Hello, Calgary. I hear you’re having a holistic medicine convention with a famous speaker.
David Stephan is listed as one of the presenters for the “Body Soul & Spirit Expo,” which bills itself as a “holistic lifestyle show” that showcases products, services and resources for “growth, wholeness and self-understanding.”
According to the show’s website, Stephan will speak about how to achieve brain and thyroid health during a session on Friday. He runs a natural supplement business called Truehope Nutritional Support.
He’s being brought in as an expert on brain health? But…but…
In 2016, Stephan and his wife were convicted of failing to provide the necessaries of life to their 19-month-old son Ezekiel. During the trial, the court heard the couple tried to treat their son’s bacterial meningitis with natural remedies such as, garlic, onion and horseradish instead of taking him to a doctor. Ezekiel died in 2012.
Stephan was sentenced to four months in prison and his wife was given three months of house arrest.
Dang. When trying to decide which of my three kids to murder in order to get these speaking gigs, should I ask for volunteers, or just have them draw straws?
Stepping on his own kid’s corpse to reach for his dreams. Inspiring.
This guy is plainly delusional. He still maintains that he did nothing wrong. I’m a little dismayed that he was in prison for such a short time.
I could see if, as part of a sentence reduction arrangement, he was required by a court to do talks about “how home remedies can sometimes kill.” But that this is not.
In this case I always say Futurama did it best.
“CALLING ALL SCIENTISTS, CALLING ALL SCIENTISTS”
“I’ve got a degree in homeopathic medicine”
“YOU”VE GOT A DEGREE IN BALONEY”
At witch point he gets nailed with the fire hose.
Unfortunately, having completed his prison sentence the man is free to spout his nonsense wherever he likes. And it looks like these organizations are stupid enough to pay him to speak. Maybe they’re hoping the controversy will draw crowds?
Hmmm – Trump’s Surgeon General, confirmed by the Senate 8 months ago, seems due for replacement by now…
Good news!
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/man-convicted-in-son-s-death-removed-from-wellness-expo-lineup-1.3798833
Even better, his presence was so toxic a major sponsor (and others) pulled their sponsorship, and future festivals might not even go ahead.
@ 8 Dean
I thought that last news piece was old news. CTV is recycling items now?
@Dean, jrkrideau:
The last news piece IS old news. The one PZ linked to is from today, and refers to the ‘Body Soul & Spirit Expo’, not the ‘Health and Wellness Expo’ that he was kicked out from back in February.
For that matter, the piece PZ linked to actually mentions the previous event in the last paragraph.
Oh! My bad. I saw another article linked on that same page so assumed it was talking about the same thing.
What use is prison if people doen’t come out better than they went in?
@ Dean and jkrideau
Here’s a new article talking about him being dropped from this expo
http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/man-convicted-in-death-of-son-dropped-from-calgary-natural-health-expo/wcm/d27eed4e-708a-4643-84d9-452c0a43524f?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#link_time=1522869252
He should have stopped at “we don’t see ourselves qualified in any way…”
Me: Why did you hire this guy?
Chandler: He espouses our philosophy!
Me: He murdered his child!
Chandler: Oh, that’s just an opinion.
Me: No it’s not. It’s been settled in a court of law. Which found that he murdered his child through neglect.
Chandler: I couldn’t possibly–
Me: — And he went to jail, and everything! This is a matter of FACT!
Chandler: “We don’t see ourselves qualified in any way to make judgements”
Me: (looks around for baseball bat)
Fanatics do not learn, they only double down. Even the unnecessary death of a child won’t change this.
Oh yes, let some goon mess with your thyroid health. Let me tell you that your thyroid is not something you want to mess with. Take my word for it. Or my two hospital admissions. Or the fact that a thyrotoxic crisis has a mortality rate of 20 to 50%. It is rare, but it shows that it matters.
Once again one asks oneself: what the fuck is wrong with these organisers?
Follow the money…