Tw Us Politics - Blog Posts
I debated whether or not I should make this post, but decided that I have to, because there are so many people, especially in America who do not know this. And it is SO important. So please take 5 minutes of your time and read this.
Let me explain to you why Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s statements about autism are extremely dangerous and should deeply concern you (not only if you are autistic)
For that you need to understand a bit about the history of autism, so you can see the parallels to what is happening now.
The whole "high functioning autism" thing exists for a reason. Not the one you think though. You have probably heard that "high functioning autism" was called Aspergers Syndrome before. This concept was created during the 1930s and 1940s in Austria (although it was not called Aspergers syndrome back then). There is a lot more to this, but for the purpose of this post I will keep it short.
The nazis saw every disabled or mentally ill person, including children as unworthy to live. The main purpose of the Asperger Syndrome was to separate the children into two groups. The ones they could use for their causes, indoctrinate with the nazi values and force to work. And those we would call people with high support needs today, the group they deemed as not worth to even be alive. (This does not mean that "high functioning autistic people were not also killed, they were.)
This diagnosis was a death sentence for those children. To be clear, the nazis did not only kill autistic children and adults but also mentally ill and disabled children and adults.
The next thing you have to understand is that a shocking amount of people knew about this back then and there were parents who willingly and even gladly handed their children to those institutions, knowing they would kill their children, because they themselves saw their own children as worthless, a burden and not valuable to society.
Back to what Robert F. Kennedy said. One of his first statements was "They will never be able to pay taxes." (Refering to autistic children, especially targeting those with high support needs) And that tells you everything you need to know. Because that is how he and a concerning amount of people determine the worth of a person. If they work, if they pay taxes, if they consume and contribute to the economy. If not, they are seen as worth less than working people.
Sounds familiar, does it? Because the nazis used the same measurements to determine peoples worth. That is no coincidence.
They always come for the vulnerable first.
They always come for the minorities first.
It is this belief that a certain group of people is worth more or less than others that is so dangerous!
Because many people already see neurodivergent, mentally ill and disabled people as less. Less worthy, less useful, less human. So it's easy for him to go ahead with those statements, because it does not concern the majority of people.
So please educate yourself about the topic, read into what happened in Nazi Germany. Read about how it happened, how everything started! Because if we don't pay attention to this now, it might be too late!
If there's one thing I want you to do as the world gets colder, get kinder. They will comment on things that don't make sense just to be mad. They will start fights just to see you get mad.
They are mad. You might be mad. But you don't have to be mad at one another.
Just...don't participate in petty debates that you will never win. That aren't meant to be won. Especially as we descend again into the hellscape that is this type of rhetoric and cold world.
Be nicer to neighbors, friends, family. Take losses. Be the bigger person even when it HURTS. And when it comes to family and friends, it will. Of course don't concede your values. But don't push people away you depend on and rely on and want in your life either unless you have no choice.
Love yourself more than anyone. If there's any time to be selfish it's also now. Save your grace and ignore trolls. Ignore people and conversations and communities that don't serve you. If you have hobbies that don't serve you anymore, cut them off. Social media you don't use? Delete it.
Lastly, don't spend the next four years wishing you did more. Do more. Or do as much as you can. Your best is good enough. Stay in the moment. You don't need to dwell on the past, and you don't need to have a five year plan. Don't let the trauma of your environment shut you in. That's what I did during the last Presidency of this type, and I do regret it. Because I burnt out.
I love you. One day we will be able to love and live with reckless abandon again. With freedoms and liberties assured. Until then, we are here for one another, and we will get through it.
We did it once, we will do it again.
