Black Inner-City Violence: Lead Poisoning and Vaccines and Autism and Cannabis

This was a really tough post to research. Absolutely heart-wrenching. But the more I researched, the more I knew that it had to be done. And while the current reality is ugly, there is hope, so the future is bright. It's long, and I apologize for that, but there was just so much information to be conveyed and considered.

I first started down this road after reading that Freddie Gray and his sister, like so many other inner-city kids in Baltimore and elsewhere, suffered lead-poisoning as small children:

Lab tests conducted in the 1990s showed that he and his two sisters had levels of lead in their blood nearly double that of what the state of Maryland defines as the minimum for lead poisoning.

Lead-poisoning causes both physical ailments and mental impairment:

Left unabated, lead in the bloodstream also causes a worsening of reaction time, memory, and retention of new information. A growing body has shown that childhood lead poisoning, in tandem with disparities in access to social and medical services, has widened the achievement gap. One particular study found that once blood-lead level was taken into consideration, race became less of a factor in academic achievement.

Huffington Post describes it as an African-American problem, but it's really more of an inner-city problem which affects Black children more due to the segregation and redlining laws which once forced African-Americans into substandard-housing, and the mental/emotional impairment that keeps them there:

Some children are at greater risk for lead poisoning than others. A HuffPost analysis of available lead poisoning data for U.S. cities found a correlation between cities with high percentages of African-American residents and elevated lead poisoning rates.

"This is a disease that primarily impacts African-Americans," Chachère said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children of color whose families are poor and who live in housing built before 1950 have the highest lead poisoning risk.

Given the high violent crime rates in these inner cities, the next obvious question to ask is if the wide-spread lead-poisoning could contribute to this violence, and the answer is a resounding "yes."

Chicago Tribune: Studies link childhood lead exposure, violent crime

Mother Jones: Race, Lead, and Juvenile Crime

Yes, lead poisoning could really be a cause of violent crime

It seems crazy, but the evidence about lead is stacking up. Behind crimes that have destroyed so many lives, is there a much greater crime?

I think the answer is obvious: not just "yes," but hell yes!!! We know the problem... we know the solution... we throw money at the problem... and yet we never quite get the job done. But that isn't even the worst of it. Mmy research didn't stop there. Another article raised even more red flags:

Study: Lead exposure can cause autism

Common metal previously discovered to cause brain damage and a disposition toward violence.

Wait... what? Autism??? Where did I hear about autism and African-American boys before? That's right... the CDC Whistleblower, Dr. William Thompson, who testified before Congress about destroying documents which showed a link between vaccines and autism in African-American boys.... and who was promptly subjected to a full frontal attack by the forced vaxxers who never met a vaccine they didn't like...

CDC Scientist: ‘We scheduled meeting to destroy vaccine-autism study documents’

(continued in next post)
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Before The Police, Freddie Gray Was Attacked By His Own Walls

Huffington Post: Lead Poisoning Is Still A Public Health Crisis For African-Americans

Toxipedia: History of Lead Use

Autism Society: Facts and Statistics

CDC: Facts About ASD

Washington Post: Study: ‘Significant’ statistical link between mass murder and autism, brain injury

Part II: Autism and Violence

After Sandy Hook and Adam Lanza, the public was told very loudly and in no uncertain terms that autism does not equal violence... in hindsight, perhaps a little too loudly and a little too certainly... as in "me thinks thou dost protest too much." At the same time, I know autistic children and their parents have enough to deal with, so I was loathe to pile on... but when I started looking into it, I quickly realized that parents of autistic children are screaming for help with their often physically aggressive, and yes, even violent, children. While autism does not cause an increase in statistical crime rates, that's probably only because their violent assaults are usually inflicted on their selves, or on their caretaker, usually mom.... and mom is the last person who would call the cops after a violent assault by their autistic child. Nope. More often than not, mom just suffers in silence, blaming herself for not being able to help her child. Sadly, these violent episodes are sugar-coated as "tantrums" or "meltdowns," but these meltdowns are indeed violent. I'll let these parents speak for themselves:

The Unvarnished Reality of Autism

The University of Washington released a study earlier this month concluding that being the mother of a child with autism is more stressful than being the mother of a child with other kinds of developmental disabilities. One reader’s first reaction to this news was “I could have told you that,” because her son, who is five, has Asperger’s syndrome, and his condition rules much of her life. Then she read the report, and became angry. Its description of life with a child who has autism was sanitized and simplified, she thought. In part that’s because the words that exist in the English language fall short in evoking what she calls “the nightmare.” She understands that severity of symptoms, like autism itself, is a spectrum, and that her experience will not be identical to everyone’s... her experience, she says — of days punctuated by the rages of her child — is certainly common to many, and rarely reflected in the sanitized descriptions she too regularly reads.

