Traveling Show

iamthethunder:

TW mention of what we see on the tags

Welcome to the autism-related tags. We are its autistic denizens. We use this as a safe space to meet and talk about our lives. Here are some helpful pointers:

• If you use autism as an insult, someone will chew you out. If you are…

I do not think the angry mob thing is always an exaggeration.  Have you seen what happens to people when they say something offensive, even inadvertently?  You said you were new.  Things have been quiet lately, so you might not know about it.  One angry, explanatory reblog is what they will get from me.  My policies are here:

http://iamthethunder.tumblr.com/expect

I spend more of my time sending them out than I probably should.  I discourage it.  I have unfollowed for it.  However, a mob mentality develops occasionally around particularly egregious statements.  Allistic newcomers deserve a warning.  I have seen some receive harsher treatment than I think they should get.  I believe in giving people fair warning with the worst case scenario as they enter a potentially hostile environment.  The only people I actively harass are trolls, which has happened once in the ten months I have been on Tumblr.  I do that mostly because I am not triggered by Internet people.  They cannot hurt me, so I can keep them too busy to bother those they can.  The ignorant deserve civil explanations as expressed in the link.  Warning them is important because what they deserve and what happens are different.

I agree that the autism tag is not a space for us yet.  However, no space ever will be unless we claim it.  Here is a post on that: 

http://iamthethunder.tumblr.com/post/13418943559/the-tag

I hate both scenarios, but I would rather see a parent or sibling occasionally run off Tumblr than silence in the face of prejudice.  This space has our label on it.  That means it belongs to us or should.  Others can be there, too, but we should be the dominant voices constructing the narrative of autism here and in every space.  We must become those voices if we plan to avoid dying out through genetic testing.  If we do not speak up, Autism Speaks will.  It bothers me when someone’s mother is treated like Hitler, but we need to take up space if we are to have it.

You are right that I should have clarified that last line.  I was trying to talk about intrusive questions.  I may go back and fix it.

You may have read snarkiness into it.  It was there.  However, the post really comes out of this: I have a mother.  She loves me.  She sometimes says those egregious things.  It hurts me.  I still love her.  I see her in every person chased out of here by the blasting torrents of obscenity that make us look like barbarians.  I want there to be a warning for people like her.  

Thank you for disagreeing civilly.  I hope my response is coherent, though I am tired and under the weather.   

goldenheartedrose:

invisibleaspie:

goldenheartedrose:

invisibleaspie:

invisibleaspie:

hatefull, ignorant fucks piss me off.

There’s really no point in arguing with people sometimes. It’s not really on my to do list to make anyone agree with me. I am who I am. I’ve accepted my being and fate. I could honestly care less what anyone thinks of me. It’s not worth…

I can understand and agree with that. I’m just not ok with arguing with someone who won’t even take the time to do some research and actually talk to someone with Autism about Autism is really what I was getting at. Ignorant fucks. Plus there are a few individuals who are Autistic that I can’t even deal with because of their own negativity. Just fighting ruthlessly and bashing each other upsets me. For both sides. 

Honestly, I argue with the completely ignorant people who refuse to research, not necessarily for their sakes (though I hope that something I’ve said will strike a chord), but also because there are people viewing the autism tag who see the arguments and what I’ve said may cause them to think.  It’s not so much about the ignorant people, but about those who view the autism tag hoping to learn something.  I hope that makes sense.

Yes that makes sense and I’m all for it. I personally can’t do that though. When I’m emotional about something, especially if I’m offended, I can’t coherently defend myself. It doesn’t really work. It causes to much stress and I don’t like being an angry person. I’d rather answers questions and discuss these things in a civil manner with someone who actually wants to learn instead of hurt. But I praise your ability to talk to these individuals because I honestly can’t.

It took me awhile to not respond emotionally.  I know not everyone can think about it logically rather than involving themselves emotionally.  I sometimes need to write something out and save it as a draft to come back to later because I’m too upset at the time.  I’m not perfect, and I do fail sometimes, but I think I spent so much of my time advocating awareness and understanding for my kids in a logical and not overly emotional way in the past, that this makes it fairly easy for me (in most cases) to not lash out when debating/arguing, etc.  I used to get really emotional about arguments regarding autism, especially ones that included “should you call the cops on mothers in the store that won’t control their kids?” and “should loud kids and their parents be removed from airplanes”, etc., which refused to take into account the fact that believe it or not, autistic children cannot always be 100% in control of themselves.  In addition to the fact that most children in general cannot control themselves all of the time, sensory issues can play a huge part as well with autistic kids.  In any case, I used to hear comments like “well, I’m obviously not talking about kids who are autistic.”  I usually responded with things like “how would you know? Some autistic people can pass as ‘normal’.  You can’t look at a person and necessarily tell that they’re autistic.”  It was a good year of debating about that where I began to become less and less emotional about it and more logical.  So I think that’s why I know how to separate emotion from a debate, even if it does literally involve me.  That doesn’t mean there aren’t some instances where I absolutely need to step back because I am becoming overemotional.  

