"Not Even Wrong"Autism book

[kittynh]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...34/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/102-5507118-0008935


I just finished reading this book by Paul Collins. HIs other books are great, but this one really was wonderful. All about his son with autism. Having a child with a severe learning disability it meant a lot to read a book by another parent that has decided to see the differences as just that. Differences, not "abnormal". Not something that must be changed to "as normal as possible" and to be hidden away as some sort of flaw. To see how people who think "differently" can make life better and richer for the rest of us.

I'm glad there is now a shift in society from "fixing" those with learning differences, into teaching adaptations, and finding the right place for these people in our world. There is a sense of nurturing and caring replacing that of shame and thinking these people worthless. Heck, I think Microsoft would shut down if they got rid of all the dyslexics and autistics.

Anyway, a wonderful history too, and a sense of all we owe these remarkable people that have the ability to think in ways the rest of us lost by the age of 2.

 

[balrog666]

Anyway, a wonderful history too, and a sense of all we owe these remarkable people that have the ability to think in ways the rest of us lost by the age of 2.

Remarkable? Lost? Hit yourself in the head with a hammer and you can still be that way.



People that need to cared for their entire life at my taxpaying expense? Screw that - bring back infanticide. Start euthanasia enforcement.

 

[rebecca]

Re: Re: "Not Even Wrong"Autism book

Screw that - bring back infanticide. Start euthanasia enforcement.

But then we never would have been treated to this well-thought out post of yours. How sad that would be.

 

[Chaos]

 

[kittynh]

Have to be cared for? Perhaps in your dreams you would make the salary that Temple Grandin makes.


http://www.grandin.com/inc/visual.thinking.html


And I wouldn't laugh at BIll Gates, he's considered a high performing autistic. In fact, Microsoft funds the number one center for research into autism in the world.

The point is, we've been enjoying the benefits for centuries that the autisic have given us.

 

[chance]

Kittynh Sounds like the author is focusing on the high functioning Autistic, which is only a small percentage of all Autistics. However, many Autistics can have an ‘area of speciality’, a seemingly superhuman ability in one area of their life, should they care to express it. Sounds like a good read.

 

[El Greco]

Wrong context. We should not care for disabled people because they have other abilities, nor try to euphemize their disabilities by calling them "differences". Even if some of them (like a few autistics) can adapt well and make their own living, judging them by their ability to progress in our society is nothing more than applying our own, generalized standards to them. Besides, there are people with even more severe syndromes who have no hope of ever displaying some kind of "special ability" (eg Rett Syndrome). We, as society, should care for all these people because they need our help, because caring for the disabled is a heritage of thousands of years of human civilization, because after all we all want to live in a place where the most valid law is not that of the jungle and where people deserve a minimum level of well being not because they "contribute" but simply because they exist. By helping them we advance civilization, by helping them we help ourselves.

 

[Batman Jr.]

Re: Re: "Not Even Wrong"Autism book

Remarkable? Lost? Hit yourself in the head with a hammer and you can still be that way.



People that need to cared for their entire life at my taxpaying expense? Screw that - bring back infanticide. Start euthanasia enforcement.

If you were as famous as Prince Harry, then this would have topped even him. You don't just wear a Nazi uniform, you spout Hitlerian rhetoric!

 

[Batman Jr.]

Wrong context. We should not care for disabled people because they have other abilities, nor try to euphemize their disabilities by calling them "differences". Even if some of them (like a few autistics) can adapt well and make their own living, judging them by their ability to progress in our society is nothing more than applying our own, generalized standards to them. Besides, there are people with even more severe syndromes who have no hope of ever displaying some kind of "special ability" (eg Rett Syndrome). We, as society, should care for all these people because they need our help, because caring for the disabled is a heritage of thousands of years of human civilization, because after all we all want to live in a place where the most valid law is not that of the jungle and where people deserve a minimum level of well being not because they "contribute" but simply because they exist. By helping them we advance civilization, by helping them we help ourselves.

