Hi y'all - whether one accepts FC as pseudoscience and that he promotes it or not, one must admit he's a lousy reporter. Does that alone disqualify him? If he can't get his facts right for the public, I'd say yes it does!
On Jan 10, 12:25 am, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > And now for 'the rest of the story'! > > http://www.michaelmoore.com/ > > On Jan 8, 11:03 pm, "Jason (Memphis)" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > Isparklaria, > > > I know you personally and like you but in my opinion you are being > > extremely dishonest and irrational. If there is someone that FC > > helped, the researchers from those journal articles would approve of > > it. The problem is that those faith healing like cases are often > > supported by anecdotal stories. You are also being utterly ridiculous > > with the accusation that I am advocating censorship. I never even > > suggested that Gupta or CNN should not cover FC. That is fantasy that > > only exists in your head. I only stated that Gupta is not the right > > person for the Surgeon General position and explained why. > > > Jason > > > PS--I hope this gets you fired up. The first sentence is nearly a > > direct quote from (or at least model after) your post about me. > > > On Jan 8, 10:14 pm, Isparklaria <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > One of the reasons that I don't like Gupta is that he seems to make > > > sound byte news and also I know of him having an out and out error > > > that he refused to admit in the case of Michael Moore's movie sicko. > > > I > > > am reading the same thing from you. I know you personally and like > > > you, but in my opinion you are not being sufficiently honest. Gupta > > > did not advertise FC. He did not endorse in the stories I read. > > > Maybe I missed something. If I didn’t miss anything are you > > > advocating that the press be censored and no information by on the air > > > about FC unless it conforms to the most negative opinion about it? > > > > Here are the facts as I see them. > > > > 1. There have been several studies on FC. > > > > 2. The results don't look good for FC. For the most part it has been > > > discredited but there are some reasons to believe that the studies > > > had > > > a problem. How you treat people is important and does effect their > > > performance on something like this, especially people with autism. > > > Nevertheless, FC does not look like an effective treatment in nearly > > > all cases. > > > > 3. There are a few notable exceptions where someone was definitely > > > helped by FC. > > > > 4. In my opinion, the people who were helped might have been helped > > > by > > > any quality human contact and help with their communication. However > > > that has yet to be determined. Besides that is one good thing about > > > FC, it requires one on one human contact and help with communication. > > > If someone is basically intelligent and has certain problems (I don't > > > know what they are) then FC did help them. These individuals might > > > never have been helped except for by FC. It seems to me that > > > researchers should be trying to figure what worked about the FC and > > > how to figure out who might benefit from FC or a modified version and > > > also how to identify those people. > > > 5. If I had a child that has autism, I would want to try what I could > > > that could help them and not hurt them. FC it seems can only hurt if > > > it deprives someone of another treatment that might help. It seems > > > that in most cases it is simply a waste of time and money. If time > > > and > > > money and issue than another treatment would probably be the way to > > > go. > > > > 6. From what I read Gupta reported numbers 1 though 3 correctly. He > > > did not advertise FC, he simply reported a story in the news. If I am > > > right about numbers 1 through 3 and the evidence that I have seen > > > indicates that I am right, then in my opinion Gupta should have > > > summarized in some way similar to number 4 above. > > > > 7. Although I don't like Gupta, I don’t know much about him. I will > > > not email Obama unless I see that Gupta really did actively promte > > > FC. > > > In my opinion he didn't so the best job on theses stories, > > > but that's all. FC is not totally discredited, but I would say it is > > > a > > > waste of time and money for the vast majority. Gupta is not as > > > responsible as I would like him to be, but he appears to be more > > > honest than most. I still don't like him but I don’t have a sound > > > reason to oppose his nomination. > > > > 8. The "skeptics" are partly correct but they are dealing in sound > > > bytes and bullying tactics which is often the case. They also don't > > > seem to be interested or capable of dealing with the nuance of > > > criticism about the quality of the research and expect animals and > > > humans to behave in as predictable fashion as gears, pulleys, levers > > > and other simple machines regardless of unfamiliar, unfriendly > > > environment. > > > > On Jan 8, 10:11 pm, "Jason (Memphis)" <[email protected]> > > > wrote: > > > > > Gupta is advertising FC that has been discredited by careful > > > > research. Anecdotal evidence is not scientific evidence. Take are > > > > search design class. What more do you need? For example, anyone can > > > > calm that daily masturbation cures cancer and people can have > > > > anecdotal stories about the power of masturbation in curing cancer. > > > > However, those anecdotal statements do not make masturbation a > > > > validated scientific treatment of cancer. Yes, those "few unusual > > > > people who have unquestionably benefited...