Dateline Sept 5th: Phoenix Arizona voted to continue fouroidation of tap water last month. Not one city council member atended the debate. Not a single politician voting on the issue paid any credence to this historic debate. This is very telling. Watch and learn how the pro fluoride people bull*hit their way though a debate… Dr. Sauerheber found many flaws in the arguments proposed by Farran. See the newer post for Dr. Sauerhebers email regarding Farran’s points and statements.
The Full Debate:
San Diegans for Safe Drinking Water steering committee members Dr. David Kennedy and Bill Zimmermann attended the Farran vs. Connett fluoridation debate held at the Bullpit auditorium at Pheonix College on August 5th 2012. The debate was orchestrated by Jodi Clute Phoenix campaign coordinator for the Fluoride Action Network and was attended by many physicians and notable businessmen like anti-fluoride activist physician Dr. Deborah Dykema of the Pheonix based Wellness Center and attendees like local business man Paul Reichert from AMS Health Clinic LLC. We want to thank them and especially event coordinator Jodi Clute of the Fluoride Action Network for bringing Dr. Connet and Dr. Farran together for this ground breaking debate on the eve of a city council vote taking place September eleventh. SDSDW wishes to thank the Fluoride Action Network staff and volunteers for your successful contribution the the national anti-fluoride effort.
The Event: The great turn-out of over 700 was a direct result of months of effort. Clute’s inspiration to San Diego For Safe Drinking Water’s members demonstrates how one person can influence policy and make a real difference. Ms. Clute and Dykema together made the final push to establish credibility of anti-fluoride sensibility in this beautifully orchestrated and extremely well promoted event. A clear win for FAN.
The Debate: There have been many debates concerning fluoridation but rarely will any A.D.A. dentist with a successful Phoenix practice and international lecture circuit business (financed by who?). Dr. Farran put his reputation on the line as did Dr. Paul Connett from the Fluoride Action Network last night. Dr. Farran’s defense of fluoridation education boasts “twenty years of research” and experience in the study and science of fluoride and fluoridation. Dr. Farran was clearly family orriented and was filled with rye humor which this writer believed to be below the dignity of the debate. Farran did however display a convincing appearance of concern for the health of the poor (people who can not afford dentistry) and that of children. Sincere and forthcoming he attempted to answer simple debate questions but when pressed for details and scientific fact his twenty years of study yielded answers which disappointed the crowd as each time he defaulted to government rhetoric, a “credibility” tactic often used by well trained pro-fluoride groups. In other words his lack of knowledge of the chemical makeup of hydrofluorosilicic acid was disappointing if not embarrassing. SDSDW set forth the question, the doctor rambled on, mentioned some substances that sounded like they were subsets of fluorine but he never mentioned the arsenic, lead or other toxic waste that comprises the larger percentage of the compound delivered to 75% of Americans. HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS IN IT. Dr. Connett was swift magnify this fact by listing the chemical makeup of the compound in detail and went on to challenge Dr. Farran on all points, some more effectively than others. All in all we believe Dr. Connett won the debate. Dr. Farran sang the praises of the CDC Oral Health Division while Dr. Connett slammed them for maintaining decades of underdeveloped science and deliberately leaving large gaps in the “embarrassingly vague science” of fluoridation. In the end we counted seven audience applauses for Dr. Farran and sixteen for Dr. Connett. You can count them yourself when the video is released.
After the debate we joined Dr. Connett and other FAN members for a victory dinner with the FAN members and some amazing citizens of Phoenix who were also in attendance. Dr. Kennedy personally made a video of the debate that will be available exclusively on SDSDW.org within a couple days. Stay tuned.
We wish to thank Dr. Dykema for a lovely evening post-debate.
