Fwd: DC Power of Parents Rally News, Parents (and an 11 year-old boy) blackli...

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 09/10/2005 06:37:58 GMT Daylight Time, yogilmore@... writes:

Just got back from Washington and I wanted to give folks who weren't there my impression of the Power of Parents Rally. We gathered early Friday morning on a very wet nasty day. Fortunately the weather didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the many people from across the country who came, some people came from as far as Hawaii! We gathered in front of the Voice of America building and marched to the front of the Department of Health and Human Services which includes the FDA and the CDC. There were lots of creative and poignant signs and chants of "Hey Hey Ho Ho mercury has got to go." And "Stop the mercury, Stop the Lies"The rain realy started to come down and it would not have been safe to operate a sound system outdoors as originally planned. Fortunately, Rep. Weldon, sponsor of the house bill to get mercury out of vaccines obtained a hearing room for us. As planned the speakers spoke, including Kirby, Senator Stabenow of Michigan, Rep. Dan Burton of Indiana, Rep. Dave Weldon of Florida and mercury bill co-sponsor Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York. I can't tell you much about what they said because it was standing oom only with many people, like me, who couldn't get in. I would really like to hear any witnesses recounting of what was said. Even though I couldn't hear what was said all the speakers were enthusiastically recieved by the folks inside.After that we went off to go lobby our various elected representatives. My assesment of the lobbying efforts judging by the comments of many participants leads me to make a few conclusions:The support for mrercury-free vaccines is growing, but a lot of work needs to be done especailly in the Senate.There is growing support for a full-investigation by the Senate of the mercury/autism connection and the cover-up,and,There is a desire to pass the Combatting Autism bill but it will need significant changes including much more money for actually research rather that the CDC full-employment provisions that dominate the current bill.I think real, solid progress is being made by our community to move Congress to do the right thing.We gathered after business hours to disuss the days events, make new friends and strategize. The rain became truly brutal so we cancelled the candlelight vigil. There is no way it could have happend with out everyone becoming thoroughly soaked.So ends Friday. On to Saturday and the American Academy of Pediatrics convention at the National Convention Center. Saturday took on a whole different complexion on the Thursday night before the rally. Generation Rescue rented a booth inside the AAP convention intent of bringing their very simple but powerful message to the pediatricians: autism is preventable, and autism is curable. They asked for volunteers to help them at their booth. The volunteers names were provided to the AAP who were supposed to issue crenditials to allow the volunteers to enter the convention center. On Thursday the AAP sent Generation Rescue an email and said that seven volunteers would not be permitted in the convention center. The reason for the blacklisting given by the AAP is the seven volunteers would be "participating in the Power of Parents Rally." The "DC 7" include Bono, Bono, Lyn Redwood, Tommy Redwood MD, Will Redwood (11 years old), Fournier and myself.With that attitude as a backdrop we began picketing, chanting and handing out leaflets in front of the Convention Center. A lot of docs just ignored us, others looked intensely uncomfrortable, and others said they agreed with us. Many of those who agreed with us did in whispers to picketing parents. The docs are clearly afraid to let their views be know if it doesn't follow the official AAP line. One picketing parent, who is also a pediatrican and paid to attend the convention, was refused entrance to the event unless she covered up her t-shirt that had an anti-mercury slogan, other parents were asked to leave the foyer of the convention center, which is a public building, when they went into buy cups of coffee and use the bathroom.After a rousing morning of goading, prodding and otherwise annoying the doctors, speeches were made. We had to use a bullhorn because we had been unsucessful in obtaining a permit for a sound system after weeks of trying and dozens of phone calls, faxes and visits to the appropriate DC agency. In the middle of Bono's speech a police officer order him off the top of the small section of the steps leading to the convention center where the speakers were standing. After the speeches the "DC 7" enter the convention center to confirm that we really would be refused admission. We went in with a couple of TV camera crews and presented ourselves at the exhibitor credential line. They looked a little flummoxed. After about 15 minutes they found a pretext to order the TV crews out of the building and cancelled the press pass of Don King a professional film maker from Hawaii who was videoing the event.Eventually a PR manager was found who could make a decision and she told us we would have to leave. We asked why. She said because we were distributing leaflets outside the convention center door. We said only one of us had been distributing leaflets which is a constitutionally protected exercise of free speech, and no one had told her to stop, and besides we had been banned the day before any of us came to Washington. Caught in a lie, she just changed reasons. She then said we were banned for having participated in the rally on Friday. Even though some of the banned folks hadn't got to DC until after the rally. The PR flack was asked if anyone who particilated in the rally would be refused admission to the AAP convention. She said "Yes". She was asked if Sen. Stabenow would be refused admission, She said "Yes" She was asked if Reps. Burton, Weldon and Maloney would be refused? She said "yes" to that too. Having made our point we left.The events of today are a represent a major change in our struggle. The pediatricians can no longer pretend that they have no responsibility in this public health disaster and they know that there is a large, organized group, with growing political connections, intent on holding them responsible for both their actions and inaction.For all of the many people who came to Washington for the Power of Parents rally all those hours in the rain have made a powerful statement both to our elected officials and to the bureucrats of medical orthodoxy, and that is exactly why we came. We are in a much better position for further action and we completely freaked the AAP. Congratulations. Mission accomplished.

