AutismNewsBeat apparently wanted to attend a conference hosted by TACA -
As the father of a child with autism, I assumed that $50 would get me in the door at the Wisconsin Real Help Now Conference, sponsored by the anti-vaccine group Talk About Curing Autism Now.For those of you who don't know, TACA (Talk About Curing Autism) is an organization that seeks to help people treat and hopefully (someday) cure their autism. If you have read anything written by AutismNewsBeat, you would know that he is very against everything that TACA stands for. And, if you had read comments like the ones he leaves on the autism site on about.com, you would know that he tends not to be polite in conversations - especially with people that he disagrees with.
Apparently TACA knows this and have told him that he is not welcome at their conference -
The purpose of our Wisconsin Real Help Now Conference on Saturday, February 27, 2010 is to bring together members in the autism community in order to educate and support families and facilitate dialogue on important issues related to autism. As such we want to nurture an environment that is conflict free and allows open communication.
Your attendance at a previous national autism conference was disruptive to the mission and purpose of that conference. We want to ensure the focus of the conference is on education and support and that the environment is safe and supportive for conference attendees.
We have given you a full refund of the purchase price. You will not be admitted to this conference.
AutismNewsBeat is upset because all he wanted to do was bring some skepticism and pointed question that are "by their nature disruptive to the 'mission and purpose' of these types of organizations". And what's a supportive, conflict free environment without a little disruption? After all, it is his god given right to go and spread his version of "the truth" to enlighten the heathens. Right?
Yeah, um, no.
Perhaps if AutismNewsBeat wants to use his style of "education", he should stick to the on-line world where people can filter out what he is saying and he can't spoil the discussion for everyone. Or does he feel that it his right to disrupt events that he disagrees with?
TACA did the right thing.
I agree - TACA did the right thing. To do otherwise, which is to say, allow alternative points of view, free inquiry, and evidenced-based decision making, then TACA would have to change its mission.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting ANB.
Good grief.
ReplyDeleteTACA didn't let you into their conference therefore they are against "evidence based decision making"?
They are not blocking you from having an alternative point of view, they are simply blocking your attempt to hijack what THEIR conference is about. If you want to get out your own point of view, do the work to set up your own conference.
Or perhaps you should consider the fact that the other people attending the conference are not interested in what you have to say but are paying to attend the conference to hear what TACA has to say?