Letters that target the disabled are sick

Let me jump right in with the link, because until you've seen it, you won't be as boiled over as I am right now.

FAMILY IN SHOCK AFTER LETTER TARGETING SON WITH AUTISM

Go ahead, it will open in a new window. Then come back, I'll wait for ya.

Now, as an added piece of asshattery, did you read the letter itself? No?

I so very much hope and pray they find this person. Who ever this is, she's the one with the problem, not the autistic boy she's targeting. Anyone who suggests to me that I euthanize my child is likely to lose some teeth. Yes, I'm a weak man, and that would be about enough to make me say "Oh screw this!". 

The person who wrote this letter is a either a hateful idiot or has a whole encyclopedia of her own problems (likely both).  But I tell you what, they are looking for her and really, it shouldn't be that hard to find her.

1. She's close by. Very close in fact. Walking distance judging from the fact she "hears" the autistic boy's noises outside. 

2: She has children as in plural. She even says so in the letter when pointing out that the noises scare her "normal CHILDREN". I'm pretty sure, only a handful of Mom's in the area are going to fit the bill.

Another point. Look at the paper. It's either previously used xerox paper or came from a printer with a toning problem. Either Mommy has a bad printer or uses paper from the recycling bin, or Mommy did this at work with paper form the recycling bin. If that's the case, Mad Mommy works in an office setting. 

Now I'll go out on a limb and say that this isn't the first rager Mad Mommy has been on. I would say, not only does she have her own severe mental illness issues, but may also have a record. No one tells you to off your own child unless they are cruel trolls or severely mentally ill. It's just that simple. 

Now, she's a coward; so she's going to put on a really big "Nice Mommy" act when spoken to. She'll sound just like the parents who really are shocked and disgusted, only with her, it will be fake. 

So, for you folks in the neighborhood manhunt, let's recap:

She has two or more children, is severely stressed out and bad tempered, lives in close walking distance, may have a record (may even be a problem neighbor already), and either works in an office setting or has a really crappy printer and uses scrap paper.  

I'm here to tell you, it would not take me long to find this person. Of course, no one would want me to do this.

What is wrong with people? Because this isn't a rare issue. It's happening in more and more places. People deciding to go all nasty on families who have enough to struggle with. Psycho's who somehow think they are the disability police will leave notes to harass and even threaten.  Earlier this summer I saw a case where someone put a letter on a lady's steering wheel, nagging about parking in the disabled spot. According to the author of the note, the lady didn't "look disabled". Well isn't that nice?  Too bad they're such cowards. Even the jerks in Portland who claim they will out people with disabilities for some psychotic political rampage.  Look it up.

But, people, if you get a threatening letter, don't be weak like me. Call the police and file the complaint. Put them on the news. Press charges. Don't go to jail for them. That's more where they belong.

"I hate your autism."

First,note the quotation marks. I don't actually hate anyone's autism, but you've heard this quote before perhaps. I know I have. It's a quote that reeks of intolerance and lack of education. It can also come from frustration and lack of understanding.

Those of you at my facebook page may remember a question I posted some time back. I asked what readers want to know about autism. One parent posted that he wanted to know how to get rid of autism as soon as possible. He hates his child's autism. Now, I'm trying to address his quote and this reaction in other was rather than be negative and I hope the rest of you take it the same. I believe this man and many parents like him are frustrated and at wits end. They are having a hard time understanding their child and how autism takes affect.

From this point of view, I want to remind you all that there is no cure for autism. Let me repeat that; there is no cure for autism. One more time, there is no cure for autism. At least, not yet.

That being said, the first thing you must understand is that autism is a biological condition, not a psychological one. It has psychological co-effects, not it is not psychological at it's source. Autism is caused by various connections in the brain that are not communicating properly if at all. That's how everything in your body works, you know. Your brain tells your heart to beat, your lungs to take in oxygen and controls how your senses take in information. That's the key here. How your senses take in information shapes how you interact with the world around you.

Some of this can be overcome with years of practice and support. However, autism will be with a person for the rest of their life. There will always be difficulties. The sooner you accept that as a parent, the sooner you can be your child's best coach in how to survive and live with autism. Without that support, especially without your support, your child's future is bound to be uncertain and random.

Another aspect to consider. When someone says to me, "I hate your autism" (and it's happened), it hurts. It hurts especially if this is someone I trusted and let close to me. What a terrible and unfair thing to say. It's even worse if you are a child and a parent says that to you. It's confusing enough to grow up with autism, trying to figure out how to work with the world when your brain won't process things normally. Add emotional turmoil with a parents disapproval and it's much worse. It's not the child's fault they have autism. They can't wad it up and toss it in the trash for you. As it is, children with autism have a tendency to take things very personally and literally. You may as well come right out and say you hate them personally. They are likely to take it that way.

It's important to learn all you can about autism and how to teach your child how to live with it. You have to know that this process will last their entire childhood to the rest of their natural life. Be part of their lives. Autism is not the end.

Rights to our opinions

This is what I recently posted at Sheboygan Press, where I get more hate mail than anywhere on the internet:

I write in a lot of places. I write on facebook, myspace, blogspot, and over 20 of the NING websites. My purpose is to make people think, educate on certain issues, and simply provide an opinion. That is a right we are all supposed to have. I have had a lot of readers in my time and still have quite a few today.

Having an opinion can be a dangerous thing to do. Standing up for the rights of others, even more so. There are a lot, and I mean a lot of hateful people out there who have nothing better to do than attack people because they don't agree with them. And hey, I understand it's a risk I take and a risk well worth it. I have helped a lot of families and I wouldn't give that up no matter what my haters have to say. I can assure you, that just by posting this, I will likely get a bunch more hateful comments calling me some very colorful things.

Well, these people need to stop and reflect for a minute. What did I ever really do to you? Did I run over your dog or something? Seriously, I don't know you (at least I don't think I do) and I'm pretty sure I've done nothing to you (I don't believe in doing unto others wrongly), so what's your issue? Does the fact that I have something to say really have to affect you that much? Why are you wasting so much time getting offended? I don't swear at anyone, I share my experiences truthfully and merely have an opinion. So why does that have to have such an affect on you? Why do you let it? I really don't understand.

I know Sheboygan has had some tough times in the last ten years or so and there is some heavy bitterness and resentment around here. I've met it face to face. I say this because, right here on Sheboygan Press, I have had triple the hateful messages and yes, even threats than anyplace else I have ever written. Not different material either, same stuff. Now I will follow that up with this: For every person who has come on here and left me a horrible remark or message, I've had someone come up to me in person to say they agree with what I have to say. So it's not a totally lopsided deal, just that there is a lot of negativity here compared to other places by my experience.

Well, I know I've said that I would use some of the nasty comments for education on the attitudes I stand against, but that doesn't work. So I'm not going to post your nasty comments anymore. If you have something to say that's concise and respectful, even if you disagree with me; I will post that. But if all you can do is call me names and get derogatory or show that you can't get a grip on any form of reason and just want to fight... forget it. I don't have to accept abuse from anyone, nor do you. And I'm not going to give up my freedom of speech just because you don't like what I have to say.