Just got back from Washington and I wanted to give folks who weren't there my

impression of the Power of Parents Rally. We gathered early Friday morning on a

very wet nasty day. Fortunately the weather didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the

many people from across the country who came, some people came from as far as

Hawaii! We gathered in front of the Voice of America building and marched to the

front of the Department of Health and Human Services which includes the FDA and

the CDC. There were lots of creative and poignant signs and chants of " Hey Hey

Ho Ho mercury has got to go. " And " Stop the mercury, Stop the Lies "

The rain realy started to come down and it would not have been safe to operate a

sound system outdoors as originally planned. Fortunately, Rep. Weldon, sponsor

of the house bill to get mercury out of vaccines obtained a hearing room for us.

As planned the speakers spoke, including Kirby, Senator Stabenow of

Michigan, Rep. Dan Burton of Indiana, Rep. Dave Weldon of Florida and mercury

bill co-sponsor Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York. I can't tell you much about

what they said because it was standing oom only with many people, like me, who

couldn't get in. I would really like to hear any witnesses recounting of what

was said. Even though I couldn't hear what was said all the speakers were

enthusiastically recieved by the folks inside.

After that we went off to go lobby our various elected representatives. My

assesment of the lobbying efforts judging by the comments of many participants

leads me to make a few conclusions:

The support for mrercury-free vaccines is growing, but a lot of work needs to be

done especailly in the Senate.

There is growing support for a full-investigation by the Senate of the

mercury/autism connection and the cover-up,

and,

There is a desire to pass the Combatting Autism bill but it will need

significant changes including much more money for actually research rather that

the CDC full-employment provisions that dominate the current bill.

I think real, solid progress is being made by our community to move Congress to

do the right thing.

We gathered after business hours to disuss the days events, make new friends and

strategize. The rain became truly brutal so we cancelled the candlelight vigil.

There is no way it could have happend with out everyone becoming thoroughly

soaked.

So ends Friday. On to Saturday and the American Academy of Pediatrics convention

at the National Convention Center. Saturday took on a whole different

complexion on the Thursday night before the rally. Generation Rescue rented a

booth inside the AAP convention intent of bringing their very simple but

powerful message to the pediatricians: autism is preventable, and autism is

curable. They asked for volunteers to help them at their booth. The volunteers

names were provided to the AAP who were supposed to issue crenditials to allow

the volunteers to enter the convention center.

On Thursday the AAP sent Generation Rescue an email and said that seven

volunteers would not be permitted in the convention center. The reason for the

blacklisting given by the AAP is the seven volunteers would be " participating in

the Power of Parents Rally. " The " DC 7 " include Bono, Bono, Lyn

Redwood, Tommy Redwood MD, Will Redwood (11 years old), Fournier and

myself.

With that attitude as a backdrop we began picketing, chanting and handing out

leaflets in front of the Convention Center. A lot of docs just ignored us,

others looked intensely uncomfrortable, and others said they agreed with us.

Many of those who agreed with us did in whispers to picketing parents. The docs

are clearly afraid to let their views be know if it doesn't follow the official

AAP line. One picketing parent, who is also a pediatrican and paid to attend the

convention, was refused entrance to the event unless she covered up her t-shirt

that had an anti-mercury slogan, other parents were asked to leave the foyer of

the convention center, which is a public building, when they went into buy cups

of coffee and use the bathroom.

After a rousing morning of goading, prodding and otherwise annoying the doctors,

speeches were made. We had to use a bullhorn because we had been unsucessful in

obtaining a permit for a sound system after weeks of trying and dozens of phone

calls, faxes and visits to the appropriate DC agency. In the middle of

Bono's speech a police officer order him off the top of the small section of the

steps leading to the convention center where the speakers were standing. After

the speeches the " DC 7 " enter the convention center to confirm that we really

would be refused admission. We went in with a couple of TV camera crews and

presented ourselves at the exhibitor credential line. They looked a little

flummoxed. After about 15 minutes they found a pretext to order the TV crews out

of the building and cancelled the press pass of Don King a professional film

maker from Hawaii who was videoing the event.

Eventually a PR manager was found who could make a decision and she told us we

would have to leave. We asked why. She said because we were distributing

leaflets outside the convention center door. We said only one of us had been

distributing leaflets which is a constitutionally protected exercise of free

speech, and no one had told her to stop, and besides we had been banned the day

before any of us came to Washington. Caught in a lie, she just changed reasons.

She then said we were banned for having participated in the rally on Friday.

Even though some of the banned folks hadn't got to DC until after the rally. The

PR flack was asked if anyone who particilated in the rally would be refused

admission to the AAP convention. She said " Yes " . She was asked if Sen. Stabenow

would be refused admission, She said " Yes " She was asked if Reps. Burton, Weldon

and Maloney would be refused? She said " yes " to that too. Having made our point

we left.

The events of today are a represent a major change in our struggle. The

pediatricians can no longer pretend that they have no responsibility in this

public health disaster and they know that there is a large, organized group,

with growing political connections, intent on holding them responsible for both

their actions and inaction.

For all of the many people who came to Washington for the Power of Parents rally

all those hours in the rain have made a powerful statement both to our elected

officials and to the bureucrats of medical orthodoxy, and that is exactly why we

came. We are in a much better position for further action and we completely

freaked the AAP. Congratulations. Mission accomplished.