what are we doing to our kids?  That’s the question.  Why have we all of a sudden become this group of parents who has to hover over our children?  Why has this become the better way of parenting?  I don’t get it.

The reason I am bringing this up is due to so many news stories that have come out recently regarding parents who are being arrested and charged for negligence, child endangerment, and so forth, all because they left their children outside to play by themselves.  It is absolutely ridiculous.  We have places that have laws about the ages of children playing in playgrounds.  Laws about the age a child has to be before they can play outside by themselves.  And laws stating it’s illegal to discipline our kids in any way.  What the hell?

While we are on the subject, let’s talk about school as well.  A lot of schools don’t even have competitive sports anymore because someone may get hurt or, and this is my favourite, it isn’t fair to those that may not be physically fit.  Wow, when I went to school it didn’t matter.  Everyone participated in high jump, long jump, triple jump, 100 yard dash, etc. and if you didn’t place you were out.  If you were lucky you got a participation ribbon and no one made a big deal about it, students or teachers or parents.  We weren’t acknowledged for losing but for winning and we didn’t expect any acknowledgment either.   Big deal, all that meant to most of us was we got to go to the canteen and eat to our hearts content while the others all had to compete. It is so sad that students can’t learn what real competition is anymore.

Let’s talk about grades as well.  When we went to school we got marks from Grade One on, at least I did, but I’m old so that’s why.  Our report cards listed our marks and the teachers added comments such as:  “talks too much in class”, “doesn’t listen when spoken too”, “refuses to hand in homework on time”, and what happened when our parents saw it?  We were usually given a good tongue lashing and told to shape up.  There was no coddling, there were no teachers saying “it’s okay, hand it in whenever”, there were no hugs from mom and dad saying “it’s okay, as long as you did the best you could”.  We were told to do the work or face certain consequences.

Now, everything has changed.  We are teaching kids from Elementary in to Junior High and even in High School that it doesn’t matter if a job is done on time or even if it’s done correctly, as long as it gets done.  We are teaching kids that they can’t play outside alone because there is a chance that they could get hurt and mommy and daddy could be charged and maybe go to jail because they fell off a swing.  We are teaching children that they don’t have to be competitive to get what they want because it will always be given to them no matter the circumstances.  We are also teaching them that mommy and daddy will always be there to catch them when they fall and that simply isn’t true.

Children need to learn what failure is, they need to learn that it’s okay to lose, they need to learn that there will always be someone better than them, and they need to learn independence.  They need to learn that it’s not okay to not hand in an assignment because they don’t feel like it.  They need to learn to fight for what they want because Mommy and Daddy won’t always be there to fight for them, and they need to learn that individual competition is a good thing.

What happens to these kids when they get out in the real world?  From my experience in the work place they turn in to whiney adults who always need someone to do something for them.  They end up with mothers and fathers who will come in to the work place and tell the manager that “6 am is too early for Junior to work because he has a social life, so maybe he can start at 8 instead.”  They end up with parents constantly phoning the school and talking to the professors about whether or not classes can start later or if he/she can get a higher grade because they worked hard on that paper and they deserve it.  They end up with parents who will trash talk a child’s co-worker because he/she got a promotion they think their child deserved.

So again I ask, what are we doing to our kids?

I am angry right now.  My anger has nothing to do with my real life but with something, or rather, somebody on tv.  I am angry that so many people watch the show “19 Kids and Counting.”  I am angry that so many people are willing to stick up for a “man”, and that’s putting it loosely, who molested five girls when he was a teenager.  I am angry because no one seems to care that four of the victims were his sisters.  And I am mad that people don’t seem to care in general.

It bothers me that people are saying, “He was young.”  “This is only public because he’s a celebrity.”  “If this happened next door and it was someone you knew you would stick up for him.”  This has nothing at all to do with what has happened.  It doesn’t matter that he’s a celebrity, I would feel this way regardless.  He is a pedophile and should be treated as such.  He needs to be punished in some way.  People have said, ‘don’t worry God will punish him when the time comes’ and that’s not enough.  I have issues that someone who belongs to his church would attack someone speaking out about the church by saying “he was only playing doctor.”  14 year old boys don’t play doctor.  I also have issues with the fact that politicians are backing him and at least two of the “senators” or “senatorial” candidates belong to religions that have the same belief system they follow.

