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You’re Nobody Till
Somebody Hates You
The late great Dean Martin sang, "You're nobody till somebody hates you. You're nobody till somebody sneers." Or something like that... Anyway, there's lots of hating and sneering to go around in this latest installment of hate mail. Our special guest is Erin Brockovich. No, not the woman from the "based on a true story" film that was sadly lacking in truth. Apparently a lot of people thought I was attacking Julia Roberts and those nifty short skirts and push-up bras she wore, rather than the falsity of the movie. As always, my responses are in italics. For more give-and-take like this, see the three previous volumes of hate mail, letters responding to Reason magazine defending the vandalism of biotech crops, and my point-by-point response to a rather unfair hit on me by a group calling itself FAIR. Yes, they have those terrific animated gifs you all know and love.
Erin Brockovich HateStill Not the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius
Dear Mr. Fumento:
Saw the film Erin Brockovich recently and just finished reading your article [Erin Brockovich, Exposed] on the movie and issues. Sounds like you have a case of sour grapes to me...I am against animal cruelty/testing and was disgusted by the information that rodents and dogs were given this poisen [sic]. I consider your article "Hogwash", to put it mildly.
In reply to your reply: the term "Hogwash" was not just in reference to the animal testing. It as occurred to me that maybe you have a personal interest in PG&E which might help explain the feelings behind your article. Also, you seemed quite concerned with the way the heroine dressed. I am wondering if she dressed like a prude or appeared in grey pinstripe, would that would affect your opinion of her. I found the movie and story very inspiring and I admire her courage. I guess that is what is great about this country, that you and I can express our different opinions. Your article was quite an education.
Bye-Bye...
And by the way, just how much courage does it take to convince a whole town they've been poisoned so that you can pocket $2 million? To my mind, it's not quite the same "courage"
one uses when describing firefighters who save babies from burning buildings or soldiers who rush machine gun nests armed with nothing but a rifle. But hey, that's just me I guess.
Billy Blather & Merck Misuse
It's also clear that you're no scientist. You ignore the mass of evidence I've assembled from the official sources on toxicology, such as that EPA has declared, as of September 1998, "No data were located in the available literature that suggested that Cr(VI) is carcinogenic by the oral route of exposure." Ever hear that expression: "'No' means no"? You ignore that the EPA has assigned ingested chromium-6 to Class D, meaning no evidence of carcinogenicity. You ignore that I noted that the International Agency for Research on Cancer, on its web site discussing chromium-6, doesn't even bother with oral ingestion, talking strictly about inhalation. You ignore the mass of studies readily available on MedLine or PubMed finding no link of ingested chromium-6 and illness of ANY kind. All of this you ignore in favor of a dictionary definition. Tell me Billy, if you really wanted to know about the workings of an internal combustion engine, would you go to a book on engines or at least an encyclopedia, or would you just flip open Webster's Collegiate dictionary? Finally, you're too dumb to even realize that I have access to the Merck, too. And Billy, you've been a naughty boy. You left out of your quote the preceeding sentence, which states, "Persons may be exposed to hexavalent chromium (chromium-6) in the workplace." "Workplace" means "workplace," Billy, not half a part per million in drinking water. Finally, as to the usual ad hominen I get from you geniuses out there, "Making lots of money, are we?" Well, let's see. Erin and her lawyer pals made over $140 million for three years' part-time work. And maybe Billy is raking in the cash, too. Unfortunately, all my writing on the subject has netted me a few hundred dollars, which will be about $3.50 when the tax man commeth. Surely you can find a better personal attack than that.
The Partisans Are Attacking!Prove to me that you are not paid to espouse the views that you have. Nowhere [on your website] did I see a single non-partisan source for your income.
Grasping for StrawsI am not impressed by your grasp of science, all though [sic] it is clear you are impressed with you, as well as driven by an agenda.
A Pat Dismissive Statement
Fragrance HateThose damned scented Minorities!
[From a letter to the National Post in response to their excerpt from my American Spectator piece, Scents and Senselessness.]