I am Adam Lanza’s Mother

A few weeks ago, Michael pulled a knife and threatened to kill me and then himself after I asked him to return his overdue library books. His 7 and 9 year old siblings knew the safety plan—they ran to the car and locked the doors before I even asked them to. I managed to get the knife from Michael, then methodically collected all the sharp objects in the house into a single Tupperware container that now travels with me. Through it all, he continued to scream insults at me and threaten to kill or hurt me.

Violent Temper Tantrums In Children With Autism

He can literally go from calm to a complete meltdown like the flick of a switch. He will scream and scream and scream, throw things, break things, if you try to stop him doing something when hes having a tantrum, by holding him, hugging him etc he will literally hit and kick you till you are black and blue and on a few occasions has bitten me till hes broken the skin.... Whats also scary is that now at the age of 4years old my son can nearly over-power me, his strength for his age is unbelievable, especially when he gets himself worked up, hes like this now to me and his dad, whats he going to be like in 10 years time when hes 14. I am literally at my wits end of what i can do to try and curb these violent temper tantrums...

Lost & Afraid: Where To Turn When Autism Turns Violent

I fear for the safety of my one-year-old daughter, who he has already hit once before (and I got blamed for that incident). There are no resources for people in my position. I've tried doing research online about the link between autism and violence, and how to deal with it. Everything I've found is useless. Some of the articles sugar-coat the problem by coming out with statistics about how violence is only present in 3% of autistics. Well, that's fantastic for the other 97%, but what am I supposed to do the next time I get head-butted in the chest because I won't let him run out of my apartment before everyone else is ready to go? The rest of the articles I've found are terrifying, like the story of Trudy Steurnagel, who was beaten to death by her autistic son.

The monster inside my son

For years I thought of his autism as beautiful and mysterious. But when he turned unspeakably violent, I had to question everything I knew.... But in the months before turning 18, Andrew grew depressed and bitter. Huge and hairy — a young man who grows a beard by twilight — he suddenly became as withdrawn as he’d been at 4.... Once during this phase, he beat me. A neighbor heard me screaming and called 911. But I blamed this on the drugs.

Phoenix family makes painful choice due to son's autism

As he grew older, Colin's outbursts were becoming more common and more violent. And they were usually directed at his mother.

"He was such an imposing figure," Teresa, 42, said. When Colin was at school, there was respite for Teresa, but it was temporary. "The bus delivered him to the front door every day. He would come home, and I would be petrified." Some days he would run into the home, drop his book bag and start hitting her.

"Living with Colin was like living with an abusive spouse," Teresa said. "You never knew what was going to set him off."

How bad is it? This bad:

Autism Moms Have Stress Similar To Combat Soldiers

How bad can it get? This bad:

Georgia Mom in Murder Suicide with Autistic Son

(continued in next post)

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Autism Causes: The Meltdown
New Research on Children with ASD and Aggression
Families Deeply Impacted By Autism Aggression, Study Finds
WebMD: Asperger's and Violence: Experts Weigh In
Anger and Violence in Aspergers Children

Part III: Inner City Violence

So how might this play out in the inner cities? I would think exactly as it is playing out, with a marked increase in violence and violent crime rates, low academic achievement, low employment rates, high welfare numbers, and the heads of households -- almost always single mothers -- absolutely overwhelmed, with those hurt most least able to help themselves...

Part of the problem for inner-city kids is that early diagnosis and treatment is vital, but that doesn't happen for most inner-city kids with autism:

Autism: Why Children of Color Are Often Diagnosed Too Late

Although autism presents significant challenges for anyone who suffers from the condition (and their families), it appears that African-American children, as well as other children of color, are among those who are most severely affected.... The CDC asserts that while many children receive the diagnosis around four years of age, researchers have found that African-American children are often diagnosed 18 to 24 months later.

