Stop Government Repression of those who speak out on Lyme disease!

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http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/09/276353.html?c=on#c76318

Lyme disease F | 02.09.2003 13:45 | Health

(4 health newswire)

Stop Government Repression of those who speak out on Lyme disease!

Defend Kathleen Dickson, victimised by the Connecticut Dept of Children &

Families for speaking out on Lyme disease!

Defend Masterson, victimised by the London Borough of Harrow Social

Services for speaking out on Lyme disease!!

The US and British governments are using repressive methods to muzzle anyone

who speaks out on the political issues surrounding Lyme disease.

In the US, insurance corporations and vaccine/biotechnology lobbies have

influenced the medical establishment to lie to the public about the nature,

diagnosis and treatment of Lyme borreliosis .This influence also extends to

Britain, and has contributed to a near-total silence on the issue there..

Lyme is a bacterial tick-borne illness which is rivalling AIDS as the

fastest-growing infectious disease in the US. .If not treated early and

adequately with antibiotics, it can result in a severe incapacitating illness

with neurological, cardiac and other complications.

HOW TO COMPLAIN

Please follow this two-step process:

1) PHONE the Public Relations office of the Connecticut Department of Children

and Families, and make your views known on the repression of Kathleen Dickson

for her campaigning activities. (See letter below for further details.)

Telephone: (+1) 860-550 6305

2) Please EMAIL the following protest letter (or write your own) to the email

addresses at the end of the text.

Lift the ban on speaking the truth on Lyme disease!!

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Dear sir,

Re two related cases:

Kathleen Dickson, victimised by the CONNECTICUT DEPT OF CHILDREN & FAMILIES for

speaking out on Lyme disease!

and Masterson, victimised by the LONDON BOROUGH OF HARROW SOCIAL SERVICES

for speaking out on Lyme disease!!

Kathleen Dickson has been among those in the forefront of campaigning in the US

to expose fraudulent practice on Lyme and corporate domination of medical

science on this issue. Kathleen played an active role in the International Lyme

and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), a world-renowned body of professionals

in the field. She founded Actionlyme, an international advocacy group for

sufferers of the disease. A biochemist, she was one of the key witnesses whose

testimony brought down the fraudulent LymeRix vaccine, which caused enormous

suffering and morbidity when it was put on the market.

As a result, Kathleen became victim to a smear campaign by the authorities who

tried to use an ex-husband convicted of violence against her to testify against

her on a range of bizarre allegations. She has been falsely accused of

substance abuse and mental health problems, threatened with jail, and

threatened by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) with removal of her

kids. On Tuesday, 2 September she will again face court.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Masterson's story bears some

similarities with Kathleen's. Though is much newer to Lyme campaigning,

she spoke out publicly on the internet with practical suggestions for raising

public awareness on the issue of Lyme. The British government maintains that

Lyme is extremely rare in the UK, but the true incidence is unknown , as it is

not an officially notifiable disease.

A short time later, was visited by the social services department of the

London Borough of Harrow where she was staying with her four children, whom US

Lyme specialists believed to be suffering from Lyme encephalopahy. On 14

August, 2003 the social services took her children away from her, citing

" extensive medical tests " ruling out Lyme. In fact these were blood tests

performed in the UK, which the US Congress had acknowledged in 2002 to be

unreliable in ruling out the disease.

now stands accused of Munchausens-syndrome-by-proxy, and " inducing " Lyme

symptoms in her children. Her case, like Kathleen's, imvolves unsubstantiated

allegations about drugs, and like Kathleen's , was supported by " evidence " from

her ex-partner, who made serious false allegations against after he was

promised custody of the kids by social services.

The repression against the two women comes against a background of intimidation

and threats against doctors and scientists who have publicly taken a stand

against the corporate interests on Lyme. American doctors who have refused to

submit to the diktat of insurance companies have been hounded by the courts.

Two have even committed suicide as a result of the pressure they faced. In

Britain doctors and researchers also feel intimidated. A young student, Tracey

Mawby, died under suspicious circumstances while researching the public health

risk from Lyme disease in Norfolk, England.

> We demand an end to politically-motivated repression against those who speak

out on Lyme disease!

We demand that Masterson's children are returned to her, and that all

charges are dropped against Kathleen Dickson!

Sincerely,

Name....

Organisation/Profession..................

Town.....

country.............

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Please email this to the following addresses:

charris@... (Editor, Harrow Times, London)

life@... (Science newsdesk, The Guardian newspaper, London)

With copies to :

kathleen.dickson@... and

mastersonfamilycampaign@...

F

e-mail: lordpilrig@...

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Comments Hide the following comment

Lyme Disease Cover-up, here and abroad 05.09.2003 09:23

Thanks to everyone who helped circulate and protest about the persecution of

the two Lyme disease activists, and Kathleen.

The good news is that the American DCF (its like the social services here) did

not manage to win their case against Kathleen Dickson. However the court thing

drags on and there will be another trial.

The bad news for here in Britain is that the social services split up her

kids on Sunday without even telling her. The twins were split up, one twin and

his sister were sent to one foster carer, the other twin and the youngest girl

sent somewhere else. is not allowed to know where they are.

Some American Lyme experts believe that most of the people that were diagnosed

as ME really have got Lyme disease.They tested a lot of ME patients in america

for Lyme and found it. Theres about 150,000 people with ME in the UK.Thats a lot

of Lyme patients if theyre right.

The worst thing is that Lyme disease is treatable with antibiotics, but if you

have been told you have got ME, you wont get given any,because thats a virus.

Weve got only one lab in this country testing for Lyme disease. Its at

Southampton. A lot of people who were told by that lab that theres no Lyme in

their blood went to other labs outside the country and then got told that there

is.

Masterson had her kids taken away because they had a negative blood test

for Lyme from that lab and she still said they had Lyme. Thats because a doctor

in America who is the top specialist in the world for Lyme in kids told her that

they did . Also the american congress and even Bush has admitted that the

blood tests are not reliable.

The kids are in big danger now because if they relapse the foster carers wont be

prepared for this. They could drown in the bath.

Kathleen's situation is also very bad, she has been refused benefit even though

she is very ill with Lyme disease, and she has got one child ill with Lyme too.

The government hates her because she is a scientist and she knows how to expose

a lot of the fraud that is going on in america for the vaccine companies to make

money.

If you would like updates on how to help and Kathleen, please email me at

mastersonfamilycampaign@...

Natasha

e-mail: Natashawilson197@...

Homepage: http://uk.geocities.com/mastersonfamilycampaign

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