You seldom carry crap. THIS article was a rare exception. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE ANGRY ABOUT THE ODOUR INSULTS being foisted on them by ....
When a patient who's scented her- / him-self [sic] with industrial smell chemicals infests my office with his odour-intrusion, not only does he impose his odour on me there then, but he equally imposes his smell-garbage on the whole office staff, and on subsequent patients who are forced to smell that crap ... most products linger for at least a day in an otherwise unused room. It has become such an aggravation-imposition, that I now request ALL such patients to "Please, on future visits, abstain from using man-made or industrial odour chemicals on your body, simply have a shower and be clean."
I think the Haligonians [people from Halifax, Nova Scotia] are right on track. And I totally support the position of the clean-air-militants that we won't rest til [sic] the fragrance industry is destroyed. I wish them great success. And I wish dolts like Mr Fumento a week's worth of having his neighbour's scented sheets laundry dryer exhaust vented into his living room!
PS [sic]: Of course, the core point that ALL dispute [sic] about rights consistently overlook is that infringement only happens when OVER-POPULATION creates conflict over access to use [sic] of resources, like air space! So the only real solution is stop population growth, and significantly REDUCE, overall planetary population. Good luck on that, though ...!
Per-fume Pap
Michael Fumento, You quoted her as saying in your article to [sic] [The] American Spectator, that she said "if you are thinking about throwing out those fabric softeners and dryer sheets. DON'T." You could be in some big trouble. Your paragraph has been forwarded to her, and she is very very [sic] mad. You may be in kahoots [sic] with the other faggots in the fragrance industry (and you "can" quote me on that one), but you have crossed the line.
Connie
You fanatics in the anti-fragrance industry have crossed the line.
Sincerely,
Michael, People like you really amaze me, as you could not care less how many babies do die from the toxins that they breathe, which are capable of causing respiratory failure. There have been numerous press releases recently regarding the toxins in these unregulated poisons, aka [sic] per-fumes [sic]. They have been on the news, newspapers and this last Monday's Ann Landers printed the real dirt on per-fumes [sic], so more and more people are learning the truth, such as myself. There are over 30 million Americans fully aware that our Congressmen/women accept hugh [sic] pay-offs from the poison industry. I myself have been bothered by the new-age per-fumes [sic] and what lead me to my computer was to find out why? What I found out was mortifying. This is when I discovered that there are 30 million Americans chemically injured by these products, and that asthma has risen 75% since 1980, and that 14 million Americans are disabled from these perfumes alone, and that 25 million Americans suffer from chronic migraines, and that 30 million babies die of SIDS each year in this country alone. Then I discovered that these products spike blood pressure and cause many diseases such as MS, other neurological diseases and they adversely effect the central nervous system and respiratory system. This is how I learned that over 5,000 people die each year in the U.S. from per-fume [sic] induced asthma. And a press release came out about the per-fumes [sic] and the carcinogens in them, which are very capable of causing breast cancer and leukemia. Now you answer me . . . . how do you sleep at night "knowing" [sic] this? [Thereupon Connie continued to go on for so long it practically used up all the memory in my computer. Count your blessings that I truncated it]. Connie
By the way, who is this “Hugh” guy paying off members of Congress?
Finally, as to how I sleep at night; that’s easy. I use a perfumed pillow.
Since I'm apparently incorrect about "one" [sic] statistic, it's nice to know that 'someone' is keeping up to date on all the stats, considering you promote baby killing. Which makes we [sic] "wonder", [sic] why are you searching for such statistics, anyway. Just a little something to hide, there???
[Whereupon Connie continued to send e-mail after e-mail, but it was clear that his or her entertainment value had sorely diminished and those e-mails were deleted without being read].
SIDS Stupidity, Fragrance Folly
Dear Mr. Fumento, Anecdotal evidence must suffice in cases where we are not yet able to measure observable phenomena. SIDS babies are no less dead. With regard to fragrance issues, you delete from your website all science regarding the process by which toxins are carried by air to those they poison. By continuing to call it "fragrance" you seek to embarrass the public for possibly believing that pleasant smells could ever harm them. Why, Mr. Fumente [sic], does the chemical industry hide from their labels such details as the contents of their products? I doubt this type of investigative reporting will be seen on this website during my lifetime.
