annonymous autism comments

Anonymous said...
You're supposed to be an adult... GROW UP!
April 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
Where is Adolf Hitler now, that we need him most?
July 23, 2009 12:52 AM
Anonymous said...
All these hideous creatures should be euthanased to spare the families the horror of their existence.
July 23, 2009 12:54 AM

Here are some replies i recently received to one of my posts about autism. at first, i wasn't letting it bother me. some people have no idea what autism entails, how can i judge them for not understanding, i thought. but the more i considered what anonymous said, the more i realized i needed to address this. because, though they may not have experience or understanding about autism, these comments are downright horrific. anonymous feels it necessary to re-enact the hitler era and in place of killing off thousands of innocent jewish people, we'll now kill off all the autistic individuals...and then what, society will be perfect?

hideous creatures? my son is one of the most beautiful people i know...both inside and out. sure, sometimes his issues are overpowering and throw me for a spin, and then i use my blog as a place to allow myself freedom to express my turmoil, my anger, my frustration. it is, after all, my blog. my place to say whatever i want to say. but the hideous creature of who you speak is the same creature who would accept you for who you are, regardless of the fact you wish him to be annhilated, anonymous. he would give you a smile, take your hand and be your friend, when there was noone left who wanted to be your friend. he would be the one left standing to take your side and believe you were a good person regardless. and most likely, he would be correct. because it is obvious in your strong opinions that you know nothing of these hideous creatures you wish hitler was here to take out.

hitler failed, though he did much damage. you are failing and doing damage to noone but yourself with such comments. you are losing out on an opportunity to be gracious, loving, caring, and understanding. you are doing a disservice to, not only these so-called hideous creatures, but also to society. if you could learn to accept people for who they are, regardless, as my son has so simply taught me, the world would be a place without so much anger, so much pessimism. it would be a place we would all be welcome with open arms.

do i need to grow up, be an adult? well, i think i have managed those tasks. being chosen to be the mother of an autistic child has forced me to be grown up much sooner than i would have liked. there are so many facets to autism, and one of those in my child is his aggressive outbursts. in writing about my experiences, i am able to come to new conclusions, see places i have made mistakes, get ideas from more people. i don't need to grow up and be an adult, i need support and release and understanding, just as much as my son does. it is not easy living with autism, as someone with autism, nor as a family member. our lives are much more involved than anyone can imagine. and if because i need a place to come to terms with all of that, on my own blog, makes me less than adult, well, i've been called much worse names in my life. i'll manage.

these comments just again reinforce the need for greater understanding. these people are not monsters. they are brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, friends and classmates, grandchildren and cousins. they are members of your community...members who have as much right as you to cross the street or stand in line for an ice cream cone. and most likely, they will be the ones who are standing there, not judging you in the least, while the person behind you looks at your wrinkly shirt or scuffed shoes or messy hair. think about that. and then, continue on your way pretending to be a mini-hitler, and fail, just as remarkably as he did, death staring you in the face when you can no longer look at your own reflection in the mirror, knowing you couldn't achieve what you had hoped to achieve, that in the end, it is you, not them, who are the failure...as they take another step forth in the wake of your death.