Intentions of kindness by presidential candidate Mitt Romney has turned quite ugly for the Lyme community over the past few days. In a misguided effort to detract from Romney's campaign and/or simply ridicule him for his choice of outreach, the Lyme community has come under heavy fire with many different news outlets and blogs attacking us.
From calling Lyme Disease "Lying Disease", a fake epidemic, a made-up plague and a conspiracy theory to referring to activists as anti-science zealots and patients as being confused victims of "medical quackery", who likely are suffering from depression or another mental illness and being taken advantage of by greedy doctors and opportunistic politicians.
None of this is being based on the available science either or in typical fashion is simply repeating the usual IDSA rundown of the "facts" or as we all know them: the lies!
From calling Lyme Disease "Lying Disease", a fake epidemic, a made-up plague and a conspiracy theory to referring to activists as anti-science zealots and patients as being confused victims of "medical quackery", who likely are suffering from depression or another mental illness and being taken advantage of by greedy doctors and opportunistic politicians.
None of this is being based on the available science either or in typical fashion is simply repeating the usual IDSA rundown of the "facts" or as we all know them: the lies!
(For those of you who wish to confront these "journalists" with the mountain of scientific evidence available, please go HERE for a list of references from a variety of different studies dealing with Chronic Lyme or persistent Lyme infection. Thank you to Saby Mo for putting together and providing us with this list. Your work is overwhelmingly appreciated!)
This sentiment has spread like wildfire and needs to be dealt with posthaste. We need to contact every news outlet we find that is jabbering on in this manner and taking advantage of our community as pawns for their own benefit.
This sentiment has spread like wildfire and needs to be dealt with posthaste. We need to contact every news outlet we find that is jabbering on in this manner and taking advantage of our community as pawns for their own benefit.
We need to contact the employers of these "journalists" who are spreading lies and demand apologies, corrections, investigations, and retractions. These self-minded individuals must be made to realize that they cannot publicly attack, demonize and ridicule an entire community of people and expect it to be overlooked. They must be held accountable for their actions. We did it with the Chicago Tribune and we can do it again!
Please keep your wits about you and try to stay as calm and collected as possible when you write your responses back to those on the list below. I know that is very hard, but please attempt to do so.
Below is a list of outlets that have jumped on this attack bandwagon with links to the articles they have written in regards to this issue and contact info. This list has been kindly provided by Lyme activist Lucretia "Creda" Perilli.
Slate (two headlines/same story):
Chronic Lyme disease delusion: Romney campaign pushes medical nonsense
Why Is Romney Campaigning on Medical Quackery?
Contact: corrections@slate.com
The New Yorker:
The New Yorker:
Mitt Romney Versus Lyme Disease and Science
Mitt Romney Targets the Lyme Disease Vote in Virginia
Contact:
http://www.usnews.com/info/features/contact
Mother Jones:
Romney's Plan to Win Virginia: Lyme Disease
See Article Here
Is Romney Using Lyme Disease to Win Swing State Votes?
See Article Here
Scroll down to form, select ‘Letter to the Editor’:
http://www.motherjones.com/about/contact
Mother Jones:
Romney's Plan to Win Virginia: Lyme Disease
See Article Here
Is Romney Using Lyme Disease to Win Swing State Votes?
See Article Here
Scroll down to form, select ‘Letter to the Editor’:
http://www.motherjones.com/about/contact
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/interactivity/corrections/
Washington Monthly:
Romney's Lyme Disease Mailer: A Play for the Christian Right?
See Article Here
Contact: editors@washingtonmonthly.com
Huffington Post:
Mitt Romney Pledges To Control Lyme
Washington Monthly:
Romney's Lyme Disease Mailer: A Play for the Christian Right?