Your website does not meet the journalistic goal of investigating questions of science which need to be raised in our society. There are no facts here, just innuendo. The only conclusions to be drawn here is with regard to the lack of your journalistic credibility.
At the risk of pointing out the obvious, despite all your slurs against my journalistic abilities, I am the one with four published books and who has written for major newspapers and magazines all over the world, whereas you are the one who “publishes” only on WebTV. It’s also interesting that you think I use no facts, only innuendo, when in the article you criticize I cite medical group after medical group, study after study, researcher after researcher, while you’re the one who states quite clearly we should favor anecdotal evidence over observable phenomena. In reference to my article "Scents and Sensibility", you say my "specious 'reasoning' is best exemplified by [my] section on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome," and that I "laud those who say there is no disease responsible." I lauded nobody; I QUOTED the executive director of the American SIDS Institute saying "When you find nothing, then that's what SIDS is, a death that remains unexplained. It isn't like finding a disease." While you must no doubt believe her to be on the perfume-maker payroll, that is, indeed, the accepted definition of SIDS. Neither you nor I can or should change it. One thing we do know about SIDS is that the best-known connection appears to be what the position in which a child is laid to sleep. To the extent parents haven’t heard that, but have heard that the cause of SIDS is something as asinine and unproven as laundry sheets, babies will die. That would kind of make you a baby killer, wouldn’t it? You say that, "With regard to fragrance issues, you delete from your website all science regarding the process by which toxins are carried by air to those they poison." Actually, it was never there; therefore, it could not have been deleted. Why wasn't it there? Maybe, just maybe, that’s because my piece demonstrated that they are NOT toxins and DO NOT poison anyone. Then you blast me for referring to fragrances as fragrances, after which, in the very next sentence, you too refer to them as fragrances. Actually, everybody on both sides of this issue does; please stop picking on me, you’re hurting my feelings.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Hate
"Aw, Nuts!"
Gee, I'm amazed to learn that I'm nuts, and have been for a long time, according to you. I was 14 years old the first time I reacted to perfumed bath soap. I showered with Zest, and developed hives and a red rash all over my body. I had difficulty breathing. Then I had to drop out of the beauticians collage, because I couldn't tolerate some perfume, formaldehyde wiped me out, and permanent wave solution made me sick. This was in 1958. My son was 2 weeks old when he reacted to some baby lotion, and was covered with a rash, and had breathing difficulty. My dad, mother, son, husband, 2 nephews, 2 nieces, all have serious problems with some chemicals. And I have serious problems with most of them. We must all be nuts. We also all have allergies, too. The constant barrage of chemicals is too much for some peoples [sic] systems to tolerate. This is a physical problem, not mental. I can almost understand a person, who does
not react to anything, being skeptical. But why do you
feel the need to insult us. We are trying to live our lives the best way
we
can, and avoid the chemicals that make us so sick.
Dear Mr. Michael Fumento: Will you fight for our rights and those of the environment? I guess that depends on if you end up getting MCS too, and become to weak to do much fighting :-) and how much character you really have. The medical community wants to believe it's all in our head, fine let's see them flap their arms and fly because gravity must be all in our head [sic] also. I just barely scanned over your web site. It's pretty nice I hope you are collecting good pay from the chemical industry. You can only deny this illness until you die or get it yourself. Then you will sing a different song. Make your money and have your fun while you can.
