Category: Opinion

A Different Perspective

How come we spend this much time in the effort of adapting our autistic children, students, patients to our world, basically forcing Autistic people to accept and comply with our norms? Then we justify it by saying it is for their own good, to give them a chance of success in life. Is it the entire truth? How can we be sure if we place so little effort into putting ourselves in their shoes and accepting them for who they are?

Today I read this article in the Washington Post written by a mother like me, a mother of an autistic child. In the article, she describes in detail one instance when she felt forced to drag her panic-stricken son into a concert arena against his will so he would have the chance to see Elmo. Then maybe overcome what this mom described as ‘fear of indoor spaces’. The piece, written by Whitney Ellenby, is adapted from the author’s upcoming book in which, according to The Washington Post’s description, “details her struggles and triumphs with her son’s autism.”

After reading I was left with a knot in my gut and yet, I needed some processing time to understand why. How could that story bother me this much? I’m no stranger to making decisions most parents would not understand or agree, or dealing with stressful situations in public. Yet, my usually overly active empathy ‘sensors’ and ‘warnings’ did not light up as usual for this mother, at least not as much as they did for the son.

Then it hit me – there is something significant missing in the article, and it has been systematically missing in our society whenever we attempt to bring forward the dialog about Autism: the struggles Autistic people go through. Not their parents, not their teachers, not their neighbors, not the people standing by. Continue reading “A Different Perspective”

Let’s give them an Island Paradise!

What if we give white supremacists an island? For real. A place where only the whitest of the whites could enter, DNA tested whiteness level. They could take their President, all their politicians, their Party, all their money and their Pastors.

What if we give white supremacists an island? For real. A place where only the whitest of the whites could enter, DNA tested whiteness level. All the white supremacist could go live there and rest assured the place will be completely miscegenation free. They could take their President, all their politicians, their Party, all their money and their Pastors.

It would be Nirvana for them! No more worries about any sub-race making demands of undeserving equality. Trying to take advantage of the money and the power that is their God-given right. No more stupid nonsense talk of human dignity, compassion, and love for all humankind no matter the race. Oh, the joy of finally reaching their dream!

Of course, admission would be voluntary, and all one would need to get in is to prove they genetically belong. After all, nothing else matters. Actually, not ALL admission would be voluntary. A good white supremacist paradise needs a few key positions, and we would have the obligation to provide them with a few white supremacists born leaders. I know they will just love the president we will send them!

Another important rule: We – the rest of the world – must make sure the paradise we gifted to this deserving bunch will endure and not be contaminated again by us like it once was. We need to protect them by making sure that not a single thing – even idea or thought, that may ever have been tainted by Continue reading “Let’s give them an Island Paradise!”

As an immigrant, what just happened in Brazil is giving me nightmares here in the US

The Brazilian Congress has just voted not to start the Impeachment process on its current president Michael Temer, even after overwhelming evidence, including audio and video tapes surfaced of him personally endorsing and receiving bribery.

US_BR

The Brazilian Congress has just voted not to start the Impeachment process on its current president Michael Temer, even after overwhelming evidence, including audio and video tapes, surfaced of him personally endorsing and receiving bribery.  All that only a year after the same Congress removed the elected President Dilma Rousseff for lower level budgetary maneuvers.  Maybe he has the people by his side? No. His approval rate is 5%. He does have a corruption pact with Corporate Media, Congress, and the Brazilian Judiciary.  After reading the details of this odyssey on Glen Greenwald’s post today, on The Intercept, I felt compelled to write my first blog post.

Continue reading “As an immigrant, what just happened in Brazil is giving me nightmares here in the US”

%d bloggers like this: