaccine Construction", which we all know are the primary cause of not only Autism, but all the rest of the problems described in the "one-in-six US children have a neurological disorder" statement, there was no REAL, organized, counter-attack by "our side" to combat the machinations of the vaccine construction.  None.

At first, trusting in the basic goodness of mankind, I assumed that, perhaps, there was just a lack of strategic and tactical, organizational ability in the Autism community.  I had heard stories alleging that certain Autism leader's idea of effective action was to dress up pretty and go to a meeting of a government agency and sit there quietly.  Kind of a situational naïveté.

But then two things happened almost simultaneously.  And there was a significant relationship between the two.   Enough to change my suspicions from "situational naïveté" to asking the question "Is this a Fifth Column operation?"

Below, I am going to let you read what I was presented with and let you, the reader, make your own decision about what is happening.

More, just while I was beginning to investigate the two things, and their relationship, a third thing happened, and, as a result, I got on an airplane and flew to Washington DC for a private meeting with a  philanthropic organization, and some others, about the Autism leadership problems.  In short, someone else, operating from an entirely different perspective - the funding of Autism activism, was raising similar questions to mine, demanding answers.  They weren't getting satisfactory answers either - so they pulled the funding, and sent me a copy of the stop-funding letter.  And, the letter looked like something that I, Tim Bolen, would have written.  It was scathing.  I couldn't have done better myself.

It was time to get on an airplane and go compare notes, so I did.  More on this a little later.

The Things...

(1)  The First Thing:  The "anti-mercury in vaccines" group Coalition for Mercury Free Drugs (CoMeD) had, through persistence, put the discussion of mercury in vaccines before the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) a UNEP2.  Below is an excerpt from CoMeD's Press Release:

SILVER SPRING, Md., August 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – CoMeD – On Friday, July 22, 2011, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) distributed a revised text for its comprehensive global treaty on mercury.  Advocates for mercury-free drugs were gratified to see pharmaceuticals listed in “Annex C (Mercury-added product not allowed)” of the proposed treaty.

Just to the right, in the table, are seven earlier articles on this subject.  In short, from UNEP 2 through the middle of the last meeting UNEP 5, the removal of mercury in vaccines was very much on the table, with this international treaty making organization.

At UNEP 3, the drug lord's wholly owned front group, the World Health Organization (WHO), coupled with the US FDA, shrieked at the delegates, demanding that they IMMEDIATELY remove the mercury in medicine ban from the Treaty language.  But that didn't happen.

At UNEP 4 there was an even bigger argument.  Coming into UNEP 5 there was every indication that the UN team would eliminate mercury, by treaty, from vaccines, worldwide.  But then two things happened.  The first was laughable - the American Pediatrics Association (APA) had come out with a published article railing against the removal of mercury from vaccines.  What a surprise - sarcasm intended.

But it was the second UNEP thing that was the real surprise.  An Autism group called SafeMinds, who also attended the UNEP meetings, had come out apparently supporting the APA's position opposing the ban on Thimerosal.  More, it came out, SafeMind's representative at the UNEP meetings, their Executive Director Eric Uram, had apparently been working against CoMeD, at UNEP, the whole time. SafeMinds issued their own Press Release just before UNEP 5.  The critical language in their release was:

(2)  The Second Thing:  Jake Crosby, who has been writing for Age of Autism (AoA) for a long time, communicated to me that he had written an extremely controversial article called "SafeMinds Steals the Show - Literally" which had been REJECTED by AoA for publication.  Jake sent it to me asking me if I would publish it..  But, instead of immediately publishing it on my website, and sending it out to my "Millions of Health Freedom Fighters - Newsletter" I put it in a hidden place and sent it out to a much smaller email list called "Autism Leadership Council" and asked for comments.  Here is what I said in the message:

Jake Crosby, who we usually see writing for Age of Autism, has sent me an Opinion Article titled "SafeMinds Steals the Show - Literally" he wrote and has asked me to run it on the Bolen Report.  It is a VERY STRONG criticism of SafeMinds actions surrounding the Autism Hearing in front of the Congressional Oversight and Government Reform Committee, chaired by Darrell Issa.

Jake's article, I am told, was rejected by AoA for publication.

I am asking for comment - either public or private - none of which I would use without specific permission.

This is a SERIOUS ISSUE - one the Autism Leadership needs to discuss.

As you all know I have a very large readership that extends far beyond the Autism community.

Jake's Article, in its entirety, is just below:

Take the time, right now, to read Jake's article.  It's fairly long, with lotsof detail, but it won't take you long to get the gist of it, and sense the outrage, and the arrogance of what SafeMinds actually did. 

Jake's article created ''''FLAMES'''' in the Autism community.  And that was a VERY GOOD THING.  So much so that AoA, reacting to the furor, actually relented, and published their own introduction to Jake's article - "From the Bolen Report: Jake Crosby on Congressional Autism Hearings."   Then they allowed SafeMinds to reply - "SafeMinds & the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform."

Even better, to AoA's credit, they then ran Jake's answer to SafeMind's statement - "Jake Crosby - SafeMinds Ignores Major Allegations While Replying Dishonestly to Other Charges."  Things were looking up...

The Autism community was talking about this everywhere - and NOT in a friendly manner to SafeMinds.  The responses, both on the telephone and via email, to my inquiry about Jake's article, were VERY supportive of what Jake had to say, and more, indicated that this sort of activity was common in the Autism community.   A constant turf war by a specific group who wanted to appear as the leadership.  A specific group with few or no victories in their Win Column.

Rather than write something all over again, just below you will find my response to the answers I got to the question "Should I run Jake's article?"  I posted them to the whole "Autism Leadership Council."

No, I'm not talking about, here, the sponsorship for AutismOne by the Canary Party.  I'm talking about what I wrote in paragraph eight above:

More, just while I was beginning to investigate the two things, and their relationship, a third thing happened, and, as a result, I got on an airplane and flew to Washington DC for a private meeting with a  philanthropic organization, and some others, about the Autism leadership problems.  In short, someone else, operating from an entirely different perspective - the funding of Autism activism, was raising similar questions, demanding answers.  And, wasn't getting satisfactory answers either - so they pulled the funding, and sent me a copy of the stop-funding letter.  And, the letter looked like something that I, Tim Bolen, would have written.  It was scathing.  I couldn't have done better myself.

Last year an organization called "Facing Autism" was formed.  It's purpose was to act as an umbrella group for the Autism community.  I have a copy of the proposal sent to the philanthropic organization.  It's introduction said:

This is a proposed 501c3 umbrella organization designed to connect existing groups working on autism in order by developing a nation-wide network of walks and other fundraising events that will provide the needed profits for a variety of focused, shared services that those groups currently lack entirely or have resources inadequate for their needs.

 The Umbrella Group will be governed by a board of directors

The philanthropist agreed to fund the organization, under certain conditions, and would contribute $50,000 per quarter for one year, then $25,000 per quarter for at least two more years.  The Board of Directors was made up of Jennifer Larson, Mark Blaxill, Katie Weisman, Lou Conte, Kim Mack Rosenberg, Mary Holland, Rebecca Estepp, Kevin Barry, John Gilmore, and Dan Olmstead.

The philanthropic organization funded the first quarter - then the problems started.  On February 6th, 2013 the letter canceling the funding was sent.  I heard, from the philanthropic organization, the reasons why they felt they needed to do that - and I wholeheartedly agreed.  In short, in my opinion, "Facing Autism" simply didn't do what they said they were going to do with the money.

So, where then is the Autism Movement?

From over here in what's called "The North American Health Freedom Movement" we see Autism (and the other neurological disorders) as only two issues: (1) What's causing it, and how do we stop that? and (2) how do we repair the children and the families?

Both of these issues are solvable right this minute.  We, as a society, know what causes them, and we know how to fix the children.  So, what are we waiting for?  Why hasn't this problem been solved?

Good question.  There are a lot of Autism small groups reaching out and solving, or at least mitigating, small problems.  But, in the Autism community there is no General Plan, and no effort to put one together.  More, the top leadership groups, for the most part, are exclusive, not inclusive.

So, in my opinion, without a change in Autism leadership, strategy and tactics, Autism is very much here to stay.

So, what should we, in the Health Freedom Movement do about this?

Frankly, I think we should take this project over, and run it ourselves.  We are much better organized, treat each other with respect, and we like challenges.  Most of all we know how to win. 

And, yes, I have a list of people, and groups, in the Autism world we could work with. 

Stay tuned. 

Tim Bolen - Consumer Advocate