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Well, uh, there ain't much left to say then, is there?
How about that 'facilitated communication' thing, though. It's been a big noise among parents of severely autistic children, too. (Law & Order once did a good episode on that.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facilitated_communication
It bears an amazing resemblance to Ouija board communication.
From the Skeptic's Dicctionary (where I'm sure hours of fun await you):
http://www.skepdic.com/facilcom.html
Parents of autistic cihldren, like anyone with a condition the medical profession can't 'fix', tend to be desperate for solutions and also to feel that their problems aren't getting enough attention, and often particularly that they are being denied access to things that would help. (You know: the NHS won't pay for it.)
So they're sympathetic because of their plight, and they make for good human interest stories ...
This month, over here, it's people going to Poland or some obscure Balkan place, I forget, for a treatment that is supposed to alleviate symptoms of MS. Why can't they get the treatment (paid for) here? is the question on all their lips ... 'All', well, a handful of people. But the media love 'em.
What often amazes me is that there are so many people willing to believe that, say, the public health plan won't cover a treatment because it's greedy and stingy ... but never question the motives of the people claiming to have the cure for something ... who are very often making pots of money by selling it ...
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It amazes me just how gullible the press are and by natural progression, much of the target audience. A few of my favourite examples show just how people are taken in by what they think is indisputable reporting.
Last year’s ‘pixie dust’ report - on the BBC no less - reported a miracle powder developed in America that enabled a man’s finger to grow back. A little bit of research and a host of scathing comments by scientists made them hastily backtrack with severe egg on their face.
Then there was the ‘facilitated writing’ report about the poor Rom Houben in Belgium who was in a PVS but able to communicate through a ‘facilitator’ holding his wrist and having her fingers guided to keys on a keyboard. Strangely, when she couldn’t see the keyboard herself this ability mysteriously vanished…..quel surprise! But sadly, that unfortunate episode caused a lot of distress to his family and to others who have loved ones in a similar condition.
And then the national news reporting of the Shieldfield satanic abuse case – which cost several newspapers an awful lot of money eventually and was a disgrace to the reporters and the papers involved. The list is long and unedifying.
I especially like some of the headlines of the ‘Fatal Accident Man Recovers’ type. ‘One armed man applauds kindness of strangers’ was a nice one. ‘Diana was still alive hours before she died’. That sort of thing. I ask you!
But the point is that too many people take what they read as gospel and never bother to question it. And that is a dangerous thing.
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