Why is the world convinced that so many smart, capable, successful people are so dumb? I don’t have the answer, but when an online platform designed for the exchange of thoughtful posts and ideas turns to blatant censorship of health information, something has gone very, very wrong.
Here’s the back story:
A reader wrote to me recently asking permission to reprint one of my posts: Why This Yale Scientist is Concerned about the TIMING of Vaccines.
She’s a smart, capable and successful woman who has launched successful businesses. She’s also a tireless defender of medical freedom. She asked to reprint my article because Facebook has been censoring JenniferMargulis.net and this amazing lady (she asked not to use her name … yet! We’re working on something together, which we hope to be able to share with you soon) thought if the article were up on Medium.com she could share it more effectively.
I granted her permission, of course.
And that’s when the problems began.
I’ll let her explain:
Censorship at Medium
“Shortly after our last exchange, Medium wrote to me again, and said that this time, even though I got your permission and took out some sort of advertising link on the post (which were their first reason for having issues, i.e., copyright/permissions, etc.), they then informed me that I didn’t meet their ‘Community Guidelines for Safety.’
“They referenced this link, and likely this was their reasoning in particular:
- Pseudo-scientific health claims or advice which, if acted on, are likely to have detrimental health effects on persons or public safety.
“They list their reasoning, asking:
“’Is there information from nationally and internationally recognized institutions, (such as the CDC, WHO, and other official bodies) to help us determine if content presents an elevated risk and potentially violates our rules?’
“Unbelievable, that they think your article, which is very factual and scientific, could be anything but.
“So needless to say, no more article on Medium for me to share.
“It’s scary out there. The censorship is shocking.
“I’m determined however to keep speaking, organizing and sharing wisdom until the truth is known, and accepted.
“Thank you again for all that you do, Dr. Margulis.”
No, thank you.
Sadly, while this censorship is misguided, un-American, and unfortunate, it’s not shocking. It’s also not the first time I’ve been censored. Because my work challenges corporate greed, criticizes the status quo medical establishment, and champions people over profits, I’ve been confronting censorship head-on for most of my professional life.
Another example of censorship
I spent three years investigating how for-profit medicine works against women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the first year of life.
I was invited onto the Diane Rehm show.
In the pre-interview, the producer asked me the topics from my book that I felt warranted discussion.
I said I was especially concerned about over-exposure to ultrasound and the over-use of Cesarean sections.
The producer’s voice went from friendly to angry.
“I’ve had three cesareans,” she said, audibly upset. “What’s wrong with that?”
The New York Times Book Review, which reviews less than 1 percent of the books submitted to them for consideration, took exception with my book. Their review is one of the worst I’ve ever read. The reviewer was a journalist and book author who had an ultrasound at every appointment and whose children were born … you guessed it … via C-section.
Instead of admitting that the fact-checked scientific information in the book made her deeply uncomfortable, she ended the book by urging people to follow the words “buyer beware” and not to read the book!
Who loses when we have safe vaccines and vaccine safety and when we promote evidence-based prenatal care and gentle birth? The medical establishment and large corporations.
Who wins when we make safe vaccines and vaccine safety our priorities, and when we promote evidence-based prenatal care and gentle birth? America’s children and their families.
Together we will keep on, just as my new friend above suggests.
Interested in the questions of censorship, fake news, and vaccine safety? Join me on December 14, 2019 in Ashland, Oregon for an Architects of the New Paradigm conference: “A World Gone Mad: Finding Your Sanity in an Insane World,” at the Ashland Hills Hotel. Click here for more information and to save your spot.
#brave I’ve been watching your work since The Vaccine Friendly Plan came out, and since seeing your bit in the excellent 9-part series, “The Truth About Vaccines,” and what I see is someone who has really risen to meet the challenges of this problem. I am grateful that you’ve blossomed from a moderate to an outspoken advocate. I applaud you, Dr. Margulis!
Thanks so much for these kinds words, Michelle. I believe we can fix this problem together, without censorship or polarization. I believe in the idea coined by Paul Zeitz, DO: Self-Imposed Persistent Optimism. We all have one goal: that our children survive and thrive.
Thank you for continuing to be the voice of reason against an avalanche of greed and ignorance. Voices like yours, with your research and education and science to back up your words, are vital. You make a difference.
This censorship is troubling and pathetic. Can these people really claim to be journalists of any sort? What type of training in journalism have they had, if any?