Autism Speaks

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum Members,

It is with dismay that I learned today that Autism Speaks has been appointed by the United Nations as a Non-Government Organization with the United Nations Department of Public Information.

As we all know –because numerous members here, including Raven and myself, have posted such- Autism Speaks is an organization whose opinions, methods, and attitudes are considered deeply offensive to autistics and those who love and care for them.

Three of the organization's top officials have publicly expressed the desire to drown their own autistic children, their financial movements have been at times called into question by the press, and there is a petition against the video they produced which mischaracterizes autism and its manifestations.

Over the years, many people, groups of people, and organizations have banded together to sift through all the theories, conjecture and facts about autism and get them to the public to counter the narrow views of Autism Speaks, but these facts will now be trounced upon because Autism Speaks, which has demonstrated time and time again that they do not hold the interests of autistics at heart, now holds ultimate power in the worldwide dissemination of information about autistics.

That this has happened, is, however, no surprise.

If, as a member of this forum, you have signed the "Autism Speaks Doesn't Speak for Me Petition" I thank you. If you have spread the word about this petition, and about Autism Speaks' mischaracterized view of autistics, I thank you.

The petition can be found here:

http://www.autism-hub.co.uk/autism-speaks-dont-speak-for-me/index.php

But if you have not done so, then I hold you directly responsible for any negative consequence that results from the influence Autism Speaks has over your lives.

To be succinct: If you are autistic, and you are denied services, or become prejudiced against because an inaccurate view of your type of autism has been put forth by Autism Speaks, and if you have not advocated for yourself and other autistics, then you deserve what you get. If you are a parent who has been denied services for your child because Autism Speaks has incorrectly disemboweled the credibility of those services, and you have not advocated for yourselves and other autistics, then you deserve what you get.

In my own way, I have strived to provide the facts about autism to forum members, and Raven and I have worked hard to spread these facts worldwide.

This was the result of listening to autistic members of these forums when they have complained about the lack of services available to them and the discrimination they have encountered as the result of ignorance. Also, we have listened as parents of autistics expressed frustration about not getting services for their autistic children.

We have both worked very hard to combat ignorance with education, to counter selfish viewpoints with factual ones, and to motivate all of you to believe the facts rather than the rumors, half-truths, and lies that circulate out there on the internet, in publications, and even in doctors' offices.

Even as many of you vehemently defended lies – such as the lie that vaccines cause autism, or the lies that gluten-free diets, glyco-nutrients, hyperbaric chambers, etc. work to treat and cure autism – we have with equal vehemence countered your lies with truth at the risk of alienating other members with our vehemence.

If you have failed in any way to advocate for yourselves, then your just and deserved punishment has arrived by way of the oppression that is likely to come as the result of the UN's decision. If you have grudgingly advocated for yourself at the poking and prodding of others, then your just and deserved punishment has arrived by way of the oppression that is likely to come as the result of the UN's decision.

It is very unlikely that Autism Speaks can be deposed now that the appointment has been made, and it is entirely the fault of lazy, selfish people like yourselves, who refused to speak up against them, that this has happened.

I do not care how bad you are suffering economically, or how little time you have, or how much pressure you are under. If you have an e-mail address, you can sign an online petition and send an e-mail to the UN. If you have less than a dollar in your pocket, you can send a letter via snail mail. The only excuse for not doing any of these things is pure unadulterated laziness, uncaring, or selfishness. Or else you must believe with all your hearts that three members of Autism Speaks are indeed in the right when they expressed their desires to drown their own autistic children.

If you do not care about yourselves or if you do not care about autistics, then why should I care about you?

I am extremely disappointed in you, and I ashamed to know you. You make me ashamed to be autistic, and ashamed to be part of the human race.

If you have no intention in signing the petition against Autism Speaks, but DO have the intention of continuing to bemoan your various situations despite your lack of caring, I will, from this point onward, turn a deaf ear to you, and I ask you to remove yourself from this forum now because your own behaviors have significantly imperiled the chances of those of us who are striving to enhance ALL of our futures, including YOURS. I would turn my back on you so that you know how it feels to have your back turned on us. I would cast you out so that you are made to feel as helpless as many autistics now feel as the result of your lack of caring and lack of action and failure to attempt to redeem yourselves. Now that we have, on a global level, been made pariahs by you, we would have you be made pariahs by us.