Autism may also present and/or be expressed differently in African-American children (particularly boys) than other races, including more aggressive and violent behavior, but we cannot know for sure because of a lack of research:

most of the research in genetics concerning autism has focused only on Caucasian children. It is actually a rarity to find a study in which African-American children are included. The research that does not focus on African-American children may also demonstrate results that don’t apply to children of color. This, of course, has a profound impact on autism diagnosis and services for minority children. If scientists don’t fully understand the nuances that impact children of color, it is difficult for these professionals to provide clear treatment options and proper diagnoses.

Communities and their police departments are beginning to understand and address the problem:

The issue resonates not only with parents but with police. Every year, the International Association of Chiefs of Police picks one major issue to address at a national summit. In 2010, it was improving police response to people with mental illness and such conditions as autism.

"It has been a huge and significant part of our conversation in the last couple of years," said John Firman, director of research for the organization.

Source: Age of Autism, "The Dark Side of Autism" Violence, Assault, Police Interaction
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I know there may be some who might accuse me of all sorts of nefarious motives and beliefs for daring to suggest a connection between autism and vaccines... and autism and violence... and I know that there may be some who suggest I am "making excuses" for bad behavior... and I know that I may be contemptuously dismissed as a shameless anti-vaxxer (oh! the horrors!!!)... and I'm prepared and resolute. Accuse me of what you will. But I will stand for the victims. Those who are hurting most but least able to help themselves. The answer obviously begins at the root of the problem, with the lead exposure, and the vaccine connection, but there is also promise and hope for those already afflicted: Cannabis.

Unfortunately, just as there is a shameful lack of studies regarding autism and African-American children, so too is there a shameful lack of studies regarding cannabis and autism; but desperate parents are doing their own due diligence and getting amazing results:

A Brown University teacher Marie Myung-Ok Lee , author of Somebody’s Daughter, documented her autistic son’s response to using Marinol, a synthetic cannabis which is produced by the drug company AbbVie. She switched to an edible form of cannabis and then a tea version. Her son went from self-harming behavior like banging his head to being able to ride a bike. She calls her experiment a qualified success.

More recently, Kalel Santiago, a child with autism so severe he wasn’t able to speak, started speaking his first words after simply spraying hemp oil in his mouth twice daily according to Dr. Giovanni Martinez, a clinical psychologist in Puerto Rico.... Dr. Martinez noted that when Kalel couldn’t communicate, his behavior became bad as he acted out due to his frustrations, but by opening up his communication abilities his conduct has improved

Source: Forbes, "Desperate Parents Of Autistic Children Trying Cannabis Despite Lack Of Studies"

As I've researched all of this, and considered all the whys and wherefores and implications of same, it occurs to me that a perfect political storm has created and perpetuates the very serious problem of inner city violence -- a perfect storm of racism and autism and vaccines and the war on drugs and Big Pharma and crony capitalism and profits before people and on and on. I don't expect this thread to change the world. But it's a start to recognizing the true problems underlying and fueling the violence of the inner cities.
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RIP Danny Alger: Vaccines, Injury, Autism and a 1977 Court Compensation
New Research on Children with ASD and Aggression
Thread: Is Marijuana a Valuable Treatment for Autism?
Mom: Marijuana Saved My Autistic Son's Life
What Happened When They Treated Autistic Children With Medical Cannabis

a reply to: Boadicea

Most of this comes down to failure at the family level and horrible social norms for the area. I grew up in the 60s and lead was all over the place, but you know what, my parents made sure I didn't eat it...lol Kids seriously lack any guidance in these places and so they look for it to only find the gang as guidance. It is not hard to see where the fault lies, but people do not want to call the baby ugly when it is.

a reply to: Xtrozero

It is not hard to see where the fault lies, but people do not want to call the baby ugly when it is.

Indeed. We'll just ignore the truths smacking us upside the head and keep blaming the victims... the very ones who cannot help themselves... and we know it... and let people continue to suffer and die and kill and pay more and more for jails and preventable medical costs...

