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The issue
Recently, U.S. Senators have introduced the "Combating Autism Act of 2005" (S.843). A nearly identical bill was introduced in the House of Representatives. As the name implies, the objective of this bill is to eliminate autism, to 'cure' autistics. Why is this a problem? Autism is not some disabling disease as portrayed, it is a form of neurodiversity, a different way of thinking. 'Curing' autism would stall progress in science; it would be violating the basic human right of free thought. Autistic people are Noble Prize winners, scientists, artists, inventors, and important parts of all communties. Autistics themselves do not want a cure, autistics are the real autism community. Labels such as 'high functioning', 'low functioning' only tell how well autistics can cope in a world that is telling them to be normal. Consider this: If the world was 90% autistics, the 10% who were not would be the ones considered abnormal or ill. Would you want Albert Einstein or Micheanglo to be normal? |