I am not only angry that people like his parents are allowed to procreate repeatedly without a care given to the mother’s health, the well-being of the children, or what’s going on behind closed doors; I am angry with the fact that they are raising their kids the same way.  I am angry that the family used “God” as an excuse for not reporting these events when they occurred.  I am angry that they have no concern at all for the girls’ well-being other than the fact that they forgive their brother.  I am angry that this kind of belief system is becoming entertainment when it is anything but that.

I am angry with the double standards.  I was never a fan of Honey Boo Boo, but so many people were willing to attack her mama for not feeding her properly and not looking after her.  These same people went ballistic when Mama June admitted to sleeping with her child’s molester and yet they will stick up for Joshua Duggar.  I am angry that the reason people are so quick to defend this “creep” is because he comes from a religious family.  The mentality seems to be that if one is uneducated and redneckish and makes money off his/her children this kind of behaviour is wrong;  but if one is religious, well educated and  acts wholesome while using television to exploit their children and hide secrets it is okay.

This whole family, church, television show and scandal make me very angry.  They don’t deserve anyone’s positive attention.  They lied to get on tv, they lied to get donations to expand their home, they lied for the last however many years about their son’s “indiscretion” and they lied about the “treatment facility” he was sent to for three months.  Yeah, I may go to church with liars and sinners once a week but at least I don’t watch them every day and call it entertainment.  Why?  Because domestic abuse, sexual abuse, cults, and brainwashing aren’t entertainment they are reasons for going to jail.

And before I go…Yes, I am Catholic.  Yes, I know about my church’s past.  Yes, I know the beliefs of the church.  Yes, I know that the church doesn’t believe in birth control.  Yes, I know that many catholic men are domineering.  Yes, I know the church has hidden horrific acts of sexual abuse and I didn’t agree with that either.

That’s why I am angry and I am outta here.

I woke up this morning and, as I do every morning, I checked out Facebook.  I saw nothing but story after story about Joshua Duggar.  For those of you who don’t know, he is one of 19 children belonging to Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar.  Still don’t know who I’m talking about?  If you google Joshua Duggar, you will find that the Duggar family has a show on TLC called “19 Kids and Counting.”  I have never watched the show on the regular basis.  I have seen a few episodes here and there but most of my knowledge came from interviews I have seen with the family.  Don’t get me wrong, I love reality shows just as much as anyone else.  I watch Survivor and Big Brother, I love controversy and nastiness, I am a glutton for scandal.  However, when it comes to family shows like the one mentioned above, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, or the Shahs of Sunset I have to draw the line.  I find them creepy.  Being on a game show is one thing, but putting your family on TV is completely different.  If you don’t want to be chased by paparazzi or want private moments than don’t open your doors to the public it’s as simple as that.

Anyway, I digress.  Let’s get back to the subject, Joshua Duggar.  It seems this very religious and self-righteous family has a not so nice side.  This man has come forward and admitted to sexually abusing at least 5 young girls when he was 14.  This would be 13 years ago as he is 27 now.  I am not sure how this story made the media now, but it has and I am absolutely disgusted with the comments I am reading on each story.  “He was young…”, “He came forward and told his parents so it must have been bothering him.”  “It’s in the past.  Let him live his life.”   In my opinion, that doesn’t matter.  What matters is the victims.  Even if it just happened once, it will be with them forever.  Four of them were, apparently, his sisters.  All we have heard is how badly he feels and how badly his parents feel.  We have heard how he did some very bad things but they prayed together as a family and got even closer to God.  What the hell?

Here is how I feel about the whole thing.  Let’s start by going through the timeline of events and I will let you know how I feel about each individual item before telling you how I really feel…

1)  On March 22, 2002:   A young girl told Jim Bob (the father) that Josh (then 14 years old) “had been touching her breasts and genitals while she slept.”  So,  people have been saying things like “If she was sleeping how would she know.”  “How old was she and why didn’t she get help?”  .That doesn’t matter, what does matter is that Jim Bob did nothing at all at this time to even try to stop it or to find out the truth.

