Aspies For Freedom

Kathleen reported on her blog that she has been served with a subpoena in a vaccine case, apparently because the lawyer was annoyed about her reporting on it.

Among other things, the subpoena demands copies of any communication she has had with about a hundred (I didn't count them) pro-neurodiversity bloggers.

I couldn't make this up if I tried.

Quote:

10. The subpoena violates my First Amendment right to freedom of religion by demanding information about my religious beliefs.

11. The subpoena violates my Fourth Amendment right to freedom from unreasonable search and seizure because it is overbroad and general in character.

12. The subpoena is impermissible under Rule 26(b)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which allows discovery of only those matters that are relevant to the subject of the action. None of the information requested in the subpoena can reasonably be anticipated to assist the court in determining the cause of Wesley Sykes’ neurodevelopmental disorders, the truth of the plaintiffs’ factual allegations, or the liability of Bayer Corporation for negligence, design defect, or breach of warranties. The subpoena therefore serves no legitimate evidentiary or investigatory function.

Seems like she has some sensible arguments against it.

I've just sent out the blog link to a few people in the media.

Getting all kinds of lawyerly information reading all the legal outrage posts. The 100 plus bloggers are OK apparently since they can't be subpoenaed as a 'dragnet' process. The things one learns Smile

Looks like she's got it in hand. I think this is nothing more than the plaintiff's trying to shut down the site by stealth. The response is terrific and appropriate - and she did it without legal assistance of any sort! I'm impressed!

Good idea, Gareth! And because you're not in the US they can't exactly do anything about you!

Shocking stuff.

And when I wrote about Jenny McCarthyism I thought I was just being clever. Rolleyes

Yet another example of the attempted (il)legal suppression of autistic voices. Truly the ugly head of McCarthy lifts itself from the muck of history. The subpoena shouldn't get anywhere in the courts, but if the judge allows it then it truly is another age of McCarthyism we are entering.

Timelord Wrote:

Looks like she's got it in hand. I think this is nothing more than the plaintiff's trying to shut down the site by stealth. The response is terrific and appropriate - and she did it without legal assistance of any sort! I'm impressed!

Good idea, Gareth! And because you're not in the US they can't exactly do anything about you!

Apparently a number of the bloggers listed in her blogroll aren't in the US either. But still plenty are.

Lotsa blogs write about apparently, think I saw some that weren't directly neurodiversity related.

silky Wrote:

graphictruth Wrote:

I just posted about this: In the matter of Shoemaker v. Seidel; Court of public opinion; The Hon. Bugs Bunny Presiding.

Strange. That link set off the "scam website" caution alert on my security software.

It's also a first post by a new user. Exercise caution.

I'm kind of disappointed my blog didn't show up on the subpoena--would've been an honor! Tongue

(And an annoyance, but that's probably the point of it. They're trying to annoy her into silence.) But then, I'm new and not all that much into the mercury controversy... it seems a trivial thing to me, obviously false, something on the order of people who deny the holocaust happened. All you need is some basic college-level biology, statistics, and anatomy/physiology, and it's transparently obvious that autism has nothing to do with mercury.

graphictruth Wrote:

Callista Wrote:

I'm kind of disappointed my blog didn't show up on the subpoena--would've been an honor! Tongue

(And an annoyance, but that's probably the point of it. They're trying to annoy her into silence.) But then, I'm new and not all that much into the mercury controversy... it seems a trivial thing to me, obviously false, something on the order of people who deny the holocaust happened. All you need is some basic college-level biology, statistics, and anatomy/physiology, and it's transparently obvious that autism has nothing to do with mercury.

I know what you mean. Maybe we could start a "Me Too!" blogroll?

How about an I am Spartacus type thing with loads of people buying up domain names I-am-Kathleen-Seidel-1.com, I-am-Kathleen-Seidel-2.com, I-am-Kathleen-Seidel-3.com, I-am-Kathleen-Seidel-4.com, I-am-Kathleen-Seidel-5.com, I-am-Kathleen-Seidel-6.com, etc etc etc etc etc etc? Wink

According ot James Laidler it all began back in 1985, at least the idea that mercury could cause autism, but the thimerosal controversy and the MMR controversy is two different things - each one has it own page on wikipedia.

I think the Wakefield paper was published in 1998, not sure if there were much MMR controversy before that.

Callista Wrote:

I'm kind of disappointed my blog didn't show up on the subpoena--would've been an honor! Tongue

(And an annoyance, but that's probably the point of it. They're trying to annoy her into silence.) But then, I'm new and not all that much into the mercury controversy... it seems a trivial thing to me, obviously false, something on the order of people who deny the holocaust happened.

Yes, but unfortunately the media present it as though it might actually have some scientific credence, and most average people don't dig too deeply on these things.

Callista Wrote:

All you need is some basic college-level biology, statistics, and anatomy/physiology, and it's transparently obvious that autism has nothing to do with mercury.

Ah, yes, but aren't you asking a bit too much of the (American) public? Tongue

(Not that there's anything wrong with that!) <-- Example of echo-post-ia. Tongue

http://www.neurodiversity.com/weblog/art...ion-autism

Quote:

Since about 1985, when the idea that autism might be caused by mercury poisoning first arose, many practitioners and groups have promoted chelation as a treatment for autism.

At least chelation as an alternative treatment of autism and mercury theory existed long before GR. I don't know about the thimerosal controversy.

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