Why Offit won't debate

[Guest guest]

First of all, I'm not sure the decision is his to make. His " handlers "

(ie Pharma) know he isn't up to the job. He's fine for certain

purposes, doing lectures for other doctors (aka sympathetic audiences)

and brief appearances on the news, because of his academic credentials.

But he's a loose cannon, and his bosses know it. You guys have seen

him- he is so emotional, high strung, nervous, even when just talking

to a reporter- and nervous he should be, because our children threaten

his livelihood. The Rotavirus fiasco could have been a career ender.

His beloved Menactra is causing young people to get Guillain-Barre.

Maybe he's feeling insecure? He sure looks like it- on the verge of

crying or lashing out, even under fairly benign circumstances.

And off camera, he has been witnessed to scream, shout, and generally

make an ass of himself, when confronted with science-quoting,

mercury-hating parents like us. He will even go out of his way to take

his target away from potential witnesses, before tearing into them.

Although not always, because these tantrums have in fact been

witnessed.

He just does not have what it takes to take us on- any one of us

parents, much less the likes of Kirby. He doesn't have the

science, but maybe even more important, he doesn't have the emotional

stability. He would start losing style points immediately, which would

go a long way toward losing the debate in the eyes of an audience that

doesn't know anything about the topic. So, if he's the best " they " can

do- well, how much longer will it be before we win in the court of

public opinion, which is where it really counts?

Yesterday, I got my hair cut, and when I talked to my hairdresser, I

told her about mercury, vaccines, the whole issue- she knew nothing

about it. Her son was born in 1989. It was a large pill for her to

swallow- but the thing that sealed it, was when I told her, these kids

weren't around when we were growing up. (We're both in our 40s). A

light went off- she said, " yeah, mental retardation has always been

around, but autism? ADHD? Learning disabilities? That just wasn't

around when we were kids. "

Answer THAT, .

" For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor

to tolerate error so long as reason is free to combat it. "

Jefferson