Aspies For Freedom

hmm....the autism coummiunity...full of people that hate autistics and want them gone, aka curebies.  they want to combat us, and make it seem that autism is always the bad guy.  if you defeat autism...we all lose.

autism is the good guy...can is the bad guy...that sounded cheesey and lame.  but i think this is bad news for any of us that wish to have children, as our kids will probaly be taken to rot away and only cured to be considred human.

I think they mis-typed this line, they missed out "tremendous victory against the entire"

or, victory for the cure autism community.

If the bill does pass, this might be a good course of action, but I don't see why we shouldn't try to prevent the bill from passing in the first place.

I actually think it's a good idea to try to direct the research once the money gets to the research stations.  But, that is still a few steps away at this point, and there are strong possibilities that the money will arrive with precise instructions on how it should be used.  We don't have a bill yet, so now is the time to try to shape the bill.

Sometimes voices are heard.  It's a little too early to be cynical.  Your experience may be all negative, but mine isn't.  Yes, it is about how to play the game.  I'm part of the NT world; trust me that I have some clue how to play it.  What I don't have is the time to do it myself.  But, there are others here who might have that time.  I CAN try to help someone like that get heard.  A few tips might go a long way.

This isn't my issue.  It's yours.  I think a lot less cynicism and a lot more effort would get you all a lot closer to the results you want.  You can choose to throw jabs from outside of the process, or you can try to make an effort to get in it, and to learn how to be successful.  It's a choice.

CAN has a much better image than we do. We're supposed to be *** or something. Morals aside, senators don't want to hook up with us. Maybe if we grouped marched to the capital a point would be made, but we're too small in numbers.

subatai, why are you here? I mean, you seem very anti-Aspie, almost to the point where I'd assume you're NT. Perhaps if you want to be negative about helping an important cause, perhaps you should find somewhere else to do it.

Can has a great image, for those people looking for another Hitler to rally behind.

I keep wishing Magneto would walk in and tell us what to do...
Alison

Sorry guys, it's too late for this bill.  But not for the future.  This website is great at getting aspies out of the woodwork and together, to think about how to move forward.  The progress in organizing just in the last few years has been substantial.

But if the website is all we do, we'll never have an impact.

We need our own "Autism Advocacy" group that mirrors the structure of the curbie groups.  It should have:
1. A clear statement of position and mission.  This should encapsulate the group's belief of how society should view and approach autism.
2. Membership dues and nonprofit status.
3. Publicists, lobbyists and lawyers who are paid to advocate for the group's causes in the media and the congress.

Consider how this legislation got passed: The curbies are obviously well organized and well funded.  They have been knocking on senate doors trying to get this legislation passed.  The senators asked around to all the other autism groups they could see --- which were also all curbie groups --- and found that everyone thought it was a great idea.  So they passed the legislation unanimously.

Imagine how the legislation would have gone if AFF had been a "real" group.  AFF would have been consulted along with the curbie groups.  AFF would have indicated that is has reservations about the legislation.  Significant dissent and positive debate would have happened.  The result would have been a bill more in our favor.

So... let's form a real group.  Just because we aren't liked by the curbies does not mean we're permanentaly shut out of the political process.  The first step is a mission statement, which I see AFF already has --- could be made more consise, but it's fine for now.  I suppose the next step is to incorporate and start raising money.  Any takers?

I've been wanting to be part of a local group in tennessee, but it seems I'm either the only member there, or the only member there willing to state location.  

I don't think I'd be able to organize one myself, even though I've lived here a rather long time, I don't know much about this town, and doubt I could find a suitable location.  And the potential for controversy frightens me, I don't think I could handle it effectively, based on experience with some people I already know.  My verbal communication has never been much good for politics discussion.

Unfortunately, the former would prevent the latter. People motivate each other; 5 people may go do some activism together even if none would have done anything themselves.