I do it all the time.  I consider it dicey business, not for everyone.  It helps that I was raised to argue by a father who is not the kind to pull verbal punches just because his opponent is five years old.  The first time I won, days before my fourteenth birthday, was one of the proudest moments of my life.  By teaching me rhetoric, he prepared me to do well in school and deal with autism issues.  The problem is that endless arguments are corrosive.  Fighting makes it easy to demonize people with different opinions.  It hurts participants morally and, according to my beliefs spiritually.  It turns Tumblr into an everyone-on-everyone battleground where we tread carefully instead of speaking our minds.  I generally debate people whose minds I think I can open or change.  Rarely, I take on someone for the sole purpose of trying to get that person to go away.  I feel ill and hate myself afterwards.  This time is no exception. 

rantsquotesandtruth:

iamthethunder:

rantsquotesandtruth:

I think i’ve just stumbled across why schizophrenics can admit they have a problem better than autistics. We aren’t born with schizophrenia, it develops, usually during adolescence, sometimes earlier, sometimes later. Some argue that people can be born with a genetic predisposition towards it, but…

You keep saying you sneer at the angry people.  When I was a child at the University of Chicago, one of my babysitters, a student, had a saying:

“Be a smart fish.  Don’t take that bait.  Swim on by.”

I’m not a fan of the way that’s phrased, but it’s a true statement.

She meant that it is better to ignore willful provocation than encourage it by responding in anger. 

Naturally.

Some of my acquaintances have not learned that.  I defended you, said I doubted you were a troll, when you last appeared. 

I wasn’t aware of that and i’m grateful, but i’m still not a troll.

Tonight’s events and the wall of shame are changing my opinion.  Name-calling and intentional shaming sow discord.  They do not change minds.  They are belligerence for its own sake.  That many of them struggle with keeping their tempers in the face of trolls, albeit trolls with refreshingly decent grammar, does not invalidate them as people. 

‘Trolls with refreshingly decent grammar’, that made me chuckle to myself ^_^

I never invalidated them as people, but rather made the hall of idiocy to discourage these types of answers. If they go away for long enough, the page may disappear, i don’t know, i haven’t actually planned it out, but i might.

My point being that simply ignoring them wasn’t stopping them, so i tried a new aproach.

You complain and insult. They reach out to strangers and contemplate solutions where they see problems.  One so rational as yourself can see why I would prefer them. 

I totally see what you mean, but some of them are complaining and insulting and much, much more.

You want someone who will argue instead of calling you an asshat. 

I’m not looking for an argument actually. If you genuinely want to debate, or simply try to understand my opinion better, feel free, in fact i encourage it, but don’t assume i want to argue with people because that’s not what i’m about.

Look no further.  We can start here if you care to respond to what I last said to you:

http://iamthethunder.tumblr.com/post/13488674847/rants-quotes-and-truth-neuroatypicality#notes

I think i my have already responded to that, but it probably got lost amidst the 100+ other replies i’ve made

Leave them alone.  Make this your one-stop shop for negative attention seeking.  If you would enjoy the cool, rational, rhetorical sparring you claim to want, you can find it here.

Well, i appreciated the offer but if someone attacks my opinion, i’m going to respond so long as they do it in a way that resembles rational.

If you would like to debate with me, that’s okay, you strike me as a perfectly respectful and knowledgeable person so i imagine a debate with you would be a good one, but getting unto a debate with me won’t stop me from responding to my detractors. I’m not in this for an argument, i’m only responding to what others have sent my way.

Manning out.

rantsquotesandtruth:

iamthethunder:

rantsquotesandtruth:

I think i’ve just stumbled across why schizophrenics can admit they have a problem better than autistics. We aren’t born with schizophrenia, it develops, usually during adolescence, sometimes earlier, sometimes later. Some argue that people can be born with a genetic predisposition towards it, but…

You keep saying you sneer at the angry people.  When I was a child at the University of Chicago, one of my babysitters, a student, had a saying:

“Be a smart fish.  Don’t take that bait.  Swim on by.”