2)  July 2002: Josh admits to fondling the young girl from March.  Again, according to reports,  nothing was done but apparently Dad had a talk with him.  The family prayed and it brought them closer to God I guess.

3)  March 2003: Josh is accused of having molested “several” more minors, “often when they slept, but at times when they were awake.” So now it’s a year since the first incident, nothing has been done to this date.  However, rather than go to authorities and/or seek help for his son, Jim Bob goes to the church elders with the information.  They collectively decide to send Josh to a “program that consisted of hard physical work and counselling”.  Funny thing is, Michelle (mom) later admitted to police in 2006  that it wasn’t really a work program.  They simply sent him to the home of a family friend who was in to home renovations and he didn’t receive any counselling.  This “Counselling” and programming went from March 2003 to July of the same year.

Just a little sideline here…Notice how a year has already gone by and authorities have yet to be notified.  Keep this in mind for later.

4) July 2003: Joshua returns home from his “programming” in Little Rock Arkansas and is immediately taken to a State Trooper (a friend of the family and fellow church member) along with church elders and his father.
Nothing has been done at this point other than Josh being given a “stern talking to” by the officer and no charges were laid.  That same officer is now serving 56 years for child pornography.  I personally find that a little strange and disturbing.

Somewhere around this time a close family friend apparently wrote a letter explaining in detail the entire scandal, the family’s involvement in the scandal and the names of the victims.  The letter was never sent but was folded up and placed in a book which, for some reason, was eventually loaned to a member of their church who discovered the letter inside.

5)  2006:   A source identified as a woman in her 60s, emails Harpo Studios ahead of the families scheduled appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s show and warns the producers about Josh’s “alleged” sexual misconduct.  The studio apparently faxed the letter to the Department of Human Services hotline (GOOD FOR THEM!).  That was when the report was opened for investigation which lead to the investigation by Springdale police.  When Jim Bob was asked to bring his son in for an interview in 2006, he attempted to hire a lawyer (two refused to take the case) and refused to bring his son in for questioning.  The investigating Detective received a voice mail from Mr. Duggar saying that an attorney had been hired and that Joshua would not be coming in for an interview.  Harpo Studios faxed the letter to the Department of Human Services hotline. The report was then opened for investigation, leading to the investigation by Springdale police.  When police asked Jim Bob to bring Josh in for an interview in 2006, he attempted to hire a lawyer and refused to produce his son for questioning. At least two lawyers refused to take his case. “Det. Hignite received a voice mail from Mr. Duggar stating that he had hired an attorney and would not be coming in for an interview.  Needless to say the Duggars did not do the Oprah interview at that time.

Have you noticed anything at all here?  Remember I mentioned that the timeline would be important later on.  By 2006 the statute of limitations had expired therefore it was too late to do anything.  Does anyone else find this suspicious?

So now here is how I really feel.  Not only did the family not do anything at all when the allegations were made but they covered up what he had done, tried to use the church as their means of rehabilitation and the father deliberately kept it silent until the statute of limitations had expired.  Some people have said that since he was a minor nothing would have been done but that means nothing now.  It would have been put on his record, had he been charged.  They could now go back and put him on the ‘sexual Predator” list.  I don’t care if he has become closer to God and that maybe he has been rehabilitated in some way that still doesn’t help his victims.  And if you notice, in none of the stories about this has anything at all been mentioned about what happened to the victims.  Why?  Because in their religious teachings victims of this kind of abuse are taught that they are in the wrong, that they, for some reason, brought it on themselves.  It is no secret how they home school their kids or what platform they use.  Check out Quiverfull and Advanced Training Institute, these are the two programs they use to home school their children combined with state approved homeschooling programs.

I mentioned yesterday that they are a cult or are cultish in their beliefs.  Why do i feel this way?  I feel that any religion that dictates how a person dresses (at home or else where),  what they watch on tv, what they read, how they wear their hair, who to marry, etc is a cult.  This is what the Duggars themselves are teaching their children and they are doing it through their church.

