Guest guest Posted August 14, 2005 Report Share Posted August 14, 2005 > http://www.simplecomplexities.org/nathan/aug05nathan.jpg You look a bit like that french guy in Highlander. :-) > What is Aspie / Autism unity and what does it mean? I'd say it is a Utopian dream that in reality is non-existent. I guess it means the vision of a united Aspie culture and/or all Aspies uniting to lobby/fight for our right to be respected and not be bullied, aborted, discriminated against etc, just like other cultural minorities have successfull done. Unfortunately, the opinions as to the best way of going about this are too diverse at the moment. Some of us believe in the slower, peaceful path while others are more angry, impatient & militant and don't like any pussyfooting around. (I guess it's a similar dichotomy the African American community had to deal with in the 60's, represened by Luther King and Malcolm X, respectively.) It is also very likely a question of cultural background, ethical/religious values, age and plain old chemistry, Some people simply don't like each other, or are too different to get along - even if they share the same dx. Inger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 14, 2005 Report Share Posted August 14, 2005 > http://www.simplecomplexities.org/nathan/aug05nathan.jpg You look a bit like that french guy in Highlander. :-) > What is Aspie / Autism unity and what does it mean? I'd say it is a Utopian dream that in reality is non-existent. I guess it means the vision of a united Aspie culture and/or all Aspies uniting to lobby/fight for our right to be respected and not be bullied, aborted, discriminated against etc, just like other cultural minorities have successfull done. Unfortunately, the opinions as to the best way of going about this are too diverse at the moment. Some of us believe in the slower, peaceful path while others are more angry, impatient & militant and don't like any pussyfooting around. (I guess it's a similar dichotomy the African American community had to deal with in the 60's, represened by Luther King and Malcolm X, respectively.) It is also very likely a question of cultural background, ethical/religious values, age and plain old chemistry, Some people simply don't like each other, or are too different to get along - even if they share the same dx. Inger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 14, 2005 Report Share Posted August 14, 2005 Can you explain the utopian dream? Can you explain the militant mentality? Inger Lorelei <inglori@...> wrote: > http://www.simplecomplexities.org/nathan/aug05nathan.jpgYou look a bit like that french guy in Highlander. :-)> What is Aspie / Autism unity and what does it mean?I'd say it is a Utopian dream that in reality is non-existent.I guess it means the vision of a united Aspie culture and/or all Aspies uniting to lobby/fight for our right to be respected and not be bullied, aborted, discriminated against etc, just like other cultural minorities have successfull done. Unfortunately, the opinions as to the best way of going about this are too diverse at the moment. Some of us believe in the slower, peaceful path while others are more angry, impatient & militant and don't like any pussyfooting around. (I guess it's a similar dichotomy the African American community had to deal with in the 60's, represened by Luther King and Malcolm X, respectively.)It is also very likely a question of cultural background, ethical/religious values, age and plain old chemistry, Some people simply don't like each other, or are too different to get along - even if they share the same dx.Inger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 14, 2005 Report Share Posted August 14, 2005 I think it is the idea that all of us are on the same side and should band together and present a united front against those who are not like use. This united front would be used to influence politics, laws, school policy, public awareness, etc. This assumes we all agree on what laws and policy we want and what public awareness we want. This is not as straitforward as it would seem. For example we can put out some very " positive " stuff about aspies being higly intelligent, computer experts, inventors, writers, etc. While this is good publicity for us, it also distances us from the low functioning austics, so it is not really " unifying. " I have a few problems with the unity concept. First of all, I am not official diagnosed. While some groups, like this one, are very accepting of those of us who think we are aspies but don't have an official dx, other groups are not so accepting. Becuase I lack an offical dx, some groups would not concider me an aspie. Any laws or regulation concerning aspies would not apply to me as well. So even the basic question of who is an aspie/autistic is in question. Second, I have run into many aspies who I do not get along with. Generally speaking I have a better chance of getting along with an APT (aspie personality type) than a non-APT, but it is not a sure thing. Third, it ignores the vast difference between people on the spcetrum. We all are different. I am a high functioning person with a high intelligence and reasonable good coping skills. The type of help or accomidation I would want/need is very different from what a low function APT would want/need. Most things proposed from these unity groups are designed to benifit those who are struggling much more than I am. There is this idea that idea that I should spend a good chunk of my time, effort and energy promoting things that will help aspies but do not benifit me directly. (As a non-diagnosed aspie I would not recieve the benifit from any pro- aspie laws or policies.) Because I am an aspie I should feel unity with my lower functioning brothers and sisters (and the higher functioning ones who do not cope as well as I do or have more severe symptoms). [Note " brothers and sisters " is not ment to be literal, just words often used in various unity movements to suggest that we are like " family " .] If I only work with taking about issues that concern me more directly with a group of higher functioning APTs that I feel more in common with then I am (in the eyes of those unity proponets) a cruel, self centered, heartless [fill in with words we are not supposed to use here] for ignoring the lower functioning end of the spectrum or being so blunt as to say I do not feel a connection with low functioning autistics. Ilah > > http://www.simplecomplexities.org/nathan/aug05nathan.jpg > > > (ok this is my picture I made it today just to include for those that I know here on the board) > > What is Aspie / Autism unity and what does it mean? I have seen it written in online groups before without a meaning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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