Aspies For Freedom

These are actually referred to as 'disease earrings' in the image name.
Charming..... :roll:

can't forget:

Coming to online stores soon....Black death bracelets, Head Lice lockets, and a necklace to find a cure for ingrowing toenails.
:twisted:  :razz:

and keychains to give you whooping cough :twisted:

I saw that as a magnetic ribbon on a car recently.

It's not only stupid, it's ugly as well  :razz:

what is it?

badspyro, we are talking about the earring pictured in the first post called 'disease earrings', and also about the fact that the jigsaw puzzle piece is a negative image for autism for various reasons.

So why do people wear those cancer ribbon jewellry?   If you ask someone they say it is to support those who are "fighting cancer".  Then they will tell about someone in their family and some details about their terrible death and suffering.  Are they wearing it because they want sympathy?

It used to be in to wear AIDS jewellry.  When HIV was first discovered, it had a very bad image.  It was considered a disease that only homosexual men got and it was feared and the victims were blamed for catching it.  Some celebrities started compaigning to show those victims were loved members of people's families.  Mostly all the people dying of AIDS in Africa were ignored until people go over the homophobia.

So do people wear the autism puzzle ugly thing because they just want sympathy because people with autism just cause them so much suffering?  If you see someone with that jewellry you can ask them why they are wearing it.  It is not so much that I suffer from my autism but that I really suffer from other people's reactions to my autistic behaviours.  Could someone explain this to them?

I have never heard of any celebrity taking up the cause of autism.  Neve Campbell (Canadian actor) does something for Tourette's because her brother has it.  She did mention that she remembers her whole family being kicked out of a theatre because her brother's Tourettes.  


Does some of the money from the sales of the autism puzzle things go to research or charity?  What kind of research or charity?  

I find it really annoying when people ask me if I know that I can cut off all my hair and donate it to children with cancer?   (I have really long hair).   I researched this charity.  They take some of the hair donated (that fits their criteria) and make it into wigs for children who have lost their hair to chemotheraphy.  Sounds nice?  Hmmm.   Any hair that is not suitable is sold to make hair pieces to be sold to rich people.  The wigs are made in some Asian country.  The wigs are not free.  Every child makes an application to get them and the cost is based on the family income.  Some families are charged $3000 for a wig.  They claim the wigs are worth $10,000 each.  Their site says that the wigs "improve a child's self image and reduces the amount of bullying at school about their loss of hair."  I really can't believe that kids would make fun of another kid that is so sick.  I hope I am wrong.

I would rather give money to a charity like "Make a Wish".  The children with cancer get their wish granted:  favorite celebrity visits, trip to Disneyland, ride in a plane.   Anyway,  synthetic wigs are available and some kids do not like to wear them.  I guess they could wish for a wig.

As far as I can see, people who buy the autism jewellry are being given the impression that the money they are spending is going towards helping autistics.
We know that money that goes towards CAN and NAAR is used directly for research towards a cure, and doesn't go to help people with autism in any direct sense.

I already appear weird to some people already.  I used to wear a t-shirt with a large target on the front as a teenager.  That what I feel like sometimes just a big target for bullies.  I would not want to wear an Autism pride t-shirt.  I used to get asked by people, "why do you make yourself a victim?".  I never understood what they were taking about.  I just wanted to punch them but I didn't.

When some people find out that I do not understand sarcasm, they start abusing me more.  I do not need to disclose my disability to people who could abuse me.  

I find it a bit disturbing that some schools are just telling everyone that "this kid has Asperger's".  I was giving tours to several school kids where the teacher just told me "X was asking too many questions because he is an Aspie".  I did not need to know.  Some people even had the nerve to ask me "Do you have Asperger's?"   People need to respect that some do not want their Asperger's disclosed publically.

That's a great point - I don't know if this corresponds to Donna's concept of "Exposure Anxiety" but for me talking about something personal is really hard and I would find it very difficult to have people point me out in such a fashion, or have someone walk up to me and question me about my autism because I'm wearing a T-Shirt or some form of label. If someone wants to wear stuff like that then fair enough but it would attract too many personal questions for me.

M said "I used to get asked by people, "why do you make yourself a victim?". I never understood what they were taking about. I just wanted to punch them but I didn't."

They are the same ignorant and presumptious people who used to tell women who suffered spousal abuse that they must have been 'asking for it'.

If I wore an Asperger's Pride t-shire, I might get curebies pointing out "Here there goes someone with AS.  See what happens when your children do not get ABA or chelation to cure them."

I am glad to hear that some people are proud to have Asperger's.  I feel hopeless.  Big target.