See Article Here
Contact: editors@washingtonmonthly.com
Huffington Post:
Mitt Romney Pledges To Control Lyme
Disease Epidemic 'Wreaking Havoc' On Virginia In Mailer
See Article Here
Use corrections Form:
Contact: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/contact/
See Article Here
Use corrections Form:
Contact: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/contact/
The Daily Kos:
Romney campaign promises to fight Lyme Disease using 'synergy'
Romney campaign promises to fight Lyme Disease using 'synergy'
Contact: http://www.dailykos.com/contactus
The Daily Beast (Newsweek):
Mitt’s Bizarre Lyme Disease Offensive
See Article Here
Contact: contactletters@newsweek.com
Science Blogs:
Conspiracy-targeted Campaigning from Romney
See Article Here
Contact: editorial@scienceblogs.com
RealClearScience:
Romney Touts Lyme Disease Conspiracy Theory
See Article Here
Contact: sam@realclearpolitics.com
Little Green Footballs:
The Dangerous Conspiracy Theory Behind Romney's Lyme Disease Mailers
See Article Here
Use Contact Form that is located on the left column of the homepage.
The Week:
Mitt Romney's strategy to win Virginia: Lyme Disease?
See Article Here
Be sure to select ‘Website editors."
RealClearScience:
Romney Touts Lyme Disease Conspiracy Theory
See Article Here
Contact: sam@realclearpolitics.com
Little Green Footballs:
The Dangerous Conspiracy Theory Behind Romney's Lyme Disease Mailers
See Article Here
Use Contact Form that is located on the left column of the homepage.
The Week:
Mitt Romney's strategy to win Virginia: Lyme Disease?
See Article Here
Be sure to select ‘Website editors."
YAHOO ran this very same story (see below).
Contact: http://theweek.com/home/info/contact
The Wall:
The Dangerous Conspiracy Theory Behind Mitt Romney's Lyme Disease Mailers
See Article Here
The Wall ran the Think Progress article. Let them know that they should not be running articles that contain false information. Use their feedback link on the far left side of their homepage.
The Weekly Standard:
Campaign Mailer: Romney Vows to Fight the 'Epidemic' of Lyme
See Article Here
Contact: editor@weeklystandard.com
America Blog:
Romney's secret weapon: Lyme disease!
See Article Here
Contact: contact@americablog.com
Yahoo:
Mitt Romney's strategy to win Virginia: Lyme Disease?
See Article Here
Patch:
Romney Campaign Mailer Targets Lyme
See Article Here
Scroll down and click "Contact your local editor, Susan Larson":
The Wall:
The Dangerous Conspiracy Theory Behind Mitt Romney's Lyme Disease Mailers
See Article Here
The Wall ran the Think Progress article. Let them know that they should not be running articles that contain false information. Use their feedback link on the far left side of their homepage.
The Weekly Standard:
Campaign Mailer: Romney Vows to Fight the 'Epidemic' of Lyme
See Article Here
Contact: editor@weeklystandard.com
America Blog:
Romney's secret weapon: Lyme disease!
See Article Here
Contact: contact@americablog.com
Yahoo:
Mitt Romney's strategy to win Virginia: Lyme Disease?
