Board index › General Discussion › News and Current Events

(UK Politics) Osborne's autism jibe criticised

Page 1 of 1 [ 11 posts ] 

Previous topic | Next topic

Tequila
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 28,897
Location: Lancashire, UK

03 Oct 2006, 8:52 am

Quote:
Osborne's autism jibe criticised

A charity has criticised George Osborne after he appeared to suggest Gordon Brown could be "faintly autistic".

The shadow chancellor, who denied the charge, was criticised by the National Autistic Society after a light hearted exchange at a Tory fringe meeting.

Mr Osborne had been recalling his ability to retain odd facts, when the journalist hosting the event joked he might have been "faintly autistic".


I'm autistic. I couldn't give a flying... well, you get the idea. Some people need to grow up a bit, and quick about it, please.



sigholdaccountlost
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,207

03 Oct 2006, 9:01 am

I'm an aspie. I guess that's faintly autistic. Only just heard. Not bothered though. It's like the hoo-hah over 'brain storm'.

What's the saying?

History repeats itself.



CockneyRebel
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2004
Age: 51
Gender: Male
Posts: 121,600
Location: In my own little country

03 Oct 2006, 12:26 pm

I don't care, either. People can say whatever they want and go along their merry way.



klassobanieras
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 7 Jun 2006
Gender: Male
Posts: 139
Location: Athens

03 Oct 2006, 1:19 pm

Quote:
Pressed to say if he thought the chancellor was slightly autistic, Mr Osborne said: "No absolutely not. Autism is a very serious condition."


Sigh.


_________________
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
-- Samuel Beckett


Rhisiart_Steffan
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,223
Location: Poole,Dorset

03 Oct 2006, 1:49 pm

death to him


_________________
Meds are fun!! !! !! !! !! !! !

Pharmacy Techican is not the pharmacist


sigholdaccountlost
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,207

03 Oct 2006, 2:08 pm

If anything, I object to the 'people growing out of it after eight' bit. NOT TRUE. 15/16s haven't grown out of it.


_________________
<a href="http://www.kia-tickers.com><img src="http://www.kia-tickers.com/bday/ticker/19901105/+0/4/1/name/r55/s37/bday.png" border="0"> </a>


DirtDawg
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Age: 71
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,154
Location: Indy Area

03 Oct 2006, 3:26 pm

Coming up on 51 and it "ain't gone, yet". In fact, when I hit about 40 or so, there were some symptoms that got worse (middle age crazy?), but I still did not know what was different about me.

It was another 6 years before I learned about autism, other than Rainman, which is what I had seen in the past. I had no idea that a spectrum existed of behaviors and characteristics and that some people who are affected are not confined to institutions, as adults.

The ignorance of people is unending and I was as bad as this guy at one time.


:oops:


_________________
It's just music for me. The other stims don't work.


violet_yoshi
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Aug 2004
Age: 44
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,297

03 Oct 2006, 4:41 pm

I think what's worse than what Osbourne said, was the National Autistic's Society reaction. "Oh Autism is a horrible HORRIBLE disease, how dare you make fun of those who can't talk, or eat, who need constant care. Oh heavens above!..what there's a spectrum...there's different types of functionality. What do we care, that's not going to get us funding!"


_________________
"Sprinkle, sprinkle, little bar, what I wonder is a cat" - Cheese from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends


hyperbolic
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,869

03 Oct 2006, 7:18 pm

It's simple--if you live in this guy's electoral district, don't like his apparent flippant atittude towards the seriousness of autism, and want to send him a very loud message about it, next election, vote for somebody else and get your friends to vote for somebody else.



lae
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 13 May 2006
Gender: Female
Posts: 786

03 Oct 2006, 10:32 pm

When I saw the heading I thought it was something Ozzy said.



Tequila
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 28,897
Location: Lancashire, UK

04 Oct 2006, 4:59 am

xon wrote:
It's simple--if you live in this guy's electoral district, don't like his apparent flippant atittude towards the seriousness of autism, and want to send him a very loud message about it, next election, vote for somebody else and get your friends to vote for somebody else.


You can only vote for him (or against him!) if you live in his constituency of Tatton in Cheshire. That probably comes down to about 40,000-50,000 people out of a population of 60 million. And Tatton is an extremely safe Tory seat. It's nearly as rock solid as where I live in the Ribble Valley, which is one of the safest Tory seats in the entire country.