word associations

[sasha_feather]

So people on Twitter have been like, "Say it with me, vaccines do not cause autism." Which is all well and good, but for years I've been thinking that the better strategy is to completely separate the words. Don't even say them in the same sentence at all.

Think word associations. Remember those Wordles that were popular a few years ago, that make an artistic picture of all the words in your document or story? They are a word association picture. By putting words into the same sentence (even with a "does not equal/cause") you are associating them.

Instead substitute things that are like are equal.

So, associate vaccines with, say: normalcy, goodness, hygiene, civic duty, scientific development, the fight against infectious diseases, etc.

ALSO

Associate autism with good things like equality, support, creativity, love, life, diversity, justice.

Just don't put them in the same sentence.

Comments

[thingswithwings]

Excellent point. <3

I do the "vaccines cause autism" false argument with my Argument class, to illustrate "zombie arguments" - ideas that you can't kill for trying, no matter how much evidence is on your side. And one of the things I challenge them on is what we call warrants - the unspoken assumptions that we have to believe in in order to believe in the argument. And the warrant that I'm always proudest of them for figuring out is: "we have to believe that autism is a bad thing, a terrible thing for your child to have, before this argument has weight." And I ask them to imagine this argument without the idea that autism is a disease, or a terrible thing. It's so hard to get them there, though.

[jesse_the_k]

"Normalcy" makes me itch since I'm so ab-, but your general point is a great one.

I associate vaccine with: sharing, community, protection, winter coats, rite of passage

I associate autism with: senses, lateral thinking, concentration, joy, connection, interpretive dance.