Hatred & Contempt
– My Responses –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

June 20, 2021

 

 

In my recent blog, Hear My Voice!, I attempted to bring a light to, and to have a conversation about, the harsh divide we are experiencing on a multitude of topics. While I did receive many thoughtful comments from both sides of the debate, my blog also was met with hatred and contempt directed at me personally.

This negativity raises the question, “How do we continue moving forward together with all this animosity among us?”

There is a substantial difference between making up false claims with the intent to harm and questioning the existing narrative with well-researched and informed questions. When did it become okay to lump any opposing view as “utter nonsense”?

Generally, I see hatred and contempt. Often, both are directed toward those who question specific medical procedures today and toward those who try to share their personal experiences.

In this article, I want to share my thoughts about “lack of informed consent” and “contempt for the messenger”.

Lack of Informed Consent

As I see it, a big problem exists when patients are not given all the facts for medical treatments, which they are asked to undertake. Patients need information about the possible (yet rare) potential harm from a medical procedure before agreeing to proceed. This is called, “informed consent”.

When a person is encouraged to accept any invasive treatment including an injection, a person has the right to know what might happen before having the irreversible procedure. This informed discussion will lead the patient to make his or her decision.

Here are two of many organizations that are gathering data to further the discussion leading to “informed consent”.

#1

Medscape is a website delivering access to medical information for clinicians. It is an organization that also provides continuing education for physicians and health professionals. Recently, Medscape added a platform to share unbiased information.

On 2/8/21, Medscape began an ongoing post, which is updated daily in real time. It includes comments from medical healthcare professionals. As of 6/20/21, this site contains 636 published comments from doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers. These comments describe their personal experiences with the COVID vaccines. And they run the gamut from “no problems whatsoever” to “severe side effects”.

To be clear, Medscape is not vetting the qualifications of the professionals who are submitting their comments. So, it is possible that some of the published comments are from unqualified sources. However, there are many well-recognized medical people making their personal experiences known.

When personal experiences identify unusual, significant, or severe side effects, these must be taken seriously. They must be researched with the intent to understand the unknown and to uncover their biological pathways.

The published statements from qualified medical practitioners are not efforts to misinform the public or contradict the medical profession. They are outcomes that everyone should be made aware of before deciding on a medical procedure.

 

#2

In addition to Medscape’s reporting, I know of a non-profit medical and dental organization made up of various surgeons. The members of this organization have been witnessing unusual and compromised healing results in many of their surgery patients who have taken the COVID vaccines compared to their non-vaccinated patients. As I write this post, this organization is compiling documentation of these adverse responses. Eventually, the results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Contempt for the Messenger

Another concern I have is when a person openly explains their personal journey to restore health only to be denigrated for not having enough proof from randomized controlled medical trials.

A woman who read my Blog, Hear My Voice!, expressed her personal disgust with me in several comments she posted on a Facebook group. In that blog, I emphasized the incorrectness of a patient not being told about the potential risks of a proposed medical treatment. Also, I shared my personal successes and failures with my cancer journey.

I’m scratching my head and thinking, “Why would someone be so expressive in her vitriolic feelings toward me?” Here are a few ideas that come to mind …

• Possibly she has been harmed by the alternative medical community.
• Maybe a close friend of hers or a relative has suffered at the hands of functional medicine.
• Could it be that she wanted to study medicine or another healthcare profession and was unable to get into a program or unable to complete the program for some reason?
• Or, does she really believe that people are not entitled to know the risks of a medical procedure?
• Or, does she really think that no one should describe their personal path to wellness without peer-reviewed backup over years of double-blind studies?

I will not embarrass her any more than she did to herself when she published her comments on one of the most viewed Facebook groups. I don’t know what compelled her to rain down on me. But her concluding pointed words of attack were aimed to disqualify my personal success to heal my body.

I welcome an intelligent debate on any subject. The keys to an intelligent debate include …

• Listening to a different point of view.
• Taking the time to educate yourself before speaking.

The debate may not change your views, but you still may learn something. However, having disrespect for others’ opinions is what leads us to this divide in the first place.

Summary

I am only one of many healthcare professionals attempting to wake up those who are not asking two very important and personal questions …

1. “What are the potential risks of the medical treatment I am considering?”
2. “Are there options to assist my body to heal from severe chronic disease other than just chemicals that are put into my body?”

There should never be hatred or contempt expressed toward the person who wants to know the facts or share their experiences.

 

 

 

Check out my training on the Better Belly Blueprint! You can watch it HERE.

 

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