Part of the problem with society as it is now, is BECAUSE of superficial “reality” or ideals being more important than what’s actually going on.

Instant gratification is another thing. Some parents of autistic children who try all kinds of treatments want instant results: kids behaving better, whatever that means, and whatever the cost ends up being.

You may not be diplomatic but you know how to write in a way that most reasonable people will at least read and not feel somehow unjustly attacked. Notice I said REASONABLE people. Curebies and quacks don’t count.

Sometimes I can’t even write the things I want to in my blog because all that comes out is wrathful ranting. I’m sure I’m not the only one, who could be the autistic advocacy movement’s equivalent of Rev. Jesse Jackson or Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

When I feel that angry, I don’t write anything that could be found and possibly used to prove

Ivan

The word I grew up hearing was “assimilation,” as in it being best to become a “banana” (yellow on the outside, white on the inside). Cultural thinking as far as raising children of diverse ethnic backgrounds has changed a great deal on this front and we are all slouching towards something, I think, in our diverse ways, together.

Talking the talk ain’t walking the walk. All words are not “one-size fits all,” and I’m getting mighty fed up with it.

Thanks for this great post. Sometimes we can’t always be the diplomat.

Estee

Temptations 1970

It’s the abuse factor. You know it well, I think, Amanda. The phenomenon wherein a person begins to believe that s/he deserves the abuse and may even begin to seek it out. The other part of that is the people who are enabling the abuser – often because they don’t want to be the next victims.

Although the interesting thing about torture, is it’s a common thing but very little is ever done about it, anywhere, no matter where it happens. Because, among other things, torturers are nearly always well-respected people, and torture victims are nearly always devalued people. (I’d recommend the book Unspeakable Acts, Ordinary People by John Conroy for more information on this.) And there’s always some justification for the torture that sits well in the minds of most people.

(In the wake of the publicity around Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, I have wondered how many Americans will see all the similar acts in their own neighborhoods. There’s very little out of those places that I haven’t seen myself in respected disability institutions or heard of from others there.)

But all that about torture is kind of a side-note.

I also find it sad and disturbing how many people end up accepting things that are dangerous and/or unreal, to “get along”. It shouldn’t be necessary to have to accept those things and take an “anything goes” sort of stance in order to get along with people anyway.

They need to play nice and “get along,” apparently.

Personally, Autism Diva thinks they’ve sold out. Maybe they don’t realize it, though.

I could not do that sort of pretending either, and I could not live with myself morally if I could or did, ever.

Good for you Janna. I wish you the best in your life for now and for always. Glad you’re no longer to co-opt with the social illusions.

And the horrid thing is that people aren’t even aware of them. What is worse is that people ARE aware but aren’t going to do anything about it. It seems like autistic people staying powerless is like a priority for them. I worry.