Anyway, that’s how I feel like it or not.  And I am out of here.

Wow, this last month or so has gone by so fast and has produced a lot of surprises on  the political front.  Our Conservatives were voted out in a landslide victory by the NDP and no one saw it coming.

Let’s back track a bit now.  I moved to this province almost 20 years ago.  As excited as I was to live in Alberta, I certainly wasn’t ready for the slap in the face I received here after moving.  Without going into detail, it was at that point I became interested in provincial politics and started to really do research before every election that was called.  Here is how Alberta has been handled since 1971:

PETER LOUGHEED (1971-1985):  Lougheed himself wasn’t a bad leader, if anything he was able to put Alberta on the map by brining in the Alberta Bill of Rights and the Heritage Fund.

DON GETTY (1985/86-1993):  He was very unpopular due to his heavy spending and large deficit.  He refused to leave as Premier even though he lost his seat in his riding in 1989 and sat in the gallery as an unelected premier for a short time.  He resigned and was replaced with Ralph Klein.

RALPH KLEIN (1993-2006):  He promised debt reduction and fiscal accountability.  If I remember correctly he did balance the budget in 1995/96 I believe.  The price of oil went up and the government was showing a surplus of $3 billion every year. He was involved in a few scandals such as getting his picture taken with the Hells Angels while out drinking, getting injured in a hot tub accident (while drinking) and being allowed to jump the line in the ER, and being a little to verbal when it came to voicing personal opinions. In 2004 he told all Albertans the debt was paid in full.  That being said, there were still very low tax rates on the wealthy and large corporations.  He was forced to retire in 2006.

ED STELMAC (2006-2011): Nothing to report here except that he started making large cuts to education and healthcare and retired in 2011 due to in fighting within the Conservative Party.

ALISON REDFORD (2011-2014):  Although she put money back in to healthcare and education she got caught up in spending disputes such as:  $45,000 worth of costs to attend Nelson Mandela’s funeral, allowing her daughter and her friends to use the government jet for personal use, secretly trying to build an apartment in a government owned building in Edmonton using tax payers money.  All of this was surmounted by her sense of entitlement and opportunistic attitude when forced to tell the truth.

JIM PRENTICE (2014-2015):  An ex cabinet minister in the Harper Government, he left Federal politics in 2010 and gave up his seat in his Calgary riding.  He came back with avengence to win the leadership of the PC party in September of 2014.  He released a new budget in April of 2015 which forced health care and education to take major cuts while allowing the wealthy and large corporations to remain virtually tax free.  He blamed the taxpayers for the provincial debt and called an election by bypassing Alberta’s election laws.  Leading up to the election he showed his true colours during the debates by showing his chauvinistic side to Rachel Notley to say the least.

It was about time for a change and this last election proved that the PCs were on their way out.  This was proven not only by the overall voter turn out, 55%, but by the number of students, people my age, and other people who came out to vote.

I for one am ready for this recent change.  I am ready to pay a 3-5% increase in taxes.  I am ready to pay a health care levy.  I am ready to see what the NDP will do to keep the large corporations in Alberta.  I am ready to welcome new businesses into the province.  I am ready for whatever this government brings my way.

Losing this election puts Albertans in a very vulnerable position.  We need to learn to trust again.  We have to toss aside all we have heard about them and let them do their job.  It won’t take a few days, weeks, or months, it is going to take a long time.  We need to learn to trust them and they need to prove themselves worthy of that trust.

I have seen so many things on the news, facebook, and in person lately that just irritate me.  Here is a list of what irritates me (in no certain order):

“Here she goes again!”  Is probably what you are thinking as you read yet another blog about our upcoming Alberta election. Yes, I am writing about it again.  Why?  Because we need to fight to save not only our students but our school boards and our schools.  The PCs have gone too far this time and now they are blaming school boards for the back lash.

The government is telling the boards to use their 1/2 billion dollar reserves to help with cuts.  Really?  Maybe they should do the same thing and use their own reserves to pay off the deficit.  It is easier said than done.  Yes, the reserves are there for reasons such as this, but if they are used now what happens next time cuts like this are made?  It is for this reason we need to fight.

