The world isn't so black and white, BobB.
"Vast majority" this or that, is what you're doing still fine? Is it still moral? You justify that it's just venting, but that excuse won't work if pro-cure people used it to justify one of their vents. It's a hypocritical argument, if you accuse them of being ignorant and disrespectful based on their venting. Think about it; Is this any better than the ignorance and disrespect that you feel is unjustifiable? Is trying to justify it in your case any different from them trying to justify things in the same way?
You accuse those who want a cure of being a vast majority of non-autistics, people who don't really understand autistics.
Joker,
The world is *never* black and white, even for us... 
Let's take it out of the realm of autism for a moment. For *hundreds* of years, blacks were taken from their homeland, sold into slavery, whipped, beaten, lynched, and otherwise dehumanized. They went through struggles for *decades* to get to the level of even *nominal* equality!
Now, is there a difference between whites demeaning blacks and blacks resenting whites?
ABSOLUTELY!
It's the difference between resenting the *oppressed* and resenting the *oppressors*!
In our case, we're the 'blacks'; *we're* the ones who've been oppressed. The 'pro-cure' types are the ones who've been the 'white oppressors'.
Are we going to be *brave enough* to stay seated on the 'white seats' of society?
On the flip side, the smart pro-cure aspies and Auties don't speak up about it anymore, because they know it gets them insulted, ostracized, mocked, ridiculed, and subject to no holds barred harassment. I've seen autistic people who hold pro-cure views come and go, I've seen aspies who wouldn't mind a cure or wanta cure just not posting in these kinds of topics, because they know that if they do, they will get dragged over the proverbial coals... by the few people they ever really shared their autism with, the people they know who are the ones who also have ASDs.
One autistic woman wanted a cure, and now she's being ridiculed by strangers, people who never even met her. Why? She doesn't want to be the way she is, she wants to be cured.
Is it so wrong to not want to be autistic? Is it?
It's not the cure itself; it's the *ramifications* of what a 'cure' would entail.
If you were gay, would you be insulted if somebody told you that you needed to be 'cured' of being gay? More than likely, yes. If *you* wanted to be 'not gay', and you were willing to try to be 'cured', that's fine.
For *you*.
For others, though - those who *don't* want to be cured - it represents a *threat*; the *existence* of a 'cure' gives the people who want to 'cure *all* gays of their perversions' ammunition to use against them. It would start as an option, but more than likely, it would soon be *forced* on gays, whether they wanted it or not!
And *that's* what we're against!
In the same way that being gay is part of who that person is, being autistic is part of who *we* are!
And who has the right to *threaten* that part of our existence?
Respect can't be demanded, it can't be taken, it can't be stolen, forced, or bought. You don't get respect for being autistic because you should; That's plain laziness and selfishness. All the "normal" people, they need to earn respect, through their words, their actions, and their attitudes. Are we then deserving to be respected because we have Autism, and not because we're good people? Are we to become so self-centered that we think the world owes us? That's the way that parents spoil children rotten, by giving them the things that they don't deserve.
I'm not saying that being autistic means you don't deserve any respect, but I am saying that you can't expect it to fall into your lap or be handed to you. If you want it, you earn it. I want it, and I earn it. I earn it from my friends, my neighbors, or even total strangers.
Respect breeds respect. If somebody's going to be an *advocate* for autistics - which the curebies *supposedly* are - then it follows that *they* have the responsibility for respecting *us* FIRST!
What you're doing? That earns scorn and derison, unless you're among like-minded individuals, people who seem to share a sense of entitlement, or simply want to let off some steam in a negative way.
You don't earn respect by mocking others, by degrading people because of their beliefs, by insulting mothers, silencing criticism, attacking anyone who doesn't toe the opinionated line(the one that you know is the "right" one), altering views and spreading black PR.
Tell that to Jenny McCarthy, et al...
Tenaciouscj, TheZach, Timelord, BobB, Natalie, isn't this kind of petty and vindictive mockery and slurs beneath you? Are you capable of responding to her only by insulting her? You can't counter bad with bad; As the old adage goes, two wrongs don't make a right.
Are you petty, spiteful, vindictive individuals, ignorant, or are you ready to act mature and do something worthwhile about Jenny McCarthy rather than just insult her?
Personal insults like, brainless blonde bimbo, for one. I think that's fair rude, don't you?
That's the image that *she* created for herself! Whether it's rude or not, *she* chose to project that as her public persona; it's a little bit late for her to think she should be immune from criticism *of* that image, wouldn't you say?
If somebody is *deserving* of criticism for being ignorant, they're going to *get* that criticism!
I call a spade a spade (unless I'm dealing with racial issues, of course...) 
The people on the anti-cure side need to get their acts together regarding personal insults and deliberate attacks and messages of war against pro-cure groups, even curebies. You can't claim a moral high ground when you're as stained as those you're fighting; We can fight for the public view, but the pro-cure groups are pretty big, well-known, and have lots of money and support, no? Anti-cure just can't win against all the celebrity, money, and sheer numbers of pro-cure.
If we ensure that both sides become completely opposed, closed off, and deadlocked, anti-cure is done for. That's why the anti-cure movement needs to stay above this base garbage; Otherwise, pro-cure people will oppose simply for the sake of opposition, and won't be swayed by any arguments in a course that the anti-cure movement was formed to face: The elimination of autistic culture, of autistic people, of autism.
Modern math: Ignorance + Money + Media = Gospel Myth 
It's time to start killing the myths...
I agree; A topic for venting needs to be where it is appropriate. Where it is known that it's not being taken seriously, and is not part of a serious point of view. Of course, in some instances, these are serious points of view, which is negative. And about first impressions, I agree completely. If all they see are threads involving things like this, or like overtly biased topics, they'll chalk us down to being the other point of view of similar pro-cure sites.
I think it's come down to two groups of anti-cure people; Attackers and equality promoters. Sometimes the two intermingle, and you get people who mix the two. You'll get people who are autistic elitists, and other negatively focused people from the attackers, and you'll have people who promote that they're just different, and other positively focused from the equality promoters. Problem is, the negatives are ruining the positives with stuff like this.
I believe in promoting equality, but at the same time, I'm willing to fight tooth and nail for the cause. Sometimes, you *have* to be negative to *properly* fight the good fight...
Well, in closing, I guess that it's up to the individual to govern themselves; I can't stop anyone from being a certifiable jerk, but I can name them fo what they are. Tolerance for pro-cure beliefs from autistics, is the first step to the examination of those beliefs by those who hold them.
If somebody *genuinely* believes that they want to be cured - that their autism is 'persona-dysphoric' - I have no problem with that. But if someone wants to be cured, it *has* to be for the *right reasons*, not just a matter of social pressure, etc.
-BobB