Likewise with, "The medical community wants to believe it's all in our head, fine let's see them flap their arms and fly because gravity must be all in our head also." How the existence of gravity proves the existence of MCS I just can't fathom, but I obviously lack your intellect. I certainly do remember the doctor of whom you speak. How can I forget when I was the one who publicly challenged him to inject himself, since he was making a huge stir by claiming that HIV doesn't cause AIDS. Where you get it wrong is that the "doctor," who actually was a Ph.D. named Peter Duesberg, REFUSED to inject himself. You really seem to have trouble making your points, Carey. Likewise, there are NO blood tests that show MCS. If there were, you'd read about them in medical journals, not on MCS victim web sites. You yourself said the medical community rejects it. How could they just ignore your three tests? I'm glad you like the web site, but you'll be terribly disappointed to hear it's funded entirely out of my own pocket. And I'm hardly worried that I "can only deny this illness until" I "die or get it myself," since it's pretty hard to change your mind on something once you're dead and I can't possibly get something that nobody gets, now can I? Or does that strike you as psychobabble?
Melissa's Manias [letter edited]
Have you ever considered writing an historical article about all the illnesses that were discounted and labeled as psychosomatic, or without physiologic basis, prior to medicine unraveling their causes? Some of these illnesses would include: Postpartum depression, peptic ulcers, migraines, asthma, Premenstrual [sic] Syndrome [sic], many of the mental illnesses (Schizophrenia [sic], bipolar, etc.) that now have a definable abnormal biochemical findings.
I can't help but wonder about person's [sic] such as yourself. What will
be your epitaph?
Have you ever considered writing an historical article about manias such as the one you defend called "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity" (MCS). You could write about the hundreds of thousands of witches burned at the stake because people didn't know what caused their illnesses and jumped to the conclusion they'd been hexed. You could write about how during the Black Death there was no science to explain the massive number of deaths, so it was naturally assumed to be the work of Jews poisoning the wells and many were executed. You could bring it up to the present with kuru, a mania that afflicts parts of Asia and Africa in which male villagers think their genitals are shrinking or have even disappeared. Sometimes other men in the town are accused of sorcery and put to death. In each of these cases there were perfectly logical explanations of what was (or in the case of koro, WASN'T going on). Somebody always had a sense of what that something was. But their explanations were swept away by hysteria, just as study after study showing there's no such thing as MCS is swept away by hysterics. What do I want as my epitaph? That I sought to propagate science and
understanding, even as others conducted witch hunts. "Photographable" MCS
Pig Lover
From: DaddynIowa@[omitted]
Message text written by DaddynIowa@[omitted]
Introduction to Hate Mail and Other Hate Mail Volumes A Review of Michael Fumento's Hate Mail
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Dear Aquarius:
RE: Your [sic] an attorney and not a scientist
600+ people ill in a town that small is tooo [sic] many for such a pat dismissive statement you made. un till [sic] you are willing to let your family drink etc [sic] the water the people there [sic] were subject to, you should be more careful on who [sic] you protect.
Why “does the chemical industry hide from their labels such details as the contents of their products?” Better question: Why do you call it “hiding?” Does Burger King "hide" something from customers by not saying what type of cow went into this or that sandwich? Should potatoes in a store’s produce section say what state they were grown in? Fragrance makers customarily don’t list their ingredients because there’s no purpose – other than perhaps letting your competitors know your formula. And no, satisfying a handful of fruits and nuts out there does not constitute a purpose.
The
suffering from these diseases was compounded by medical doctors telling
the patient that he/she was just 'stressed,' causing their [First,
"he/she" and now 'their.] own problems, or perhaps even
'demon possessed.'; that there was no empirical evidence, no physiological
basis.
i have had severe MCS since 1989, bad enough that it's easy to photograph.
i have never had a doc refer me to a headshrinker. but i have a family
doc, an immunologist, a neurologist, an internist, a toxicologist (Dr.
Abou-Donia at Duke University!) , and an occupational health doc that ALL
agree that i am permanently disabled from exposure to DURSBAN
(chlorpyriphos) pesticide. The DURSBAN was used as directed in indoor flea
bombs. here is a picture of what happens if i'm exposed to just a little
fragrance, paint, cleaning chemicals, pesticides, etc: it's called
angioedema of the face. Right after this happens, i go on to seizure or
anaphalactic shock. You need to get educated. You are hurting a lot of
people. And no, I HAVEN'T TRIED TO SUE ANYBODY.