See Article Here
Patch:
Romney Campaign Mailer Targets Lyme
See Article Here
Scroll down and click "Contact your local editor, Susan Larson":
Contact:
http://fredericksburg.patch.com/contact-us
Health News Review:
The Silly Season – tick, tick, tick in the
Health News Review:
The Silly Season – tick, tick, tick in the
http://www.healthnewsreview.org/contact/
MEDIAite
Mitt Romney Can’t Even Get Specific
MEDIAite
Mitt Romney Can’t Even Get Specific
When He’s Getting Overly-Specific On Lyme DiseaseSee Article Here
Contact: ads@mediaite.com OR tips@mediaite.com
Business Insider
Why Romney's Statements About
Chronic Lyme Disease Are Dangerous
See Article Here
Contact: ads@mediaite.com OR tips@mediaite.com
Business Insider
Why Romney's Statements About
Chronic Lyme Disease Are Dangerous
See Article Here
reprise de cet article ici : http://www.associationlymesansfrontieres.com/lyme-sinfiltre-dans-les-presidentielles-americaines/
ReplyDeleteMerci
These comments against Lyme will unfortunately cost lives. Lyme is real I worked for Nsw national parks service in Australia for ten years told no Lyme in Australia
ReplyDelete300 tick bites later ( over a ten year period) I was left to rot and decay as drs misdiagnosed me from fibromyalgia Cfs/me radiculoprathy ms motor neuron
Surprise suprise tests from USA and Germany return positive to borrelia burgdoferi Babesia rickettsia erlichia mycoplasma fermentans and a flavivirus
My daughter turned three and began to get sick
She to tested positive to all the above
She like me vomitted everyday
Thanks to ignorance my daughter nearly lost her mother I'm still housebound alot however improving on treatment by Lyme literate drs
I hope these journalists end up getting neurolyme they will soon see it destroys once rich lives
I used to ride a surfboard everyday since I was 8 years old I miss it so much but my aches and is so weak
These comments made about Romney highlight how ignorant people can be to Lyme until it effects them
Follow the science
Idsa has no science
Natalie young
Be sure to target your efforts toward the publications that actually did trash lyme patients. Not all of these articles did that. Huffington, for instance, just noted that Romney was using the lyme issue in his campaign. Nothing said about anti-science, etc.
ReplyDeleteWe are aware that not every publication on this list actually attacked the Lyme community, however all of them used Lyme Disease as a way of hurting Romney as a candidate. The political aspect is not what matters here or for that matter Romney at all, it's that these publications were willing to use a disenfranchised group of people as a pawn, a talking point, for political purposes. Whether or not they attacked the community, their behavior is inappropriate. Thank you for commenting.
DeleteI'm shocked at the games being played by the IDSA,primarily. I cited an article regarding diagnosing Lyme on MRI. I cited the journals' name ,volume, date, titlte and page. Guess what that article evaporated. My 1st MRI os my brain has the original impression and then the 2nd impression of the very same MRI were given. I guess they did'nt realize I already obtained the original impression. This all happened back in 2008.
ReplyDeleteNow 2012 I still have lingering remenants Of Lyme disease. All neurological. I just wanted to know if I could possibly gained any new diagnoses since Lyme. Besides the Sjogren's (positive) test and psoriatic arthritis has crippled some of my bones.
Well anyway the new MRI came with nearly 1 page of impressions. Boy reading this page made me think I had one foot in the grave and the other leg not balancing too well on a slippery banana peel. I have'nt told you yet, I'm a RN. Well a disabled one now. Any way I was very scared of the MRI's progession in my brain. Especially because it involves my brainstem. Thus involving my autonomic functions. To the neurologist all of this is a matter of fact. Presented to me as no big deal.
Because of the "Phony propaganda" surrounding Lyme even my family on origin believe the "crap". Therfore it makes for a lonely sick life for me.
Lyme has stolen my inorant family, my good health, my identity, my social life. my ability to make a living and freinds.
Lyme has given me quite alot too. The same list every one has.
You know they taught us just how dirty roaches were, think about it, it's my opinion ticks are the filthiest creature to grace our lives today.
Thanks for listening.
Disappointed In Iowa
"Because of the "Phony propaganda" surrounding Lyme even my family on origin believe the "crap". Therfore it makes for a lonely sick life for me. Lyme has stolen my inorant family, my good health, my identity, my social life. my ability to make a living and freinds."
ReplyDeleteWow! This is so true. I can definitely relate. I've never felt so alone in my life and I have a big family. This disease is killing me, physically AND emotionally :(
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI WAS SO SICK AND DIZZY AND DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS LEGS IN PAIN AND MORE. TODAY I AM FINDING OUT IN SOUTHERN CA MORE ARE COMING UP WITH LYME DISEASE THERE ARE FEW DR’S WILLING TO LEARN MOST TURN AWAY.I DO VIDEO’S AND SPEAK MY MIND IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE AND THAT THE PROBLEM NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR IT.
ReplyDelete