# Pitch in to Help Andrew Wakefield’s Defense Fund!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitch-in-to-help-andrew-wakefield-s-defense-fund/613815>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 24, 2012, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitch-in-to-help-andrew-wakefield-s-defense-fund/613815 "2012-02-24T06:20:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitch-in-to-help-andrew-wakefield-s-defense-fund/613815/41 "2012-03-01T00:17:34Z")

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> [@spankthecrumpet](#):
>
> I think that’s a bit naughty.

Meh. It provides me with entertainment value to think about it. Not that I would do it, since I don’t have enough time in my day to waste it that way.

> [@spankthecrumpet](#):
>
> Most of these people are well meaning and have gone through a huge amount of suffering with their kids. They genuinely believe. Taunting them ain’t going to help - and it makes them stick together even more.

No, most of the people on Age of Autism are NOT well-meaning. They definitely have “suffered,” in the sense that they are quite convinced that having a child with autism is the worst possible thing ever and someone must pay for it. Their strident insistence that autism is caused by things that have been demonstrated over and over and over and over again to be not at fault doesn’t help their children or them. And they already stick together quite well. Taunting them isn’t going to change that, but it’s an amusing thing for me to consider.

> [@spankthecrumpet](#):
>
> I actually know quite a bit about this because my father is a medical professional who is at least partly into this rubbish, so I know how they think. It is very much like conspiracy theorists with a martyrdom complex. In any case they are certainly sincere in their delusions and not out to rip people off, whatever it looks like.

I just wrote a book about this issue, so believe me, I know VERY WELL how they think. And I don’t care. The book wasn’t for them anyway, since they won’t be convinced.

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**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitch-in-to-help-andrew-wakefield-s-defense-fund/613815/42 "2012-03-01T01:32:04Z")

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> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> Just about every drugstore around has signs out offering the shingles shot. Is there some difficulty for you to get one? (Are you not 60 yet? You could probably get a prescription from a doctor easily, just for the asking, I’d bet.) I got mine, just a few weeks ago, from my HMO provider.

Early 40s. Just rather disturbed at what shingles can do to you. :eek:

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