Saying NO to the "A" word

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Euphemism creep, ci.

Every label ever invented to avoid the connotations of the previous label, eventually comes to carry those same connotations.

Arguing about words is quite meaningless. If you doubt me, look at the past 120 years of racial euphemisms. Or the last 50 years of euphemisms for the disabled.

People tend to catch on that today's "handicapped" is yesterday's "cripple," that today's "person of color" is yesterday's "n****r." The moment this happens, someone will try to use a new label. In a few years, that new label will be just as loaded with connotations as the one it was to replace.

It is silly to argue about label X versus label Y when twenty years down the line they will be equally and just as offensive as using the word "ret*d" is now.

Better to instead, point to the referent instead of the word.

Well people get upset over the word Cure, "N" word and now how the "A" word is used". Much of the sociology of the self-advocacy pride movement is based and not the self-advocacy movement in general is the idea autistic must be applied instead of person first language. Folks don't want society thinking they can remove autism from them and in return ask to be called autistic man instead of person with autism for instance. Believe it or not there is sensitivity training on proper usages of words where I live and calling someone a label is a no no and I objected standing up for those that want to be called a label and I'd ask for the same consideration from them which seems so very important to them and I'd like to say it's important to me my choice and others that choose similarly be respected as well. Yet with one twist of a word we could have people so focused on the label and their identity for future generations when simply they could just not focus so much on it and just be themselves without the need for the connotation of it.

I have no problem with people saying that I am autistic... hell, I tell people I am autistic. I also tell people that I am a wife, a mother, short, quiet, female... the list goes on, you get my point.

I am not sure how to answer your poll as it does not give me an adequate option for my own thoughts on the topic.

People choose the culture of a diagnoses label some just want to be part of the culture around them and think of it as simply that who don't get into it that much. I suppose this is another way to view it. Some just don't take the label seriously and don't like to be called a disorder label.

I'm very proud of my autism and I find no problems with the medical label. I don't see it as a label, I see it as a collection of traits that makes me the wonderful and unique individual that I am.

That's your personal circumstances. Many with autism experience disability. Everyone has the right to choice to be treated and not treated and for the ultimate absolute cure of any symptom(s) that are adverse to themselves.

I agree with TeaEarlGreyHot. I like your idea of choice, Ci, but the poll would have been more useful if you had not loaded it with charged, biased rhetoric.

It's simply reverse rhetoric to common beliefs held in pride-based advocacy. I'd expect others with those beliefs not to like it. I explained in an early post the psychology of what I'm doing and am open about it. It's not often a non-pride advocate is allowed a voice in a setting like this. If you noticed ASAN does not have a forum, has a closed leadership, monopolizes the self-advocacy view in it's projected rhetoric and does not allow for diverse opinions to be facilitation for from the macro platform. This is the perfect setting to diversify view points and to neutralized peer pressure and creating critical thought on issues. Again it's simply a strategy but if I was imploring to be diplomatic and voice my true opinion other then aspects thereof I have a whole different set of words.

The poll centers around a personal opinion based vote of the OP. If I were to believe X do you or do you not allow me to view this way and would you respect my mind in how it thinks. It's not a 1+1=2 poll. It comes down to your voting within someones world-view and this often happens in pride-based social scenes. Yet it is opposite as to what is traditionally seen.

I could come up with allot of different polls where no one complained of similar yet they to were biased. This just happens to be the opposite view then what is traditionally acceptable in this social clique. Bias runs deep, can be conditioned on both sides and the only difference between social conditioning and programming is words.

Brain washing someone is a joke and I've explained how to interpret this phrase before on this forum when used.

I will write an entire outline for the polar opposites based on this technique.

Do you respect the right not to be called Autistic?
Yes - Each Individual Should Choose Identity priority and reference.

66% [ 4 ]
No - Stigmatize freely for political reasons and without respect to personal choice.

33% [ 2 ]
Total Votes : 6

I am very happy with the results. The poll has had a few days. Those that partake often are likely to have partaken. I am pleased that I can be assertive in a kind way and not be programmed by establishment, branded by special interest and can choose freely individuality over awareness politics.

Seems to me your answer choices are rather loaded. I won't be voting.

I voted yes... but I'm a butthole anyway, just because I say so. So there.

Thats a loaded answer.

That doesn't even make sense. An answer (or other response that's not a question) can't be loaded in the sense I used the word. (And for those who are going to be technical and say that I myself said loaded answers, no, I said answer choices -- the answer choices being part of the question: a loaded question = a question "designed to produce a predictable answer, or to lay a trap".)

If saying someones response is loaded and refusing to vote your rejecting the "feelings" projected in the world view. The poll was simply a point of view within an individual. Saying it's loaded inclines adversity to the opinion thus loaded as to the rejection and what that opinion contains.

Ultimately loaded does not make sense because it does not weigh anything. Unless you count the brain in which the opinion comes. Then everyones brain is loaded.