Thanks, Joan, for your validation of the importance of our responses from TIPS. (Only 12 letters impressed your state rep? What a powerful lesson in Political Science indicating that maybe only those who care take the time to contact her.) We'd like to think that our own thoughts matter, and your story about your Representative's response is thought-provoking. Do you think we should all reconsider our email responses and send actual snail-mail letters to our State Representatives? My own State Representative said she pays attention to emails the most (which surprised me, but perhaps she's an anomaly). Perhaps we should do both? This is an important issue that deserves our attention. I sent my concerns to the CNN website (and clicked on "negative" for type of response, despite my overall positive attitude toward Sanjay) as well as Obama's website. I've already received an automated response from CNN.
Beth Benoit Granite State College New Hampshire On Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 8:39 PM, Joan Warmbold <[email protected]> wrote: > I am so impressed with this 'call to action' by TIPS to protest the > nomination of a Sanjay Gupta for SG due to his obvious inability to > distinguish valid scientific evidence from bogus, contrived "evidence." > If large numbers of us express our deep concerns with our representatives > as well as with Obama, as recommended by Chris, Beth and Paul, we can make > a difference. As most of you probably know, a real letter expressing your > opinion will carry far more weight than an email. > > I'll never forget a presentation my Jan Schakowsky, a member of the House > of Representatives from Illinois, in which she said if she receives just > 12 letters (not emails or petitions) on any issue, she is strongly > persuaded to study the issue with far more care. We citizens have far > more "potential" influence than we usually avail ourselves of. So thanks > for the encouragement as well your specific ideas on how express our > objection of the nomination of a person for Surgeon General who apparently > does not understand the foundations and principles of good science--a very > serious deficiency to say the least. > > Joan > [email protected] > > > Another option is to write your Senator; here's my letter (I also > > sent a copy to Obama): > > > >> Dear Senator Klobuchar: > >> > >> I have some serious concerns about the nomination of Dr. Sanjay > >> Gupta as Surgeon General, centering on his advocacy on CNN of a > >> questionable form of treatment for autism called Facilitated > >> Communication. > >> > >> First of all, while autism may (it has not been scientifically > >> proven) have a medical basis, all currently effective treatments > >> for it are behavioral in nature, and thus beyond Dr. Gupta's area > >> of competence as a physician. > >> > >> Second, even if Dr. Gupta were competent in this area, the practice > >> in question borders on quackery, and preys on the vulnerability of > >> the parents of autistic children. > >> > >> In brief, this treatment assumes that nonverbal autistic children > >> somehow have within themselves the ability to communicate in a > >> sophisticated manner, and that all that is needed to enable them to > >> do this is to have someone 'facilitate' this communication by > >> physically aiding them in manipulating a keyboard or some other > >> communication device. In practice, this usually involves having > >> the child position her hands over a keyboard while the facilitator > >> supports their arm or hand and aids them in pressing keys. The > >> weakness of this procedure is obvious: it is very easy for the > >> facilitator to deliberately or unconsciously (the Clever Hans > >> phenomenon) guide the child's behavior. > >> > >> In fact, it has been demonstrated that when the facilitator does > >> not know the questions asked of the child, the child's ability to > >> communicate disappears, demonstrating that it was the facilitator > >> that was doing the communicating, not the child. Thus, this is a > >> cruel hoax perpetrated on the parents of the autistic, and it is > >> irresponsible of Dr. Gupta to perpetuate it. Essentially, he is > >> telling these parents that their children are really normal, and > >> their ability to communicate simply needs to be released. > >> > >> This has a cost. By doing so, he encourages people to seek a quick > >> fix and a magic solution, rather than the time consuming > >> educational procedures which have been show to be effective in > >> enabling the autistic to function in society. > >> > >> It should also be noted that, as in the similar case of supposedly > >> repressed memories, the evidence produced by the practitioners of > >> Facilitated Communication of been the basis for the prosecution of > >> parents and care takers of autistic children. > >> > >> The person responsible for the health of the citizens of these > >> United States should show more scientific skepticism in the > >> treatments he advocates, and should be called upon to justify these > >> actions before being confirmed. > >> > >> I should add that there is a superficially similar educational > >> practice called Augmentive Communication that uses mechanical aids > >> such as computers to enable variously handicapped individuals to > >> communicate. This field does not make irresponsible and hyperbolic > >> claims, and it is clear from Dr. Gupta's statements that this is > >> not what he is referring to. > >> > >> Dr. Gupta seems able and well qualified medically, and I hope that > >> this is an aberration produced by his sympathy for a serious > >> problem and his lack of acquaintance with the treatments that deal > >> with it effectively. > >> The onus should be on him to demonstrate that this is so. > >> > >> Personal disclaimer: > >> While I am a psychologist by training (and have been licensed in > >> the State of Minnesota), I have never been in private practice nor > >> worked with autistic children, and have no personal stake in the > >> mode of treatment being offered to them. Nor am I personally > >> acquainted with Dr. Gupta and have no animus towards him. I simply > >> feel that the government's spokesman on health matters ought to > >> practice a healthy skepticism when recommending health practices. > >> > >> I will be glad to provide documentation for my statements, and to > >> connect you and your staff with professionals who are expert in > >> this area. > >> > > > > > > On Jan 16, 2009, at 6:04 PM, Beth Benoit wrote: > > > >> Chris, > >> A thousand thanks for your research. For my part, I researched how > >> to let Sanjay Gupta know, and found this URL as a way to contact > >> him - through the CNN website: > >> http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?67 > >> > >> I think this might be a first line of "defense": to ask Sanjay to > >> reevaluate his approval of FC. > >> > >> Here's the second line of defense: email Barack's transition > >> team. This URL gives you the option on the right of the page, in > >> "Citizen's Briefing Book" to give your ideas, and "we'll give them > >> to the President." (I have to assume they mean the wonderful one > >> coming, and not the present one.) Here's the URL: > >> http://change.gov/ > > > > Paul Brandon > > Emeritus Professor of Psychology > > Minnesota State University, Mankato > > [email protected] > > > > > > --- > > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > > > Bill Southerly ([email protected]) > > > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([email protected]) > -- "We will not learn how to live in peace by killing each other's children." - Jimmy Carter "Are our children more precious than theirs?" --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