I agree.

 

[balrog666]

Originally posted by El Greco
We, as society, should care for all these people because they need our help,



Screw 'em. Their needs do not automatically impinge on my wallet or my conscience.




...because caring for the disabled is a heritage of thousands of years of human civilization,



More sheep scat. The Spartans in particular left all newborns out to die - those that survived were felt worthy of being raised as Spartans. Infanticide for those without the capability to thrive has been practiced by every society known to man, including ours.



...because after all we all want to live in a place where the most valid law is not that of the jungle and where people deserve a minimum level of well being not because they "contribute" but simply because they exist.



Take your feelgood idealism and shove it, you ingnorant socialist hippy. You want to pay for it? Use your own money.



By helping them we advance civilization, by helping them we help ourselves.



No we put an enormous drag on society that must be compensated for with higher taxes, misguided social goals, and extended government contol over all of us.

 

[chance]

The problem with your ‘final’ solution balrog666 is that whom ever is in power gets to draw the arbitrary dividing line on who shall be excluded, currently you postulate the disabled, hmmmm why stop there, lets improve society some more and get rid of the homeless, the jobless, those with an IQ less than 90, and on to cults, unmarried mothers, other religions, atheists, eventually your on your own.

 

[balrog666]

The problem with your ‘final’ solution balrog666 is that whom ever is in power gets to draw the arbitrary dividing line on who shall be excluded,

Somebody has to draw it. If my tax dollars are used, I claim the right to draw that line. You think you have a better idea?

hmmmm why stop there, lets improve society some more and get rid of the homeless, the jobless, those with an IQ less than 90, and on to cults, unmarried mothers, other religions, atheists, eventually your on your own.

Gee, let us vote on it with our dollars. All in favor of supporting welfare mothers with 9 kids by 8 different fathers, step up and throw your money into the sh!t pit.

 

[Batman Jr.]

Gee, let us vote on it with our dollars. All in favor of supporting welfare mothers with 9 kids by 8 different fathers, step up and throw your money into the sh!t pit.

So you're going to punish the children because of the promiscuity of their parents?

Originally posted by balrog666
Somebody has to draw it. If my tax dollars are used, I claim the right to draw that line. You think you have a better idea?

You forget that more than one person pays taxes. Your opinions may be discarded by popular rule.

 

[El Greco]

Oh dear Balrog666, don't be so harsh with disabled people. After all, whoever pays you is doing charity work too. I mean, look at your IQ.

 

[Boo]

balrog,

You go right ahead and opt out of paying for the care of others. Simply stop paying your taxes, then you don't have to worry about where your tax money goes and you can keep all those hard earned dollars of yours.





Boo

 

[balrog666]

So you're going to punish the children because of the promiscuity of their parents?

No. I'm just not going to reward destructive behavour by subsidizing it.



If people refuse to take responsibility for their own choices, I will not do it for them.

 

[chance]

balrog666

Somebody has to draw it. If my tax dollars are used, I claim the right to draw that line. You think you have a better idea?

But it is not just your tax dollars, all who contribute to tax have a say, you can’t isolate you contribution.

Gee, let us vote on it with our dollars. All in favor of supporting welfare mothers with 9 kids by 8 different fathers, step up and throw your money into the sh!t pit.

My point exactly, slippery slope.

 

[balrog666]

But it is not just your tax dollars, all who contribute to tax have a say, you can’t isolate you contribution.

You vote with your dollars, I'll vote with mine.



Just keep your hand off of my wallet.

 

[chance]

Just keep your hand off of my wallet.

Propose a method how that can be achieved.

 

[balrog666]

Propose a method how that can be achieved.

Personally directed funding of all federal expenditures.
It could be done - we already have more computers than people in this country.

Actually this was proposed back in the 1970's before we even had the convenience of the internet.



Taking back the power of the checkbook from Congress is the only way to keep them from abusing us all.