[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBZ8ulc5NTg[/youtube]
Well it's been nice to spend the last few weeks on this forum. After some 8 years experience with autism self-advocacy politics the arguments I've made on this forum were fashionably the best I can come up with. I have a disability advocacy where I live and I got to focus on that now and cannot easily separate my interests even in regular day to day life with normal expectations.
1. If someone famous in advocacy says something is not abortion politic and yet it is don't be afraid to stand up for yourself and even desire to leave other advocacy out of this ordeal. Especially if they claim to be the leader of The Official Autism Self-Advocacy Network in name. There is allot of politics in the autism community that are becoming part of the mainstream and it's going to be one ugly social mess. Lots of hurt feelings especially if a prenatal test is developed even in part. People will feel persecuted, judged to not be equally permissible to exist and ultimately you got to find a way to de-personalize it. it's not you ultimately and people are not labels to take things so very personally which is unfortunate people focus so much on the label which has its good and bad qualities.
2. If you want to protest about your not being a puzzle, and are against cure which means finding treatments most of the time, that you can speak for yourself and that your stigmatized it is in part your fault but other-times not. Not many know how to hand pick a person with autism from a crowd but people online can because they focus so much on it at times. Also taking things personally like puzzle when it was about a concept and to help people is not always productive especially with the awareness that has been created that has helped so much including me in my life.
3. Have a happy life and it's not always a bad thing to advocate of course. Just some kinds of advocacy will consume your time and emotions like feeling as if any of the debates are akin to Hitler or genocide. I really hope you find happiness. Happy thoughts and positivity is a great approach when possible.
It's been nice talking to you.
Nathan Young
Autism Self-Advocate & Media Consultant
1-888-241-6856
20 Dec 2010, 1:06 am