Did you know that School Boards operate at the discretion of the Minister of Education?  We have a number of school boards across Alberta who have come out in opposition of the government cuts.  Although this is, in itself, a good show of support it can also put the boards at risk.   Because the Minister can dissolve school boards at his discretion, we need to fight to protect them.

How do we go about protecting our school boards and our schools?  We start letter writing campaigns, we show our solidarity by finding non-violent ways to protest, we let the government know how we feel.  We have to stand behind them and be their voice.  We need to show our solidarity and fight hard to let the government know we won’t take this lying down.  ALL children deserve the right to an education. ALL children deserve the right to an equal education regardless of their mental or physical abilities.  ALL children deserve the right to maintain their dignity.

WE NEED TO FIGHT AND WE NEED TO START NOW.

Thank you and I am outta here.

Before this next election, of which I will be an employee by the way,  I am asking anyone with small, school age children to think twice before voting for Jim Prentice and his PC government.  Why?  Because,  unless we start trying to change 40 years of power now our children are going to pay.

Ever since Ralph Klein left the party, our education system has continually gone down hill.  They have seen nothing wrong with taking HUGE amounts from Education and allocating it to their “friends” in order to make more money.  Their “friends”, whether they admit it or not, are the big corporations they didn’t bother to tax.  But that’s just another side of the coin, I am talking about education and our children.

In the past few years we have seen this government, time and time again, take from Education without even a second thought.  Sure, they offer funding for teachers and schools, the offer to build more schools, they promise big things but at the same time they tell School Boards to take a cut.  By doing this, they are simply trying to take the onus off them and have us blame the school division.  I have written letters to my MLA only to be told to contact the School Board or the Minister of Education.  I am not going to go to the School Board because it’s because of the budget they are in the shape they are in.  I contact the Minister of Education and am told to contact the Finance Minister or my MLA.  I contact the Finance Minister and am told to contact the Minister of Education, my MLA or my School Board.  When I finally contact the school board (which I didn’t want to do in the first place) they are apologetic but tell me to talk to the MLA or the Minister of Education because their hands are tied.  The school boards can do  nothing but make cuts based on what the government tells them.  For this reason, they cut from non-essential (for lack of a better word) services meaning Special Ed is always one of the first hit.  Even though Special Ed is important, these students DO NOT make up the majority therefore they are hit hard.  By cutting here they are also cutting other services such as Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, Counselling, Education Assistants, etc.  Every child will be affected in one way or another.    The government was so happy to announce that 12,000 new students would be coming into the system come September, they were also happy to announce the building of new schools, but they never mentioned what would happen if these cuts go though.   To break it down without going into great detail, it basically looks like this: budget cuts=less class rooms=larger class sizes=less EAs=less one on one=less attention given to teaching=more stress put on teachers=higher chances of burnout=less teachers=more stress on the school board to provide remedies=school closures.

Cutting of Special Ed programs also means that children who deserve an education (no matter where they are on the spectrum or what their issues are) are not getting the type of education they deserve.  They lose not only their chance to learn, but they lose their rights and most importantly their dignity.  No one deserves any of this.  Sure, children who really need an assistant will get one (and I really hope they do) but that may mean that those with lesser issues may have to go without and that’s not fair either.  These cuts go against the Charter of Freedom and Rights in which it reads that everyone has the right to an education and has the right to be treated equally.

It is for this reason I am asking all my friends and relatives in Alberta with young school age children to really think twice about voting PC.  I am not Right Wing by any means but even the Wild Rose Party values education more than the PCs.  The NDP have a very strong platform for education and family values so if you lean either way then vote.  Everyone needs to vote anyway, but if you are the parent of a young child please think twice about voting PC or your children will pay for it in the end.

Thank you.  Tanya is outta here.

Before anyone asks, nothing happened, I am not angry, I am simply in the mood to write and I write what first comes to mind. This came to mind…

I LIKE short hair. I cut it because I like short hair. I do it because I want to, not because someone wants or tells me to. I will not grow my hair long to please anyone, it is my hair, on my head, on my body. If people don’t like it, too bad.