[by jerking off and have > > > > cured their cancer by this treatment]". What kind of argument is > > > > that? Someone with that type of judgment (or lack thereof) should not > > > > be a Surgeon General--that is my opinion. Claiming that snake oil > > > > will help in some cases is not what should be said. It is ridiculous > > > > because the person jerks off and forgo other treatments. Just like > > > > children exposed to FC and are sometimes not exposed to other > > > > treatments that have a history of effectiveness. > > > > > On Jan 8, 1:37 pm, Isparklaria <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Jason, > > > > > > I have looked at three of those CCN links and I did not find that > > > > > Gupta was actively promoting facilitated communcation. Maybe I missed > > > > > something. It seemed that he reported that most studies have > > > > > discredited it but there seem to be a few unusual people who have > > > > > unquestionably benefited and a few studies that cliam that it does > > > > > work for a few people. Please post some better information that shows > > > > > that Gupta has actively promoted FC or ask one Gina Green to do so. I > > > > > don't like Gupta and would like to write in against his nomination, > > > > > but I need a reason. > > > > > > Thanks > > > > > > On Jan 8, 10:43 am, "Jason (Memphis)" <[email protected]> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > This above message is from Gina Green, Ph.D., BCBA .... > > > > > > > On Jan 8, 7:56 am, "Jason (Memphis)" <[email protected]> > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > Here some information emailed from some work colleagues. > > > > > > > > Jason > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > > Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 6:46 PM > > > > > > > > Subject: URGENT - Fwd: Surgeon General > > > > > > > > Colleagues, > > > > > > > > Please see info below from Hank Schlinger and Jim Todd, and take > > > > > > > a few > > > > > > > minutes to email the Obama team if you share my opposition to > > > > > > > their > > > > > > > nominating as Surgeon General a media personality who has > > > > > > > repeatedly > > > > > > > demonstrated his blatant disregard for sound science and his > > > > > > > active > > > > > > > promotion of pseudoscience. Please also pass this on to others who > > > > > > > might be concerned. > > > > > > > > ___________________ > > > > > > > > Read the information below from Jim Todd and then please take a > > > > > > > moment > > > > > > > and go to the Obama website below and ask the Team NOT to consider > > > > > > > Sanjay Gupta for Surgeon General. If enough people oppose this > > > > > > > possible nomination, maybe they will drop his name from > > > > > > > consideration. > > > > > > > (see my comments to President Elect Obama below) > > > > > > > >http://change.gov/page/content/contact/ > > > > > > > > "CNN reports that Sanjay Gupta, who has actively promoted > > > > > > > facilitated > > > > > > > communication as a valid and useful communication method, is being > > > > > > > considered for United States Surgeon General. > > > > > > > >http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/06/gupta.surgeon.general/index.html > > > > > > > > Here are some links to Gupta's promotion of FC. > > > > > > > >http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/blogs/paging.dr.gupta/2007/10/giving-autism...... > > > > > > > > As far as developmental disabilities are concerned, Gupta seems > > > > > > > not to > > > > > > > understand the depth of his ignorance. Real people suffer real > > > > > > > harm > > > > > > > because of his advocacy of autism pseudoscience and his promotion > > > > > > > of > > > > > > > ersatz experts over real scientists." > > > > > > > > Dear Obama Transition Team, > > > > > > > > I am writing to express my strong opposition to Dr. Sajnay Gupta > > > > > > > for > > > > > > > U.S. Surgeon general. > > > > > > > > Dr. Gupta has actively promoted facilitated communication (FC) as > > > > > > > a > > > > > > > valid communication method for people with autism. FC has been > > > > > > > thoroughly discredited scientifically, a fact which Dr. Gupta > > > > > > > refuses > > > > > > > to accept, opting instead for anecdotes and personal observation > > > > > > > as > > > > > > > evidence of its validity. > > > > > > > > The job of Surgeon General of the United States is too important > > > > > > > to be > > > > > > > offered to someone who has consistently promoted a > > > > > > > pseudoscientific > > > > > > > technique that has harmed so many children and their families. > > > > > > > > Thank you.- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. 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