The article said "Please, as you celebrate your autism, consider people who don't share the traits you are celebrating. We don't need to hurt others to recognize our own value in the world."
Is seems to focus on how autistic pride day might hurt other people, which I find puzzling. I think everybody knows by now that people can enjoy who they are, and celebrate it, without putting anyone else down.
Maybe he didn't know much about it when he wrote it and was worried that it was somehow a negative day.
I felt that everything about it was positive, we heard from some people in the chatroom of how their events went, and it was lovely to hear.
:smile:
I don't think there was any negativity with APD though. Did you see any?
I understand that, but APD was nothing about not liking NTs, its about celebrating autism,
Its like Independence Day in the USA isn't about how awful other countries are, its only about celebrating America.
WE know we are equal, but APD can remind anyone else who's not sure, of that fact too.
Everyday can be APD for us, but everyone can hear about it on June 18th.
Lucas wrote:
If we argue that Autistic people have a valid existence because of our abilities, what we contribute and our independance, what arguement do those who have none of these things have?
I don't think we have a valid existence because of our abilities, and I don't think APD was about that or emphasised it, I think we have a valid existence because we are human, and we do not LOSE that humanity because of our autism. In other words, in order to simply remain equal within the pereception of society, we have to make a special day to send that message.
Thanks Lucas, I don't know much about the social model of disability, would you be able to write a piece about it to put in a section of the site that we are making for articles?
Lucas to say we have a stain is nonsense.
To say that people with autism shouldn't talk to the media because they can make things worse by being misquoted is beyond absurd.
NT parents make comments every single day to the media that make things worse, if someone with autism has an opportunity to put some of their views across, they should do it if they choose.
If the media does selectively pick what they use, the shame is on the media not on the autistic.
If we hide in fear that we may be misunderstood by the media, I have big news - we are already hugely misunderstood by the media.
Have you seen the news cases of crimes by those with AS and autism, the news of ASBOs on them for stupid reasons, the ones highlighted only because of their savant skills?
If someone sees an article about two aspies who don't have savant skills and haven't just commited a crime its something better than the average!
Lucas said -
"You took part in an article which is to a large effect very damaging, you don't know this and you won't have to live with the consequences, others will."
What the hell do you mean I don't have to live with the consequences, and others will???? I mean really, what are you talking about? It was not damaging, what damage has been caused, what detriment has ensued, and if it did why would it not affect me? You are inferring a great deal which is really hypothesis and paranoia.
"When Spa school took part in the documentrary Make Me Normal, they insisted on having a large influence over what went in. Did you ask the journalist about the article as a whole?"
Lucas when you do something I don't question it, if Michelle does something I don't question it, I can only be myself and do my own thing, autistics do not NEED PERMISSION from other autistics to express themselves. I am not a politician, I am not a manipulator, I am not an NT.
"You had a lot of control over it but you didn't check. The journalist got sources for some pretty stupid claims from somewhere which he didn't specify(which is why Joel Smith can't specify who he wishes to criticise). If you had insisted that they make it clear who is saying what, they would have been liable for the article as it is written now."
Get over it, I did what I could.
"And those harmful, inaccurate comments are not defeated by more harmful, inaccurate comments."
I did not make harmful or inaccurate comments, if you want to feel that way, do so, but I haven't seen anyone else share your view.
"Ridicule is no arguement, Amy. That's another cure lobby thing you have to shake off. I should tell you that you can't fight misunderstanding by actively propagating it either."
I don't have to shake it off, I don't have it.
Most members here will find this hard to believe, but AFF does get accused of being pro-cure by some autistics. I don't understand why.
Maybe some people have such a high threshold for absolute perfection that they see anything as slightly imperfect as being the 'enemy'.
I have never met a perfect person, autistic or otherwise or seen a perfect group, but if we are pro-cure then I don't know what CAN is.
Lucas - Showing the positives of autism in the media is not the same as labelling the more disabled members of the autistic community unworthy of existence.
I am curious - would you be happy if mental retardation was wiped out? Or would you mourn?
Becoming a victim culture is just the excuse the pro-cure crowd need.
Lucas said "But if you want to know, the article does lean towards a seperation of Autistics into disabled/able, disabled need treatment, able do not. You as an able Autistic will not suffer the result of an end contributed to by the article."
How able am I? Do you know how able I am, or how able my son is or Gareth is? Do you know if we are percieved as able in society?
You are making assumptions that certain things won't affect us.
You cannot tell me how I may suffer or may not suffer, the same as I can't tell other people how they will or won't suffer.
You are also assuming that the article itself will cause suffering, I think thats extremely overdramatic.
So I should recognise I am a fool, your comparisons of things we say here with the cure lobby looks like a veiled insult and I don't know why you say it.
We aren't pro-cure and we don't copy the pro-cure lobby.
We get 30,000 hits per day on this site, so a lot of people will read this, how many read the New Scientist article?
Is what you say here helping anything? It is being read the same way as any article, is calling us pro-cure helping anything?
Lucas said "little curbie soothsayings" I havne't got a clue what this is, and I'm not gonna keep being insulted by references that I'm a curebie or like a curebie or whatever.
If I want to be insulted I can walk down the street and get it quite easily.
Lucas said "AFF is accused by many of being pro cure because it keeps adhering to the Medical Model when regarding Autism."
Actually it is a handful of autistics that you happen to know. I know who they are, you know who they are, they keep themselves at a distance and criticise whatever we do, are you their elected spokesperson?
Are you going to name names? Do we have to be subjected to this constant criticism?
You appear to be trying to make a division in the community, look at what you are being told, and who is saying it, and why. And why we are so wrong, and a few others are so right.
The autisitic community does not have a bible or code that we all have to follow or we face being excluded. No one person makes up all the rules, if they do, where are they?
You are high functioning yourself, so why do you have the right to be 'right' but we don't? We do have LFA members, anyone can join, we are creating unity not division.
I'd just like to point out that APD did not involve any bitterness towards NTs i could see. It was simply a celebration of who we are. The gay community aren't bitter towards hetrosexuals during gay pride week.