I LIKE wearing black. I don’t wear it because I think it makes me look thinner (I’m not that stupid), I don’t wear it because I’m depressed (you don’t have to be depressed to wear black), I don’t wear it because I am mourning (it’s not what’s on the outside when mourning, it’s what’s on the inside that matters).

I LIKE my body. Yes, it may be lumpy and bumpy but so what. If people don’t like seeing my upper arms or any rolls I may have then don’t look. I wear skirts that are cut a few inches above the knee? Why? I have short legs. The longer the skirt the shorter I look. You don’t like seeing my legs then don’t look.

I LIKE to tease. Yes I do. I tease kids, adults, friends, relatives, etc. I don’t make people cry, I do it in fun. I don’t make fun of weight, hair colour (unless they mention it first), mental or physical disabilities. I simply make light-hearted jokes that never hurt anyone. Teasing has made my kids who they are and makes for a stronger relationship between my husband and I.

I LIKE to fight for what I believe in. I fight for Autism, vaccinations, freedom of choice, freedom of speech, anything I feel strongly about. It has caused me trouble at times. I have angered people, been insulted and called names, and even kicked off Facebook pages and other forums for fighting for what I believe in. Am I proud of it? No. However, I am proud of the fact that I have the backbone to fight for what I believe in and the information to back it up.

I DISLIKE whiners. They are so annoying. I’m not talking about people who complain once in a while. I am talking about those who whine about everything from their work, to their salary, to their kids’ school, you name it they complain about it. Grow up. Get a life. No one cares.

I DISLIKE raisins. I have tried to eat them over the years. I have forced myself to eat them when offered a meal at someone’s house that might include them (and without complaint I might add), but it wouldn’t be a first choice. They are weird in taste, shape, and flavour. They really don’t belong in anything. I do eat currants though. Currants are good and much better than raisins.

I DISLIKE hot weather. There is absolutely nothing fun about it. Nothing enjoyable. If it’s warmer than +21 it is much too warm. I find it hard to breathe when it’s hot and always have. I sweat profusely (thus the need for more deodorant and antiperspirants), my joints ache, my head feels heavy. And first and foremost I feel depressed all the time. Heat is not good for me at all.

I DISLIKE small dogs. I apologize if I offend anyone for saying this, but I don’t like them. I like them as animals but I dislike them as pets. They bark, they whine, they seem to have a lot of health problems. Give me a big dog any day. Give me a dog I don’t have to worry about sitting or stepping on. A dog I can see when I look down. A dog that can’t fit under a chair or my couch. That’s all I am saying.

I DISLIKE people who think everything is about them. It makes me mad. No one is that important. No one deserves that much attention (go back to number one on this dislike list). No one like that deserves even a little of my day.

Well, there it is in a nutshell. My list of likes and dislikes. Like it or hate it; it helps to explain who I am.

And I am outta here.

Why are we afraid…

to admit we aren’t perfect?

to tell others the truth?

to admit our age?

to open our hearts?

to others?

to speak what’s in our heart?

to admit we make mistakes?

to sing loud enough to be heard?

to dance in the streets?

to play like children?

to take the blame?

to speak up for what we believe?

to hear the truth?

and why are we afraid…

to criticize ourselves?

I originally wrote this one back in 2015.  As I was reading this tonight, I realized just how ignorant some people can be.  As you all know I am an advocate for Autism Awareness and I tend to get very emotional, if you read this you may understand why…..

I know, I know.  Autism Awareness month isn’t until next month.  But I read something rather disturbing today and I had to share it.  Do you all know John Stewart?  He has a late night show called the Daily Show and he discusses everything from vaccines to politics.  He is always very entertaining and I am going to miss his show when it’s done.  Anyway, he recently had a comedian/writer Rob Smigel on his show (from SNL fame) and Rob was saying how his son has Autism and they are raising money for Autism Awareness by putting on this show called “The Night of Too Many Stars” on the comedy channel (it is tonight I think).  Rob said and I quote “The whole show is about raising money — not to cure autism. Because a lot of people are working on biomedical research. My wife and I couldn’t get our kid into any kind of school or program that was adequate for him until he was 7 years old. And people with fewer resources than us — it’s unimaginable to us what they have to go through. And the kids. They deserve better.” Basically the show is to raise money for more awareness and for setting up programs and the such for anyone on the spectrum, young or old, high end or low end, verbal or nonverbal, etc.  Of course it caught my eye, as did some of the comments.

