Eli Stone

Here is an article I thought worth sharing regarding the topic of the upcoming new show called Eli Stone that debuts tomorrow night. I read about the episode where Stone sues a vaccine manufacturer for causing a boy's autism, but I did not really know what the show Eli Stone is really all about.

Here it is:

Eli Stone: Autism and the Redemptive Powers of Faith
By Julie Deardorff of the Chicago Tribune. tinyurl.com/2zben7 Eli_2

Unlike officials at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and many pro-vaccination bloggers, I've had a chance to watch the entire pilot episode of ABC's legal comedy/drama "Eli Stone." The already controversial program, which debuts Thursday at 9 p.m. and subjects viewers to fanciful scenes involving pop singer George Michael, depicts a lawyer who argues in court that a mercury-based preservative in a flu vaccine made a child autistic. The AAP, after watching a seven-minute trailer of the show and reading media reports, was so outraged a sacred cow had been attacked that it demanded that ABC cancel the episode. Ironically, the move is drawing even more attention to the show. While the program includes statements that science has refuted any link between autism and vaccines, the AAP complained that "the episode's conclusion delivers a contrary impression; the jury awards the mother $5.2 million, leaving audiences with the destructive idea that vaccines do cause autism." I disagree. For starters, the AAP ought to give television viewers a little more credit. Will we really believe Eli Stone is a prophet who hears songs by George Michael, of all people, every time he has a vision? Moreover, the autism in the story line is almost incidental given all the other loopy things that are packed into the pilot. It's not about whether vaccines cause autism. What the episode's conclusion really asks is: Which is the greater force in life: science or faith? If the AAP had watched the whole program (or scanned the Web site), it might have seen that Eli Stone's brother, the doctor who diagnoses Eli's brain aneurysm represents science. Stone's acupuncturist friend, Dr. Chen, embodies faith. And as Dr. Chen tells Eli, "Everything has two explanations: scientific and divine. We choose which one to believe." This is how the autism-vaccine debate is playing out. Parents who are concerned about the safety of vaccines have already made up their minds. It won't matter how many studies show there is no link between vaccines and autism. We all believe our own truths. Vaccines can be life-saving, but like any medical procedure, they carry risks, even if autism is not "officially" one of them. It's up to every individual to get educated on vaccine safety and to consider benefits versus risks. I applaud ABC for trying to keep the conversation going once the television has been turned off. Eli Stone’s premiere episode airs Thursday night abc.go.com/fallpreview/elistone/index and there is nothing like a controversy to spark high ratings.

Think I'll tune in!

Oh - and hop on over to The Age of Autism (http://www.ageofautism.com/) for email addresses and phone numbers of ABC officials to help keep this show on the air, and for some more information on the controversy it has stirred up so far in the AAP, et al.