Re: Re: political stuff - Benet's reply

[Guest guest]

Ok,

does anyone know who they are, if not, I’ll ring up NAS in the morning. I

wonder where Zoe and Alison are. I’d like to know what they think of all

this. SARA

-----Original

Message-----

From: Autism-Biomedical-Europe

[mailto:Autism-Biomedical-Europe ] On Behalf Of natasa778

Sent: 21 January 2008 22:24

To:

Autism-Biomedical-Europe

Subject:

Re: political stuff - Benet's reply

Just re-read it and it struck me - why on earth did he go into that

genetic stuff at all??? I mean Sara's complain was mainly that she

didn't feel her and her son's needs were being met by the NAS and that

meeting was catering exclusively for people on the other side of the

spectrum.

Why on earth did he go into that genetics stuff in such detail? it took

up most of his reply - it smells a bit of a politician-like avoidance of

real issues, drawing attention away from what is being asked/demanded...

Either that or taking sides with those awful speakers because " look, it

is genetic and unchangable, therefore they have the right to be saying

whatever crap they want... "

Sara, I agree with Sally's suggestion to cc the letter to NAS

Directors/Chairs.. whoever makes decisions there, whoever is behind the

approaches and policies they implement. If Benet is a PR guy then not

much use.

Natasa

>

> So, following 's advice:

>

> TA would write to the mem bers of the Parliamentary Cttee and remind

> them of their existence (TAs that is)

> Sara would locate her MP and write to him explaining her situation and

> saying that the NAS didn't represent her

> anyone else who felt inspired and had a personal anecdote/gripe would

do

> the same to their local MP

>

> And

>

> Thinking over Benet's statement of the NAS scientific position I was

> struck by the genetic pre-disposition/environmental trigger stuff and

I

> wondered if that was a result of the Indie letter because the

> phraseology is very reminiscent of that letter. I spoke to

Mills

> the NAS scientific officer about a year ago and he seemed very

> frustrated to me and finding himself in the middle of NAS rows about

the

> science. It might be that the Indie row strengthened the science hand

> inside the NAS.

>

> Maybe we should consider attempting to influence Research Autism

again.

>

> We know that Benet Middleton is on the way out (he/she is

> retiring/resigning I'm not sure which) perhaps we could influence the

> choice of successor towards someone more " severe friendly "

>

> xx sally

>

[Guest guest]

Just taking it at face value, it is reasonable to reply on the science,

because an immediate reply can only be made on the general stuff and not

the specifics of the meeting. We could use the wording " predisposition

environmental trigger " etc ourselves prefaced with " as the NAS says " .

Sara, the other thing is to make a note in your diary in two weeks time

and in two weeks write to Benet again asking for an expla

nation and giving a two week deadline for a reply. Copy that letter to

the chair etc. Two weeks after that if no reply from Benet write to the

chair complaining about Benet's failure to reply and the original

complaint. You keep going up after that until you get a substantive

response. Maybe we should write to Bill Gates and ask him to write to

the NAS. Actually that might be a good and funny idea. Might get us

somewhere. I quite like that one.

Business letters habitually set deadlines for a response, Bob tells me,

and two weeks is reasonable. You've had an instant response -- now you

want one about the specific facts of the meeting which you attended.

Sally

natasa778 wrote:

>

> Just re-read it and it struck me - why on earth did he go into that

> genetic stuff at all??? I mean Sara's complain was mainly that she

> didn't feel her and her son's needs were being met by the NAS and that

> meeting was catering exclusively for people on the other side of the

> spectrum.

>

> Why on earth did he go into that genetics stuff in such detail? it took

> up most of his reply - it smells a bit of a politician-like avoidance of

> real issues, drawing attention away from what is being asked/demanded...

> Either that or taking sides with those awful speakers because " look, it

> is genetic and unchangable, therefore they have the right to be saying

> whatever crap they want... "

>

> Sara, I agree with Sally's suggestion to cc the letter to NAS

> Directors/Chairs.. whoever makes decisions there, whoever is behind the

> approaches and policies they implement. If Benet is a PR guy then not

> much use.

>

> Natasa

>

>

> >

> > So, following 's advice:

> >

> > TA would write to the mem bers of the Parliamentary Cttee and remind

> > them of their existence (TAs that is)

> > Sara would locate her MP and write to him explaining her situation and

> > saying that the NAS didn't represent her

> > anyone else who felt inspired and had a personal anecdote/gripe would

> do

> > the same to their local MP

> >

> > And

> >

> > Thinking over Benet's statement of the NAS scientific position I was

> > struck by the genetic pre-disposition/environmental trigger stuff and

> I

> > wondered if that was a result of the Indie letter because the

> > phraseology is very reminiscent of that letter. I spoke to

> Mills

> > the NAS scientific officer about a year ago and he seemed very

> > frustrated to me and finding himself in the middle of NAS rows about

> the

> > science. It might be that the Indie row strengthened the science hand

> > inside the NAS.

> >

> > Maybe we should consider attempting to influence Research Autism

> again.

> >

> > We know that Benet Middleton is on the way out (he/she is

> > retiring/resigning I'm not sure which) perhaps we could influence the

> > choice of successor towards someone more " severe friendly "

> >

> > xx sally

> >

>

>

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