Another time (2016) in response to my #DoctorsSpeakUp activities, antivaxxer Mike Adams of Natural News started publishing libelous articles about me. There were something like 40 of them over the course of about 5 or 6 months, most of them over the course of the first month. 5/
-
-
Just ask patients who came to me with advanced cancers who had wasted time being treated by a naturopath, allowing their cancers to grow and ulcerate, how I treated them or if I criticized them for having chosen naturopathy first. I've never done it. 16/
Show this thread -
Other fake complaints that are easy to spot are the complaints claiming that I wouldn't talk about anything other than my blogs. These are even more ridiculous. I NEVER mention my blogs or social media activity to patients unless they bring it up first. EVER. 17/
Show this thread -
Just a couple of months ago, I learned that some local Michigan antivaxxers were discussing coming to my cancer center in their "V Is For Vaccine" cosplay to "protest." It never happened, but again it caused a brief stir. 18/
Show this thread -
In particular, I despise people who would disrupt operations in any way at a cancer center, where patients with cancer, many very sick, are being treated. I'm fair game, but leave our patients alone; I don't even like the thought of them being inconvenienced or bothered. 19/
Show this thread -
To conclude, if
#DoctorsSpeakUp and#NursesSpeakUp, they have to be ready for the possibility of harassment. A pseudonym is a poor defense. Indeed, if you use a pseudonym, antivaxxers WILL try their damnedest to dox you, and they will often succeed because they are relentless.20/Show this thread -
If you are effective, if your profile rises high enough that they notice you, you WILL be attacked online. It will be worse if you're a woman, because misogynistic attacks will be aimed your way. It will be worse if you're a person of color, thanks to antivax racism. 21/
Show this thread -
If you are effective, if your profile rises high enough that antivaxxers notice you, you WILL eventually be harassed at work. Fake negative reviews will show up on health care rating sites. Your Google reputation might be poisoned. It's inevitable. 22/
Show this thread -
If you are effective, if your profile rises high enough that antivaxxers notice you and you work for a private company, your job might be in danger if you continue to be active on social media defending vaccines. 23/
Show this thread -
Academia tends to view social media activity as a matter of academic freedom and will often rally to the defense of those attacked by antivax cranks. Private companies? Not so much. Managers tend not to want to be bothered and may tell you to knock it off or lose your job. 24/
Show this thread -
These days when my cancer center director sees me, he often says that he hasn't had any complaints about me from antivaxxers in a while. I now respond that, if that's the case, obviously I'm falling down on the job and promise to try to do better. Yes, we joke about it. 25/
Show this thread -
Increasingly, I worry about violence, given the increasingly unhinged violent rhetoric used by antivaxxers, who view themselves as heroic figures and fantasize about Nuremberg-like tribunals after they "win" punishing the pro vaccine establishment. 26/https://respectfulinsolence.com/2017/03/16/the-antivaccine-conspiracy-theory-narrative-you-want-it-darker/ …
Show this thread -
If you see the increasingly violent and dark memes being shared in the recesses of antivaccine and quack websites, you'd be concerned too. 27/https://respectfulinsolence.com/2019/05/03/violent-rhetoric-antivaccine-intensifies/ …
Show this thread -
Indeed,
@delbigtree once said, "I don’t know what you were saving that gun for then. I don’t know when you planned on using it if they were going to take control of your own body away. It’s now. Now’s the time." 28/https://youtu.be/ZaR81c9bscAShow this thread -
Given that antivaxxers regularly compare the pro-vaccine establishment to Hitler and the Nazis, it's no wonder that some of the more unhinged among them start thinking that violence would be justified. 29/https://respectfulinsolence.com/2017/11/08/vaccine-awareness-week-misinformed-consent-course-nazis-eugenics/ …
Show this thread -
Bigtree is also the antivaxxer who donned a yellow Star of David of the sort that the Nazis forced Jews to wear to allow easy identification and persecution, likening antivaxxers to Jews in occupied Europe. 30/https://respectfulinsolence.com/2019/04/15/kucinich-perils-reporting-antivaxers/ …
Show this thread -
I mean,
@RobertKennedyJr himself compared the vaccination program to the Holocaust, not once but at least twice I'm aware of. If you really believe something is akin to the Holocaust, then doesn't it follow that violence would be justified to stop it? 31/https://respectfulinsolence.com/2013/05/30/can-antivaccinationists-knock-it-off-with-the-autism-holocaust-analogies/ …Show this thread -
To be honest, I'm actually rather surprised that no one's gotten hurt yet, given the increasing violence in antivax rhetoric. Sure, someone shoved
@DrPanMD, and sure someone threw menstrual blood at a CA legislator, but no one's suffered serious injury yet. 32/Show this thread -
I fear that time could end any day. There's a parallel between the antiabortion movement and the antivaccine movement. in terms of rhetoric. Eventually, that rhetoric inspired radicalized antiabortion activists to kill doctors who performed abortions. 33/
Show this thread -
It's not too much of a stretch to see the same thing happening in the antivaccine movement. The rhetoric is already there: That the movement is fighting a battle against great evil to protect the lives of its children. 34/
Show this thread -
I don't mean to be so depressing to dissuade anyone from joining
#DoctorsSpeakUp or#NursesSpeakUp. Really, I'm not. I just want you all to know what you might be getting into if you decide to join us in a big way. I hope you will. Only you can decided if it's worth the risks.35/Show this thread -
There are enormous benefits, as well. You can sometimes meet your heroes, for instance. There is community. There is mutual support. I like to think we have each other's back as much as possible. Above all, you're doing good and protecting the health of our children. 36/36
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.