More than a week after the Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network posted an appalling Facebook meme likening vaccination to “forced penetration” rape, they are yet to apologise.
Rather, the group’s administrators have hidden behind a myth that the Facebook page is not owned by them, thus is out of their control. As noted below archaic definitions of the word rape have been offered to justify the insult, whilst trolls belonging to the cult have taken aggressive campaigning further via social media.
Why do the page owners continue this charade? Because the Facebook page is entitled “Australian Vaccination Network” – the groups old and deceptively official sounding name. The cult was ordered by NSW Department of Fair Trading (Fair Trading) to change it’s name to reflect (ABC) the utter and absolute anti-vaccination stance, activities and advice the group is known for.
The group lost it’s appeal (Administrative Decisions) against the name change order (ABC). At the time the cult released a statement which ironically reads:
We believe that the Administrative Decision Tribunal, in finding against the AVN, exemplified the current climate of government-sanctioned abuse and hatred of anyone who steps away from mainstream medical dogma.
Ah yes. “Abuse and hatred”. Need one elaborate?
Back to the Facebook page charade. A visit to their website shows the title as it is hyperlinked above – with a hyphen and lower case “s” for skeptic. In red font we read “Formally known as Australian Vaccination Network Inc”. The lie that the Facebook page is “owned” by someone else in another country is just sour grapes so that the group can cling to a sense of rebellion and in fact ignore in part, the Dept. of Fair Trading ruling.
This point is underscored by a Facebook comment from Meryl Dorey posting as her alter ego “B52” just five days ago.
“There is no AVSN – that is what the media incorrectly calls the AVN. Please don’t play into their hands”. And this is a page for fans of the AVN”. […]
Oh my. My, my, my. Yet the NSW Department of Fair Trading begs to differ. And the ADT plainly found against the AVsN appeal. The final paragraph of the announcement from Fair Trading reflects the very nature of this sham organisation and the deception that sustains it. The minister for Fair Trading at that time, Anthony Roberts observed:
We are asking the Australian Vaccination Network to be honest and upfront about what they stand for and to choose a new name reflecting their beliefs.
Today as the Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network they are still dishonest and misleading about what they stand for, and appear unable to accept their name change or act in accordance with regulation.
Anti-vaccine cult liken immunisation to rape
The owner of the Australian Vaccination Skeptics Network Facebook page, Meryl Dorey, has for the second time in her running of the groups page published a post likening immunisation to rape.
The first post of this nature was on January 15, 2011 in response to a court ordering a mother to have her 5 year old daughter vaccinated. Dorey wrote, “Court orders rape of a child. Think this is an exaggeration? This is assault without consent and full penetration too…”.
The result was an immediate loss of members followed by a puerile insistence by Dorey that some archaic definitions that list “plunder, despoil, seize and carry off by force” as types of rape justify her comment.
This time again disgusted page members rose in large number to condemn such an affront to reason with at least one member publicly announcing she would be quitting Dorey’s page immediately. Once the media got hold of the story the post was deleted, and childish lies claiming innocence began to surface – to great amusement on social media.
Dorey has reacted again, by predictably presenting her “dictionary” to insist rape is merely general medieval abuse – despite the image she used of a man attacking a woman from behind with the words, “Forced Penetration. Really it’s no big deal if it’s just a vaccination needle and he’s a doctor – do you really need control over your own choices?”
Incredibly, AVSN group leader Meryl Dorey, and Tasha David the current so-called “president” insist their page does not belong to the group – even though they hold administration privileges.
They pleaded innocence, further demolishing their credibility by insisting they have “no control” over what appears on the page – albeit content contains their signatures.
Australian Doctor reported on the public statement posted on the groups Facebook page with input from Meryl Dorey pushing the evidence-free myth that vaccines kill large numbers of children.
Australian Doctor attempted to contact the AVSN by phone, however the number listed for the organisation on its webpage was disconnected.
The group — based in Bangalow on the NSW north coast and formerly known as the Australian Vaccination Network — made a public statement over Facebook disowning any relationship between the AVSN Facebook page and the actual organisation.
It admitted the image posted was in poor taste but also queried why there was such great media interest in the meme when they apparently ignored “children who are killed”.
AVSN spokeswoman Meryl Dorey said: “I agree that the image was very much in-your-face and should not have been posted here, but I am also (once again) floored that this has become a media issue whilst the children who are killed and permanently injured, and their families that are often destroyed, remain in the shadows as far as the press is concerned.
“Let’s get back to the issue at hand and agree that the important thing to do is to focus on the immorality of forced vaccination.”
Media:
http://www.mamamia.com.au/news/anti-vaxxers-compare-vaccination-to-rape/
http://www.theage.com.au/national/australian-vaccination-skeptics-network-compares-vaccines-to-rape-20150422-1mr0wk.html
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/23/campaign-comparing-vaccination-rprepulsive-health-minister-says
TW: AVN claims vaccination is rape and doctors are rapists…again
Losing In The Lucky Country 