Pirate's Cove

Politico does finally get around to the “why”, and, I bet you can guess what it is

Why RFK Jr.’s search for autism’s cause is so divisive

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s pledge to investigate autism’s “root cause” has split advocates for people with the condition: Some, like Kennedy, want to know what’s causing it, while prominent groups think his search could do more harm than good.

Kennedy’s grim depiction of the most profound cases of autism — many “will never use a toilet unassisted,” he said in April — sparked condemnation from several groups devoted to championing autistic people. They said his remarks perpetuate stigmas associated with a condition that has a broad spectrum of manifestations — and, coupled with his well-known vaccine skepticism, color any attempt by the agency he leads, the Department of Health and Human Services, to conduct further autism research.

But others who say they speak for people with severe autism were heartened that Kennedy is promising to devote HHS’s resources to help them as autism diagnosis rates continue to climb.

“America has a big problem, and we have to face up to it,” said one of them, Jill Escher, president of the National Council on Severe Autism.

The divide shows how Kennedy’s search for autism’s source — he’s pledged to have some answers by September — has inflamed a long-simmering debate among people who advocate for those with the neurodevelopmental disorder and suggests that his investigation, whatever its findings, will be politically explosive.

I’m really not sure why investigating the root cause would be divisive at all. If this was some other disease, would they be against scientific research? What if he said they would figure out alzheimers? Or cancer?

But many in the autism community said Kennedy’s not the person to lead the effort. After his speech, several leading groups, including the Autism Society of America, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, and Autism Speaks, slammed him for spreading misinformation.

So, it is mostly because Kennedy is doing this. And, I’m sure there is some TDS involved. Because these Democrat leaning groups are more interested in politics than solving a medical issue. Why not offer their help instead? Or, is it also that the make good bank off keeping autism going? In increasing the numbers who are diagnosed with autism? When Biden said he wanted to solve cancer, only the extreme wackos who vote Republican had issues. Beyond that, Biden only caught some flack because he didn’t seem to be working toward that goal.

“Claims that Autism is ‘preventable’ is not supported by scientific consensus and perpetuate stigma,” they said in a statement. “Language framing Autism as a ‘chronic disease,’ a ‘childhood disease’ or ‘epidemic’ distorts public understanding and undermines respect for Autistic people.”

That is not a scientific statement, and shows that they really do not want any investigation into knowing anything about autism. I wonder why? ($$$$$$) Anyhow, many groups do support the scientific inquiry. And

Many autism advocacy groups have shifted their efforts in recent years toward amplifying the voices of people who have autism and urging society to accept them — and away from the search for a cause or cure.

Money. Influence. They want to keep this cash cow going instead of looking for an answer. And, really, this has been going on for awhile. Heck, had Biden tried to look for answers he probably who have received a lot of pushback.

Critics of Kennedy’s interest in environmental toxins point to studies that have found that genetics play a role in who develops autism and that autism can run in families.

And, what if there is a way to change that so they do not develop autism, or, maybe, the symptoms could be minimized? People are not born with measles, yet, we can give them a vaccine to stop it.