Most of you know how emotional I get when I talk about Autism and why I get so emotional.  So, I start scrolling through the comments and one in particular caught my eye, or rather one commenter caught my eye.  Here are just  few words she/he had to say that made my blood boil.

“Tell that to the people whose autistic kids are perpetually two seconds away from an outburst that might lead to someone being killed, maimed, or the house being destroyed. Tell that to the parents who fear for their lives. Tell that to the families who have to worry about bring jailed for caging their autistic kids at night just so they can sleep without fear of being attacked by their autistic kid.”

The reply:  ” Autism is a disability, and most of us don’t dispute that. However, your picture is gross and dehumanizing, because if an autistic person is upset and raging, it isn’t, as you seem to believe, just Because. It’s not just for kicks. It’s because something is unbelievably wrong – it’s because a primal need is not being met. And instead of working on it, people write them off as deranged or “aggressive” or something else equally hateful.  Autistic people are people. They have the exact same needs and wants as those who are neurotypical. If someone speaks fluent Japanese and you speak fluent Spanish, you don’t cage the Japanese speaker like an animal. You find someone who speaks Japanese so you can get their needs met.”

The original commenter:   “It’s a spectrum. Most people try to talk nice about it as though ALL Autistics are on the mild end of things, but they’re NOT. There ARE autistic people out there who are extremely dangerous and CANNOT be integrated into society like some kid who is mute but is a math genius on the side. People have to look at the whole thing, not just the easy-to-deal-with side.  And seriously, your language example would only touch base with what I’m talking about if your Japanese person was also trying to claw your eyes out at the same time.”

And now for the comment that made me angry:  “I wish so hard that I could just slap you. You have no idea what you’re talking about or what the families of these severely violent autistic parents are going through. These kids are nonverbal for the most part. They cannot communicate their needs, nor do they become calmer when they’re supposedly being met. They are practically rabid. They are genuinely too screwed up to help with these bullshit “we don’t need a cure” tactics…You try living with someone who has no ability to stay normal and calm for an extended period of time. You try living in a house with someone who openly attacks you while you try to sleep, FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN BECAUSE THEY CAN. I dare you. I *expletive* dare you…These are kids that need to be euthanized because there is absolutely NOTHING that can be done to help them. There isn’t a person on this earth that can read a severely autistic person’s mind and provide them with what they apparently need, nor is there anything that can be done to curb their violent outbursts when something mundane and simple doesn’t go their way. Normal kids might throw a fit and you can put them in time out, over something stupid like getting grape instead of apple juice…some of these severely autistic kids will literally try to *expletive* gouge your throat our with a rusty spoon. They cannot be helped and are a danger to themselves and others, at all times.

I tried to delete the swear words, hopefully there aren’t any I missed.  Anyway, it’s this attitude that makes me angry.  It’s this attitude that gets my blood boiling.  It is ignorance and stupidity at its finest and it is for reasons such as this that I am such a strong fighter for Autism Awareness.  Yes, it is true that people with Autism can have horrible sometimes devastating tantrums and meltdowns but it is always for a reason.  Even the lowest functioning people can be integrated into programs and schools with the proper help and assistance.  Some do get violent, but with proper interventions and proper teaching, even parents can help to calm them down.  There are so many techniques such as applying pressure to the body with tight hugs or weighted blankets, putting them in a special room with calming noises, lights, etc, sometimes even humming can calm them down enough to stop these outbursts.  The money being raised by this program will/should enable care givers the faculties needed to help those in their charge.

John Stewart did a good thing by talking to Rob Smigel I just wish the nay-sayers and the Negative Nellies would stay the hell out of it and keep their opinions to themselves.

Tanya out.