In the world of investigative reporting we are often besieged with varying opinions and stories. We are commonly at the mercy of those reporting to us and are expected to believe the story they are telling. We become ensnared in the illusion that an authority figure might have superior knowledge than us and we often forgo our own knowledge in exchange for that of someone who has a fancy sounding credential.
        From the medical world to the scientific community, investigative media reports, government officials and criminal justice professionals, we often hear these very frank words; "There is no evidence." For instance, in the context of a police investigation it is often heard that there is no evidence if a celebrity, sports figure or high ranking official is accused of a crime. These four powerful words are proclaimed that seem to quiet the critics when authority figures wish to protect someone. When a crime is suspected of having been committed by a star athlete who brings national glory to a university or town, the words "There is no evidence" will be issued to calm the lynch mobs.
        We often hear these same words in the scientific and medical communities in regards to vaccines and their link to autism. High ranking government officials and legions of medical doctors with walls full of credentials will stand at a podium and declare that there is absolutely no evidence linking vaccines to autism. The mainstream media, (supported financially by the advertising of the pharmaceutical corporations who make the vaccines), will also loudly express that their investigations have revealed that there is no evidence of the link between vaccines and autism. Hence, most people have their opinions swayed and are quieted. We are expected to believe that the words, "There is no evidence" means that the men and women in authority have conducted a thorough investigation to come to their conclusions.
        Ask any mother or father who have an autistic child and you are sure to get a different story. Most parents of an autistic child will tell you that one day their child was completely healthy. They took the child in for their MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and the very next day the child did not look normal. These parents will often question their own sanity because the medical authorities have already indicated that there is no evidence linking vaccines with autism.
        We see this same smokescreen of verbiage used by government officials when questioned about the existence of alien life forms on our planet. Despite many UFO sightings by ordinary citizens, commercial pilots and military personnel, the government will continue to tell the public that there is no evidence that aliens have ever visited the earth.
        In the marijuana kingdom, those who are involved in using or selling the product will most likely inform you that there is no evidence that marijuana is harmful or leads one to taking other stronger drugs. Despite many formal scientific studies indicating the dangers of marijuana use to the body or the strong correlation between someone who first begins using marijuana and then goes on to use stronger drugs, these individuals will cite the words, "There is no evidence" that marijuana causes any harm and they will concoct their own story.
        In many realms of life this strategy of putting blinders on to confuse the public seems to be working. We just seem to accept these four words as truth and go on with our lives. It is as if when we hear the words "There is no evidence" we just stop in our tracks, drop any notion we had that things where different and then blindly accept the position of the authority figure.
        What is "evidence" anyways? Evidence is a way to tell a story. Evidence can be based on a personal account or a second-hand story. Someone might quote a published work or a scientific study, no matter if the published work were ever true or the scientific study ever was accurate. Evidence can be personal and anecdotal or professionally induced by people with scores of credentials. "Evidence" seems to have some pseudo-spiritual quality to it as if it were locked up in "Pandora's Box" and only the chosen few were allowed to gather it and view it. Evidence carries with it some holy quality, even though drug tests can be masked and DNA evidence can be tarnished.
        Here is how the game is played. If you took a large bright-yellow school bus and parked it in front of someone in a position of authority and asked them to open their eyes to tell you what they saw you might be shocked at what you hear. The authority person might turn around as not to see the bus. He might turn sideways or look upward and beyond the bus. He will do anything he can to not see the bus. He will boldly claim that he can see no evidence of a school bus in front of him.
         The same holds true in our world. You can dump mountains of evidence on the desk of the CDC vaccine division (Center for Disease Control) and they will not see a link between vaccines and autism. You can show government officials picture after picture of foreign and unexplainable objects in the sky and they will still tell you that aliens have never been to this planet. You can present mounds of evidence about how a government official, president, king, ruler, celebrity or sports figure did wrong and if the governing powers who want that person protected have their way, you will hear the words, "After a thorough investigation we have found no evidence linking this person to the accused actions. Case dismissed.'"
        You often hear the terms "credible evidence" "corrupted evidence" or "scientific evidence." These are often just more smokescreens to quiet the crowd. What we all need to realize is that while much of the time truth and accuracy prevail, in many cases thorough investigations are not being undertaken. Institutions and governing bodies have already made up their minds about how things are. You cannot find something that you are not looking for. In this case, medical institutions are not looking for the link between autism and vaccines so they are sure not to find it. Police officers often are not looking for evidence linking their super star athlete to a crime so they are sure not to find it. Genetically modified food corporations are not looking for long-term health damage from their products. This same strategy is often played out in the political arena. The common chant might be "Let's be open minded as long as I can have it my way."
        We are all telling stories, whether it is a religion, government, medicine, corporation or a political group. Sometimes those stories are accurate; often they are not. At times if a group does not like a competing story then it uses strategies like "There is no evidence" to silence the competition. "Red flags" should be popping up all over whenever you hear those fateful words. The questions one should be asking are:

-What is your evidence?
-Who gathered this evidence?
-Who could possibly benefit from the evidence gathered?
-Why won't you look at other competing stories?
-Who is in charge of gathering evidence and where are their loyalties and why are they not being investigated?

        Imagine a society where ideas are openly discussed (not debated) without personal agendas, corruption, scandal, profiteering, lies or fraud. Far too often the words "There is no evidence" do not mean that there is no evidence. More commonly, giant bright-yellow school buses of information are being ignored because that is not the story that a group wants you to hear.
        People do not always want the truth; often they want what is popular. Most people don't always believe the right sources or the right people; they put their faith in those who are the loudest or the most marketed. When do we start to investigate the investigators themselves? Anybody can make up a story. Unfortunately many of the stories we are being told are just that—made up.

 

 

Resources
The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power, Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad
Vaccination Is Not Immunization 3rd Ed. (2013), Tim O'Shea
Vaccine Epidemic, Louise Kuo Habakus, Mary Holland and Kim Mack Rosenberg
Dissolving Illusions: Disease, Vaccines, and The Forgotten History, Suzanne Humphries and Roman Bystrianyk
The Big Autism Cover-Up: How and Why the Media Is Lying to the American Public, Anne Dachel
The Vaccine Court: The Dark Truth of America's Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, Wayne Rohde
The Vaccine Religion: Mass Mind and the Struggle for Human Freedom, Walene James
Homeopathy for Measles, Ann Sorell, (Kindle Book)