I’m not a fan of the way that’s phrased, but it’s a true statement.

She meant that it is better to ignore willful provocation than encourage it by responding in anger. 

Naturally.

Some of my acquaintances have not learned that.  I defended you, said I doubted you were a troll, when you last appeared. 

I wasn’t aware of that and i’m grateful, but i’m still not a troll.

Tonight’s events and the wall of shame are changing my opinion.  Name-calling and intentional shaming sow discord.  They do not change minds.  They are belligerence for its own sake.  That many of them struggle with keeping their tempers in the face of trolls, albeit trolls with refreshingly decent grammar, does not invalidate them as people. 

‘Trolls with refreshingly decent grammar’, that made me chuckle to myself ^_^

I never invalidated them as people, but rather made the hall of idiocy to discourage these types of answers. If they go away for long enough, the page may disappear, i don’t know, i haven’t actually planned it out, but i might.

My point being that simply ignoring them wasn’t stopping them, so i tried a new aproach.

You complain and insult. They reach out to strangers and contemplate solutions where they see problems.  One so rational as yourself can see why I would prefer them. 

I totally see what you mean, but some of them are complaining and insulting and much, much more.

You want someone who will argue instead of calling you an asshat. 

I’m not looking for an argument actually. If you genuinely want to debate, or simply try to understand my opinion better, feel free, in fact i encourage it, but don’t assume i want to argue with people because that’s not what i’m about.

Look no further.  We can start here if you care to respond to what I last said to you:

http://iamthethunder.tumblr.com/post/13488674847/rants-quotes-and-truth-neuroatypicality#notes

I think i my have already responded to that, but it probably got lost amidst the 100+ other replies i’ve made

Leave them alone.  Make this your one-stop shop for negative attention seeking.  If you would enjoy the cool, rational, rhetorical sparring you claim to want, you can find it here.

Well, i appreciated the offer but if someone attacks my opinion, i’m going to respond so long as they do it in a way that resembles rational.

If you would like to debate with me, that’s okay, you strike me as a perfectly respectful and knowledgeable person so i imagine a debate with you would be a good one, but getting unto a debate with me won’t stop me from responding to my detractors. I’m not in this for an argument, i’m only responding to what others have sent my way.

Manning out.

A troll is someone who upsets people for fun online.  Again, what else do you hope to accomplish by calling names?  You strike me as bright.  Social challenges might explain you holding a misconception that calling names ever does anything but infuriate people and cause rational discourse to break down into bickering.  You either have more trouble figuring out how people work than I do, which is saying something, or you are doing this willfully.  If the latter is true, you meet the definition of “troll” as I understand it whether or not you like to think of yourself that way.  As someone who values accuracy, you can see it.  I will gladly debate you any time.  I never saw an answer to my last post.  I would like one.  

rantsquotesandtruth:

I think i’ve just stumbled across why schizophrenics can admit they have a problem better than autistics. We aren’t born with schizophrenia, it develops, usually during adolescence, sometimes earlier, sometimes later. Some argue that people can be born with a genetic predisposition towards it, but…

You keep saying you sneer at the angry people.  When I was a child at the University of Chicago, one of my babysitters, a student, had a saying:

“Be a smart fish.  Don’t take that bait.  Swim on by.”

She meant that it is better to ignore willful provocation than encourage it by responding in anger.  Some of my acquaintances have not learned that.  I defended you, said I doubted you were a troll, when you last appeared.  Tonight’s events and the wall of shame are changing my opinion.  Name-calling and intentional shaming sow discord.  They do not change minds.  They are belligerence for its own sake.  That many of them struggle with keeping their tempers in the face of trolls, albeit trolls with refreshingly decent grammar, does not invalidate them as people.  You complain and insult.  They reach out to strangers and contemplate solutions where they see problems.  One so rational as yourself can see why I would prefer them.  You want someone who will argue instead of calling you an asshat.  Look no further.  We can start here if you care to respond to what I last said to you:

http://iamthethunder.tumblr.com/post/13488674847/rants-quotes-and-truth-neuroatypicality#notes

Leave them alone.  Make this your one-stop shop for negative attention seeking.  If you would enjoy the cool, rational, rhetorical sparring you claim to want, you can find it here.

invisibleaspie:

I’ve noticed that when people are discussing Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome they are usually fighting about whose right and whose wrong. If you didn’t know by now, people have opinions and these opinions might not be in sync with your opinons. That doesn’t mean they’re wrong or deserve to be…

Much of the anger here is justified, but we could do without the shouting and swearing.