WTF?

[conuly]

I can honestly state that I've never felt the temptation to compare autism to cancer. In fact, I've never felt the temptation to compare anything to cancer except, perhaps, cancer. Do I need to run through my list of why Autism Is Not Comprable To Cancer again? Because I will if I have to.

Comments

[conuly]

Apparently, autism is Just Like Cancer because it's devastating to families, but worse because (I'm not kidding, people have said this) autistic kids don't die.

[queenmargot.livejournal.com]

Oh, well, yes, that certainly is a shame.

Except... what?

I think I'd rather my child live to a ripe old age of, well, normal -- with a few problems that anyone with half a brain could get around -- than to suffer and die before hitting double digits. I'm just wacky like that.

[l33tminion]

It's a comparison made out of ignorance, not malice. They assume that everyone wants to act neurotypical and that people who don't display typical "happy" social behaviors can't be happy. Besides, you're preaching to the choir. This story only went out today. Why don't you write a letter to the editor?

[conuly]

And get told that I'm not really autistic, or that I don't really understand what it's like to be a parent of an autistic kid? Thanks, but no. I'm in a bad enough mood lately as it is.

[l33tminion]

You seem to be defeating yourself before the fact.

[conuly]

YOU write this letter to the editor. If you don't get either type of negative response (AND you get published!), I'll concede the point. Until then, I'm in a truly rotten mood, and I'm not making it worse.

[l33tminion]

Fine. Working on it.

[l33tminion]

I sent a letter. I'm sure you could have expressed things more eloquently, but we'll see if they publish it, I guess...

[conuly]

Sorry. This sort of thing makes me infuriated fast, and I'm really not in the mood to deal with that. Taking it out on random friends is... sorry.

[l33tminion]

Don't worry about it. It aggravates me, too.

[l33tminion]

*smiles*

Here.

[chem-nerd.livejournal.com]

All right, someone fetch me a clue-by-four---I'm going on a smiting campaign...