Recently People magazine featured bob and sussan wright as "heros among us" They got a huge cover page and a story of coarse but here is the thing People if you had done a little research first on your subject matter you would have learned very quickly
Bobs and Susan wright are NOT heros!
- there is nothing heroic about dehumanizing Autistics!
- there is nothing heroic in spread fear and stigma for your personal gain!
- There is nothing heroic about fighting to keep autistic advocates out of the discussion of autism
- there is nothing heroic about make an entire group of people feel like burdens and curses to their family!
- there is nothing heroic about SHUT OUT the people you claim to speak for and silencing their voices!
- there is nothing Heroic of parading parents in front of a screen to cry and say how much their child has ruined their lives!
- There is nothing heroic about painting parents and caregivers who murder autistics in their care as victims faced with a horrible burden and turning the murder victims into the villains! There is nothing ok about demonizing the person who's life was taken from them and turning the killer into a matter in a cry for more help!
- their is nothing heroic about demonizing Autism and fighting against autistics that want acceptance, and understanding
- There is nothing heroic about promoting organizations known for severe violations of human rights like JRC
- Bob and Susan wright are NOT HEROS!!! Autism speaks hurts #actuallyAutistic people! the little good they have done pales in comparrison to the pain suffering, tears and harm they have caused building barriers of fear between Autistics and the community! Period!
white German Shepherd behind "boycott Autism Speaks" written in chalk |
people magazine the very title og your article was steeped in ablism, in ignorance and clearly designed to creat fear, fear of autim, T
My mom recently passed and I miss her more then anything one of her biggest fears was that my disability would mean my life would be valued less, she feared what societies view of my value as a person, or more appropriately lack of value in the eyes of a society that sees me as nothing more then a burden, would permit others to do to me, what rights would be allowed to be stripped from me because I was seen as worth less and a burden due to my autism, and most of all she feared if politics went really messed up I would be on a list of burdens to cull from humanity due to my disability, and while that last sentences sounds pretty extreme and unlikely the rest of her fears were valid. And they are valid because of how autism speaks spreads awareness, because of how you portrayed autism in your Article,
Painting autism as something to be feared, to be battled paints autistic as less, so often you hear parents of autistic kids fearing what will happen to their kids when they die, well how you speak of autism will effect the answer to that directly, The message you send to the world is about autism and autistic is how autistics will be viewed.
If the message is that we are drains, burdens and that we destroy the marriages and live of our families then people we see us a such and they will view us as less then human. And in the words of a friend of mine
"Here is the problem with the fear rhetoric, it makes people afraid it dehumanizes those living with this disorder, it enables people to see them as less and that is very dangerous!!, extremely dangerous! When you view someone is less it is easier for people to do all sorts of awful things to them, use them as experiments, rape, kill or lock away in some institution where not even their basic needs are met left to sit in their fecal matter. If we present our children and loved ones as burdens then that's how they will be treated! No on will want to help them, they will be seen as drains and their value will be lost to others. And al the things I listed above will continue to happen as they do today! How can we expect society to help and stand up for our loved ones when we are telling them our children are nothing but a problem, a burden and saps on the economy! " (S,D)
No one with autism no matter how mild or severe is less than human because of their challenges, challenges don't take away from your humanity!
Everyday autistics around the world hear how they are burdens, drains, need fixing, our murders are excused, we are told everyday our lives are worth less and burdens to our non autistic loved ones, at the same time our voices are silenced by organization like autism speaks when we try to speak up and say we are here we matter,
Bob and Susan wright are not heros their organization shuts out and fights to silence autistics and silence our voices, they spread stigma and fear and excuse murder that is not heroic!
if you want to feature real heros look at the Autistics and our families who are fighting for acceptances, understanding and supports that actually benifit autistic people.look at people fighting the stigma and demonetization of Autism because in a world the tells you we ar lost, broken and burdens the true heros are the ones who stand with us in love support and acceptances who lift up our voices, We are not broken, we are not lost we are here we matter and we deserve to be heard! So if you want to highlight heros highlight Autistics, high the parents and allies in autism acceptance who support neurodiveristy and acceptance those are the real heros!!
THank you for sharing your reasons!
ReplyDeleteThat was wonderfully written.
ReplyDeleteWow! Powerful piece.
ReplyDelete