I saw Dr. Andrew Wakefield in the late 1990s and agree with his hypothesis that multiple concentrated vaccines are part of the environmental change contributing to more children becoming autistic [“More forego vaccines,” Front Page, Sept. 7].
While foregoing vaccinations poses many risks, seeing the loss of language of a child which resulted in autism is a detriment as significant as what the vaccine was attempting to prevent.
In my opinion, use of vaccines is only one of multiple factors contributing to the increase in autism; however, like the 10 percent of families in Tuesday’s Register article, we agree it is one which is controllable and can better managed to prevent a negative outcome.
Following a more reasonable, spread-out vaccination schedule is a safe and easy way to prevent outbreaks of both diseases preventable via vaccines as well as some cases of autism contributed to by unreasonable mass single-dose vaccines.
Doing this resulted in a dramatically different outcome for my younger children, who are developing normally versus my older two, who experienced developmental delays immediately following their MMR shots.
Bill Wotring
Fullerton
•••
I am a 75-year-old retired physician who was immunized against whooping cough as a child. In 30-plus years of practice, I never saw or read of a patient with the disease [“Doctors blamed in 8 whooping cough deaths,” News, Sept. 8].
I don’t think I would have considered the diagnosis since the disease was virtually nonexistent. Instead of blaming the doctors for a late diagnosis, I think that the parents of the children who died from this long-preventable disease should be cited for child abuse.
Wait until polio and the other diseases for which immunizations have long been available begin to return to plague the children who are neglected by their parents.
Arthur S. Friedman, MD
Newport Beach
Free-market guidance?
Rep. Loretta Sanchez defines the administration’s outlook on the economy when she says, “I love the free market, but we need a guiding hand.” [“Sanchez vs. Tran: Where they stand,” Editorial, Sept. 9]. However, the definition of “free” is, “not subject to censorship or control by a ruler, government, or other authority.”
No guiding hand, benevolent or otherwise, is mentioned. She also notes, as a rationale for government control, that there are “bad players that need to be adjusted.” So who determines the “bad players” and what kind of “adjustments” are required? Why, the government, of course.
When is a free market not free? When the kinder, gentler “guiding hand” of government hammers it into the ground, and looks for thanks for doing so.
Thomas Hicks
Cypress
Islam as peacemaker
In a country and a world that has come to increasingly associate Islam with violence, it seems that the Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf missed an opportunity to help dispel the feelings about violence [“Imam fears moving mosque could raise tension,” Sept. 9].
Rather than say, “The headlines in the Muslim world will be that Islam is under attack,” he could have said, “The headlines in the Muslim world will be that Islam is compassionate and understanding of the emotions and concerns of the people of New York, the United States and others worldwide because we have decided to postpone, cancel, educate.”
He could have said anything about the positive aspects of the Muslim world, but he didn’t. He said he might have chosen a different location had he known what would happen.
If that is true, why not choose a new location now? What an opportunity to show the United States that Islam shares our values and really wants to be a part of mainstream America.
Ron Titus
Newport Beach
Misunderstanding Beck
I have read a number of Bill Stamps’ letters and op-eds to the Register [“Beck’s mishmash of theology and politics,” Letters, Sept. 5], and I agree with much of what he has said.
However, I am disappointed in his comments about Glenn Beck. I don’t watch or listen to the Glenn Beck show, but I think his comments avoided the good and positive message the Beck rally tried to convey, and, from what I have heard, did a good job.
I also believe Beck’s comment about President Barack Obama being racist was wrong and somewhat taken out of context. However, Beck should realize in today’s headline-only news and Internet, words need to be chosen carefully.
Beck’s message is for today. Stamps is in the historical past of the Mormon church and in some of Beck’s past. Which will benefit people or society more? History is important but in this case does it fit the situation? I don’t think so.
Just because my religion has some dubious history, does that remove me from speaking on certain issues?
Paul G. Angelos
La Palma
A 9/11 remembrance
On 9/11, I was preparing to catch a plane bound for Columbus, Ohio out of Los Angeles. Rising early to check the weather, I saw the TV screens and instinctively knew. Not good. I called my ex-wife, and instructed her to keep our children home. I said stay inside and do not go anywhere till this is over. I contacted my company, and was instructed to stay where I was. It took several hours until the communication lines were open.
I still have thoughts and prayers for all those souls and survivors. God bless all of them.
Bill Lewis
Irvine
Out-of-control unions
Letter-writer Mike Nally espouses the “progress” made by unions in the past [“Working-class heroes,” Sept. 9]. With all the labor laws that now exist, unions are no longer needed. But, that’s not the huge problem. Of the 30 percent of unions left, more than 80 percent of those are government unions, whether city, state or federal. Trade unions are one thing, government unions are an entirely different animal.
Since when does the employee (government union worker) tell the employer (the American taxpayer) what they are going to be paid, and how much their retirement is going to be? It’s gotten totally out of hand, and is bankrupting untold numbers of cities and states, let alone the federal government. Seems the cart got ahead of the horse somewhere.
Jack Dean
Santa Ana
Census successes
The 2010 Census is over. Everyone has packed up and gone home. It was a great success.
A note to those who yelled at the census takers to go away: We got the info we needed from your neighbors. I hope they spelled your names correctly and got the ages right, but we did the best we could. Of course, you’ll probably use this information to bolster your claim that the government is too nosy and wastes money, but we did ask you – more than once – for the info. You can show your disgust by getting yourself a bigger flag, but there’s really no need. Your neighbors know who you are.
Sharon Moore
Anaheim
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