You did not even have enough time to read everything I posted, much less check out the links I provided, before responding. If you don't want to know, okay. But your comment says far more about you than anyone or anything else.

a reply to: Boadicea
What an excellent investigation! This was a lot more than your typical post. You pulled a lot of details together very well, providing a complete picture. What a fantastic effort. S&F .

a reply to: reldra

Thank you!

The really sad part is that this is really just the bare minimum of what I found. I really hope people check out some of the links to better understand the full picture.

THANK you. I have read everything except the links. Just replying to keep subscribed to your thread. Will read the links after drop girl to school.

originally posted by: Boadicea
You did not even have enough time to read everything I posted, much less check out the links I provided, before responding. If you don't want to know, okay. But your comment says far more about you than anyone or anything else.

I did but I'm saying there is a reason why all this is happening today. Why do kids eat lead paint and why do medical conditions go unnoticed and untreated, why do kids raise kids, why is home life so bad that gang life looks so much better. Once again...Most of this comes down to failure at the family level and horrible social norms for the area... ugly baby... Hard to fix that outside of totally removing these kids from that environment at an early age, but how do you do that?

a reply to: Xtrozero

I did but I'm saying there is a reason why all this is happening today.

So did I... things like lead-poisoning and autism are the reason all this is happening today.

Why do kids eat lead paint and why do medical conditions go unnoticed and untreated, why do kids raise kids, why is home life so bad that gang life looks so much better.

Because they and their parents are mentally/intellectually impaired and cannot do better because they don't know how to do better. Why do those of us who can do better and who should know better not fix what needs to be fixed?

Once again...Most of this comes down to failure at the family level and horrible social norms for the area...

No, it comes down to a failure at the political and medical level and horrible community response for the area.

ugly baby...

More like red-headed stepchild...

ETA:

Hard to fix that outside of totally removing these kids from that environment at an early age, but how do you do that?

Removing the child from the environment is one way; removing the paint from the environment is another way. Both by forcing property owners to have the paint removed, and by educating parents to the dangers of these paint chips so they can keep them cleaned up. Another way is to delay the MMR vaccine until well after their 3rd birthday (as Dr. Thompson and others recommend), and/or to perhaps divide the viruses into their own vaccines given separately. Implementation of a program for early diagnosis and treatment would also help. I'm sure there are other and better ways as well.

a reply to: Boadicea

This supports my theory that the inner city and "thug life" culture is founded in mental retardation.
I knew it had to do with defects of some sort.

Though I think you may be onto something (as a contributing factor), I know first hand that most inner city violence revolves around crack, gang influence (those people in the neighborhood with respect[fear], money, and power), and the media.

originally posted by: IridiumFlareMadness
a reply to: Boadicea

This supports my theory that the inner city and "thug life" culture is founded in mental retardation.
I knew it had to do with defects of some sort.

I know folks don't like the term "retardation," but it's technically rather accurate in terms of how African-American boys are known to be more likely to suffer regressive autism, meaning they are "normal" for all intents and purposes, but then actually lose ground and cannot "catch up." Which also indicates that it's caused by an external force -- like lead poisoning and vaccine injury. So I'm not sure "defect" is accurate, since that would indicate something inherent rather than an external cause.

originally posted by: Xtrozero
a reply to: Boadicea

...but people do not want to call the baby ugly when it is.

Pffft...show me an ugly baby and I'll call it like I see it.

originally posted by: theyknowwhoyouare
Though I think you may be onto something (as a contributing factor), I know first hand that most inner city violence revolves around crack, gang influence (those people in the neighborhood with respect[fear], money, and power), and the media.

The so-called "thug culture" is obviously a factor in the big picture, and it seems reasonable to believe that they play off each other in ugly and dangerous ways, kind of a vicious circle, and part of the perfect storm I spoke of.

Correlation does not equal causation.

If lead poisoning were the cause, then why don't we see similar levels of white on white violence in the same areas? Here in Chicago, the housing stock is very similar - old with lead even in affluent areas. Heck, I live in area where starter homes can cost upwards of $500k for old turn of the century bungalows. Guess what, they have traces of lead paint in them. Yet, we don't have the same levels of violence.

I am not arguing that lead poisoning is not a problem, but I am doubtful that it is really related to overall community violence.

