Poor skeptics - and their right to be cyberbullies

Time and time again, I am contacted by people who belong to Stop the Australian Vaccination Network (SAVN) and / or the Australian Skeptics asking why they are not allowed to post on our Facebook page, email discussion list, etc. They seem to be genuinely hurt and go on and on about how I am 'censoring them' (the irony of that seems to go right over their heads when their entire reason for being is to censor the AVN!) and denying them the right to free speech (again - a major irony fail since the original complaint against the AVN by Ken McLeod stated quite clearly that the AVN has no access to freedom of speech in Australia).

It really makes me wonder if they believe that I don't see what they say on their own Facebook page / blogs / Twitter sites or if they think that this sort of abusive language is OK and really just part of modern life on the internet? If so, I can tell them that it is neither OK nor is it normal in any way.

I have not done one of these posts for some time but thought it might be time to share a few more screen shots and twitter posts from the other side of the fence to show you the type of people who oppose informed vaccination choice and who regularly attack both myself and the AVN as well as anyone who believes that vaccinations are not necessarily right for everyone. These people cannot debate the issues - instead, they attack the person.

I apologise in advance for the language used in these posts, but it is necessary to leave that in to demonstrate the truly vile and abusive attitude of these people. They really should be ashamed of themselves. Sadly, they don't seem to know the meaning of the words shame, compassion, understanding...

 Dan Buzzard This is good because it gives Meryl time to dig her grave a little deeper. Wednesday at 10:56pm · Michael Fitzpatrick Meh. All this means is the blade of the ( hypothetical, non death threatening) guillotine will take longer to arrive. It is still on it's way. Yesterday at 10:26am · Bill Bibb It may even be a larger blade (not a death threat)

Daniel Raffaele Might be a timely warning for AVN acolytes (not a death threat) 1000 ways to die Booby Trapped www.youtube.com Unintented SPIKE. 1000 Ways to Die

The above comment is from the same Daniel Raffaele who very recently posted on the SAVN page, his justification for not engaging in debate but rather, for being abusive and belligerant towards those whose research into the science of vaccination has led them to draw a different conclusion then he has:

It is very hard to argue with that 'logic'. I'm right - you're wrong - end of story. And of course, Daniel Raffaele is the person who started the SAVN Facebook page and who puts down as the goal of that organisation to close down the AVN. I wonder what Mr Raffaele studied in school and if the words democracy or freedom were ever mentioned within his hearing in class?

Or that SAVN stalwart, Maureen Chuck who, when talking about why doctors refuse to sign Conscientious Objector forms when parents ask them to says:

Maureen Chuck Me too. A doctor who says fuck you - I have sick people to see I'm not here to sign fucking forms

And there are the general SAVN members who show their 'intelligence' when discussing this issue:

Kirstie Shaw: Anyone who does not vaccinate their children should be up on child abuse charges. Organisations like the Australian Vaccination Network should be outlawed and stopped in their tracks, they are dangerous and are killing children through misinformation and uneducation. Murderers!

Sarah Norris I'd like to expose her to hendra virus

Luci Baldwin Meryl deserves much worse - eg. suffering from an excruciatingly painful vaccine-preventable disease and realising that her homeopathic remedies (A.K.A plain water) cannot cure it.

Let's not forget Peter Bowditch, the head ratbag over at the Skeptics, who said:

RatbagsDotCom A polite message to Viera Scheibner and Bronwyn Hancock, following your appearance on 60 Minutes - fuck you to hell #StopAVN

RatbagsDotCom What do you have when an anti-vaccination liar is burnt at the stake? A good start.

Their attitude towards religion is every bit as intolerant as it is towards those who want to make informed vaccination choices. From Dan Buzzard in WA who has a web page entitled Everybody Draw Mohammed  which features pictures of the prophet Mohammed doing obscene things and totally denigrating Islam to stating the following about the Catholic church:

Daniel Buzzard 27.3.11 - Fuck the Catholic Church. Who dares me to walk into the Church service with these?

This is not the worst of the comments posted by these people. There are posts that are even worse and these are coming on a daily basis. All anyone has to do is look at their page to see what I mean. Those who cannot debate with respect and intelligence do not deserve to be listened to at all.

The fact is that people who believe that a scientific disagreement somehow gives them the right to abuse, bully and threaten others need some serious psychological help. I feel very sorry for them and in my kinder moments, I hope they will soon get the help they so obviously need.