Asshat of the Day - February 25th, 2010

Today's Asshat of the Day is the entire freaking state of Utah, particularly its Legislature.

Why? For criminalizing miscarriage. Now, as explained here, that means that a woman who obtains an illegal abortion from someone other than a licensed physician could be charged with conspiracy to and complicity in first degree murder - with a penalty of life in prison.

A woman who causes a miscarriage through negative behaviour (for example, excessive drinking, drug use, some sort of violent activity) could be charged with negligent homicide or manslaughter.

This is absolutely a case of a) blaming the victim, and b) insanity. It is yet another step in removing a woman's control over her own body. It makes suppositions about fetal development that are not broadly acknowledged, nor supported. And as with most of the worst laws, it makes innocent people into criminals.

The initial link was correct; in doing this, Utah has become, amazingly, even worse as a state. And the Asshat of the Day.

A Dangerous and Evil Man

Normally, when I or my co-bloggers encounter idiocy, irrationality in the face of evidence, or other, similar behaviour online, we accord its author with the ridicule and refutation that comes with the dubious honour of the title of Asshat of the Day.

Not in this case.

The more I read that has been written by this man, the more I am convinced that he is dangerous, heartless, conscienceless, and, if he isn't, in fact, clinically insane, evil. I will say this again - if he is not entirely out of his mind, he is an evil man, and I consider virtually everything he has done to be a detriment to mankind.

This man is Andreas Moritz.

Brought to my attention by Pharyngula, as so many are, he is, as is detailed in the story itself, a hypocrite, a woo-meister, and a snake oil salesman nonpareil. But that's not even half of it.

He is an AIDS denier. He is a homophobe (p. 339, and, in fact, most of the rest of the book) disguising himself as someone concerned for people's health. He is a con-artist, creating symptoms in healthy individuals. He thinks (and espouses the idea) that cancer is caused by negative thoughts. For this reason, he argues against chemotherapy. Or antiretroviral drugs. Or pharmaceuticals of any description. Oh, and it should go without saying that he's opposed to vaccinations.

His websites, books, and articles are a bizarre and horrifying blend of The Secret, Kellog's Sanitarium, folk remedies, snake oil, and what can only be described as blatant fraud. (For instance, his river rocks as healing implements, available for sale!)

I leave you, gentle readers, with this. I can't imagine how this man tricks people into thinking he's healing them. He makes me sick... and I've never even met the man in person.

Not Asshat of the Day, but simply, purely, a blight upon humanity.

Aftertouch: Orac weighs in.