Administrator

[Guest guest]

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I think I sighed it twice now but I couldn't find it

[Guest guest]

Regarding the recognition of Autism Speaks as a UN NGO: Although it is

unfortunate, other organizations (such as ASAN, ANI, etc.) are also free

to seek UN NGO status. The fact that one autism-related organization has

received that status most likely reflects that they simply pursued it.

--

Mark A. , Ph.D. " ... the modern challenge is how to live with uncertainty.

The basic fault lines

today are not between people with different beliefs but between people who hold

these beliefs with an element of uncertainty and people who hold these beliefs

with a pretense of certitude. " — L. Berger, sociologist

[Guest guest]

If I had to hazard a guess, I would say it was because they had enough money to buy the appointment.

In a message dated 12/23/2008 1:12:07 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, no_reply writes:

Autism Speaks is, by far and away, regarded as the worst possible organization to represent autistics. So exactly how they blinded the eyes of the UN is a mystery.

AdministratorOne site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. Try it now.

[Guest guest]

"Regarding the recognition of Autism Speaks as a UN NGO: Although it is unfortunate, other organizations (such as ASAN, ANI, etc.) are also free to seek UN NGO status. The fact that one autism-related organization has received that status most likely reflects that they simply pursued it."

A nice supposition, but WRONG.

There are plenty of other organizations, including ones which are highly regarded by autistics, which have tried and failed to achieve what Autism Speaks has with the UN.

Autism Speaks is, by far and away, regarded as the worst possible organization to represent autistics. So exactly how they blinded the eyes of the UN is a mystery.

Administrator

[Guest guest]

Mark wrote: "Regarding the recognition of Autism Speaks as a UN NGO: Although it is unfortunate, other organizations (such as ASAN, ANI, etc.) are also free to seek UN NGO status. The fact that one autism-related organization has received that status most likely reflects that they simply pursued it."

That may be so, however, one would think that the UN would take the time to investigate the organization prior to giving it NGO status, especially when the division in the Autism World is so very palpable.

And what has happened with this appointment is exactly what happens when too few people take an active interest in protecting those who are being attacked.

The approach many who were dealing with Autism -- both individuals and families dealing with Autism -- took towards Autism Speaks is not dissimilar to how Jews dealt with the Nazi Party during its rise in the 30s. Look where it got them by believing the rest of Germany -- as well as the world -- would see the Nazi Party for what it was and what it intended to do to minorities such as Jews, the disabled, Gypsies, homosexuals, et al.

What we forget, we are doomed to repeat.

History repeats itself.

There are two very well-known phrases that have their roots in historical fact and now those historical facts are about to repeat themselves as Autism Speaks becomes a recognized, driving force in the decisions being made about Autistics. The same organization that believes that Autism should be a word found only in the history books.

About a year ago, I found this quote in a book: "

... Care must be taken, at least in our nation, that the deadliest enemy is recognized, and that the battle against the enemy is seen as the shining symbol of a brighter day ... [end quote]"

I was amazed at how much it sounded like the 'basis' for the "Ransom Notes" campaign that was strongly supported by Autism Speaks and that was created by the same advertising firm that creates the Autism Speaks campaigns.

What bothered me about this similarity was that the quote was from "Deutscher National-Katechismus" 2nd edition (Breslau: Verlag von Heinrich Handel, 1934).

For those who do not speak German, when the book's title is translated from German to English, the "Deutscher National-Katechismus" is the "German National Catechism." This book was approved anti-Semitic material for all German schools in 1934.

I wonder just how much of history will repeat itself at this point.

Raven

[Guest guest]

wrote: " Autism Speaks is, by far and away, regarded as the

worst possible organization to represent autistics. So exactly how they

blinded the eyes of the UN is a mystery. "

responded: " If I had to hazard a guess, I would say it was

because they had enough money to buy the appointment. "

I hate to agree (because I do not like believing that money changes

everything) but I believe has hit the nail on the head.

Raven

[Guest guest]

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> Autism Speaks is, by far and away, regarded as the worst possible

> organization to represent autistics. So exactly how they blinded the

> eyes of the UN is a mystery.

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> Administrator

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I don't think perception of power and money are mysterious(especially

to NT's) ESpecially " If I were a rich man " that rustic tune is true

for many " normal " people