Oregon State Fair gets hoodwinked by anti-vaxxer

[Permanut]

The Oregon State Fair, going on now and continuing through September 6th, features a vaccine clinic that runs all day every day, free to anyone wishing to get the vaccine. The fair management apparently has been scammed, because it also features a booth inhabited by a spokesperson for something called the "Citizens for Free Speech". Misleading, as is usual for the Trump Kool aid cult, because the sole purpose of the booth is to hand out a pamphlet written by Richard Blaylock, called "What You Need to Know About Informed Consent". The pamphlet is full of BS claims about the vaccine, including the following "side effects":

- Death
- Myocarditis
- Triggering of Multiple Sclerosis
- Triggering of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases
- Strokes
- Paralysis,

and about 20 others.

Richard Blaylock, as you may know, promotes chemtrail conspiracies alleging cancer-causing nanoparticles as being purposefully [3]released into the atmosphere in a government-corporate scheme. Skeptic’s Dictionary and QuackWatch call him an anti-vaxxer, while selling his own line of “Brain Repair Formula” supplements. He has been called “quack of the day” by The Vaccine Conspiracy Theorist.

[gratuitous]

1. Practically anybody who applies and pays for the space can get a booth

We're not going this year, but the Oregon State Fair has lots and lots of booths ranging from good-hearted sincere community minded folks (e.g. Democratic Party of Oregon) to the fucking prince of darkness (aka the Republican Party of Oregon). There's a little trailer there practically every year with a banner that promises to tell you whether you're going to heaven or hell with a simple two question test.

So if the Citizens for Free Speech paid for a space, the Fair will take their money and assign them a spot. I'd put them right next to the swine building myself and direct the fans ventilating the interior directly at them. But that's just me.

[SheltieLover]

2. Fair should shut this down imo.

Have you contacted management to complain?

Vax manufacturers should sue these nut jobs, imo.

[Permanut]

3. Having a senior moment, Sheltie, hadn't thought of contacting them..

Great tip, I'm going to do just that. I managed to get one those pamphlets, so I can provide details to them.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

4. This is a 100% textbook definition of Free Speech and should not be shut down

Given it's billed as the State Fair.

I hate this guy and his schtick, but it would be absolutely wrong, IMHO, to do so.

The suing part, OTOH, is another matter

[Permanut]

5. Point taken..

Rules of conduct for exhibitors include the following:

8. The Oregon State Fair management reserves the right to refuse exhibits which may violate community standards of
decency or otherwise infringe upon the rights of, or cause bodily harm or intimidation to, the Oregon State Fair
management staff, exhibitors or Fair guests, and to refuse space, or shut down an exhibit space when deemed
unsuitable by the Oregon State Fair management.

So, the free speech rights in this case are limited.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

6. Right. And as an aside, I'd wager that verbiage is specifically there to prevent the anti-choice

idiots from posting gross-looking pictures and signs with inappropriate language all over their booths.