ADA's Symposium of Shame by Paul Connett
(Fluoride Action Network)
April 16, 2005
The ADA along with the CDC is organizing
and hosting a National
Fluoridation Symposium from Wednesday July 13 through July 16
in Chicago. The excuse for this is 60th "birthday"
celebration was the launch
of fluoridation in 1945. The first fluoridation trials began
in Grand
Rapids (MI), Newburgh (NY) and Brantford (Ontario) in that
year. Of
course, for most of us, especially those who have read the
scientific and
historical literature (particularly Chris Bryson's book), this
is not a
time to celebrate but a time for the ADA and the CDC to
apologize for
forcing this dangerous nonsense on the unsuspecting and
trusting American
public.
What makes this a very serious moment for us, is that is
believed that this National Fluoridation Symposium is going to
be the launch of an effort to get a NATIONAL mandatory bill
through the US Congress. We need to make sure that the press
gets the other side of the story before they go all
goggle-eyed over the PR extravaganza which will take place at
this launch.
Thus it is critical that we do everything we can to change the
perception
of this conference from a Symposium of Celebration to a
Symposium of Shame. But to do this we are going to need FAN
members (and bulletin readers) help in a big way. So we would
like to gauge your response to a few things we are
contemplating.
1) We would like to have a little rally outside the site of
this symposium
on Day 1 (Wed. July 13) to welcome participants with a message
they do not want to hear. Would any one be able to come to
this, especially those who are close enough to drive? If we
have enough takers we might try renting vans to pick up people
at various locations en route to Chicago.
2) Would you be able to fly to Chicago for this?
3) Does anyone have contacts in the Chicago area (even in
adjacent
states) who might a) be willing to participate and b) willing
to help with
the logistics and c) willing to put people up overnight in
their homes. The latter is always exciting because it
increases the sense of solidarity in this (sometimes) lonely
fight.
4) For those who are able to come, would it make sense to have
a little
afternoon and/or meeting of our own to share the real
fluoridation story
with the media and local activists?
5) If you cannot come, would you consider a donation to help
fund others
who would like to do so, but are on a low budget?
6) If you are on a low budget, would you consider coming if a
contribution
to your costs can be made? How much would you need to make it
viable?
7) If you cannot come would you be interested in supporting
this effort by some local action, such as a press conference
in your home town to coincide with the rally?
8) Do you have any other ideas?
9) Would you like to be part of the organizing committee for
this event?
10) On a personal note, I know from past experience organizing
such an
event will take a lot of hard work and time, and I do not want
to put that
effort in unless a) I am part of a team prepared to share the
load on the
organizing and b) there is clearly a lot of moral support for
this action.
Shortly, I am off to Springfield , Massachusetts for a
fluoridation meeting organized by the indomitable Dr. Stephen
Dean, so you have a couple of days to mull this over. But do,
do please help if you can. I will eagerly look at my emails on
Monday night to see what kind of response we have got to this.
Fingers crossed.
Many thanks,
Paul Connett
www.fluoridealert.org /
www.fluorideACTION.net
paul@fluoridealert.org /
pesticides@fluoridealert.org