The bigger issue is the complete dysfunction brought on by single hood rats having kids with no fathers in sight. The nearly 75% out of wedlock birth rate is the real issue imho.

a reply to: Boadicea

Interesting information...I would look to these slum lords who own multi family houses and test exactly how much lead is in the homes...In Boston a small percentage of low income housing has been knocked down and replaced with a much more modern look. This was done several years ago...I would love to see the data on these children that grow up in these homes ten years out...

It's unfortunate that lead is still present in buildings today...

originally posted by: Edumakated
Correlation does not equal causation.

True enough. In this case, however, the correlation of lead poisoning from various sources and increased violent crime has been well researched and documented, from the use of lead pipes for plumbing in the '20s, to the use of lead in paint in the '40s, to the lead in gasoline until the '70s.

If lead poisoning were the cause, then why don't we see similar levels of white on white violence in the same areas?

Because the highest levels of lead paint -- and therefore lead paint poisoning -- are found in those areas where African-Americans were once forced to live by law, and are still concentrated, which have never been properly cleaned up by the property owners. Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, New York City, etc.

Here in Chicago, the housing stock is very similar - old with lead even in affluent areas. Heck, I live in area where starter homes can cost upwards of $500k for old turn of the century bungalows. Guess what, they have traces of lead paint in them. Yet, we don't have the same levels of violence.

I think "traces" may be the operative word here, but I have nothing to quantify the differences between housing. I would assume, however, that owner-occupied homes -- especially in higher income neighborhoods -- are more likely to have had any lead paint removed years ago vs low-income rental housing. I would also imagine those homes have been repainted many times more than low-level rental housing in the inner cities. I would also assume that the higher the incomes, the better the nutritional intake of the children, offsetting adverse reactions.

I am not arguing that lead poisoning is not a problem, but I am doubtful that it is really related to overall community violence.

Overall, no... but within the inner-cities, yes... which is exactly where the biggest problem is.

The bigger issue is the complete dysfunction brought on by single hood rats having kids with no fathers in sight. The nearly 75% out of wedlock birth rate is the real issue imho.

This is definitely a problem, and part of that vicious circle, and there may be even more to it than the obvious. There is some research to indicate that African-American autistic males tend to have much higher testosterone levels than other races, not just fueling more violence, but also more sexual activity -- but without the mental or emotional capacity to be a father.

originally posted by: chrismarco
a reply to: Boadicea

I would love to see the data on these children that grow up in these homes ten years out...

That would be interesting, and perhaps very valuable in understanding the problems. Especially if it could be compared to data on the previous housing units and their occupants.

originally posted by: Boadicea

So did I... things like lead-poisoning and autism are the reason all this is happening today.

I didn't argue against that. My point is why are black kids eating lead and going unnoticed/untreated for medical conditions. Its like a town comes down sick and you say the problem is they are all sick, and I'm saying they are sick because the water is bad, so fix the water problem.

Because they and their parents are mentally/intellectually impaired and cannot do better because they don't know how to do better. Why do those of us who can do better and who should know better not fix what needs to be fixed?

I do not have an answer for this and it seems the Government doesn't either. How do you stop mentally/intellectually impaired people from having babies to continue the process without going full Orwellian. One thing to remember is there is a hell of a lot more poor whites than blacks that live in the same #ty conditions or worst due to just numbers, so why is this mainly a black issue since there is a hell of a lot of ignorant whites in America that do not have such large issues.

No, it comes down to a failure at the political and medical level and horrible community response for the area.

you say potato and I say potahto..we basically saying the same thing.

Removing the child from the environment is one way; removing the paint from the environment is another way. Both by forcing property owners to have the paint removed, and by educating parents to the dangers of these paint chips so they can keep them cleaned up. Another way is to delay the MMR vaccine until well after their 3rd birthday (as Dr. Thompson and others recommend), and/or to perhaps divide the viruses into their own vaccines given separately. Implementation of a program for early diagnosis and treatment would also help. I'm sure there are other and better ways as well.

I think it's been 40 years since the high profile for removal of lead paint has been in effect. I'm not sure why big cities think differently than the rest of the country. Everyone gets MMR at the same time, are blacks more likely to get issues then everyone else. I'm not so sure there is an actual huge autism increase since they added 5 types of autism with many more levels, so is their more or just more ways to diagnose autistic disorders, I do not know.