Celebrity and "Autism Expert" Jenny McCarthy
Dear Jenny,
As the mother of an Autistic son, a writer and advocate, I am writing this open letter to you to ask that you stop using your "celebrity" status to influence the Autism community. As so eloquently spoken by a fellow Canadian, Rex Murphy, he cautions the general public to rely upon such critical medical advice as reported by yourself and your "fellow neurosurgeons on 'The View'."
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/02/06/rex-murphy-anti-vaccine_n_6631184.htmlI will not deny that living with Autism is difficult, and the answers and solutions for the "Why" and "What" are not clear, however that does not give anyone the right to speak on behalf of an entirety of parents and caregivers who live and care for someone on the Spectrum. Your quote that, "any mother would take the flu or measles before Autism," is careless and influences the general public of which you have no qualifications to do so. You are not a medical professional, you are not a scientific researcher, and you most certainly are not an aspiring neuroscientist. You are a mother, an actress and a show host - that does not give you any more right to sway opinion of the general populous as I do as a blogger and writer.
In my book, "The Purple Notebook," I am very clear that this is a story of a personal journey on the road trip of Autism. I am also very clear that it is about some things that have worked for us on the way, and some things that have not worked. It is not a personal soapbox to preach my Autism sermon, I have no right to do that.
https://www.createspace.com/4718479 What is clear, Dear Jenny, is that we do have people who vaccinate their children and we have people who do not. And we have no right to offer opinion or judge, I will leave that up to those who are qualified.
The Autism community does not need more issues to divide itself. It needs patience, it needs understanding and it needs support. Most importantly those living with Autism need opportunities to speak for themselves, to be valued by our society, not made into a media frenzied "side-show" circus act of "pro" and "anti" vaccinator's.
Thank you Jenny for taking the time to read my letter, and I hope you and your fellow "celebrities" will respect the decisions made by parents and not use your status to influence on matters that are none of your business.
Sincerely,
Lisa Vezeau-Allen
