#and are advocating the death of disabled children

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

I saw this on Reddit and instantly got so pissed off. This person is ableist as shit. Advocating for the death of disabled children? That’s just sickening. This person is so fucked up.

My apologies for the cursing. This just really made me angry

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Trumpism’s healthcare fracture-lines

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/12/20/clinical-trial-by-ordeal/#spoiled-his-brand-new-rattle

There was never any question as to whether Trump would implement Project 2025, the 900-page brick of terrifying and unhinged policy prescriptions edited by the Heritage Foundation. He would not implement it, because he could not implement it. No one could. It's impossible.

This isn't a statement about constitutional limits on executive authority or the realpolitik of getting bizarre and stupid policies past judges or through a hair-thin Congressional majority. This is a statement about the incoherence of Project 2025 itself. You probably haven't read it. Few have. Realistically, few people are going to read a 900-page group work of neofeudalist fanfic shit out by the most esoteric Fedsoc weirdos the world has ever seen.

But one person who did read Project 2025 was the leftist historian Rick Perlstein, who was the first person to really dig into what a fucking mess that thing is:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/14/fracture-lines/#disassembly-manual

Perlstein's excellent analysis doesn't claim that Project 2025's authors aren't sincere in their intentions to wreak great harm upon the nation and its people; rather, his point is that Project 2025 is filled with contradictory, mutually exclusive proposals written by people who fundamentally disagree with one another, and who each have enough power within the Trump coalition that all of thier proposals have to be included in a document like this:

https://prospect.org/politics/2024-07-10-project-2025-republican-presidencies-tradition/

Project 2025 isn't just a guide to the masturbatory fantasies of the worst people in American politics – far more importantly, it is a detailed map of the fracture lines in the GOP coalition, the places where it is liable to split and shatter. This is an important point if you want to do more about Trumpism than run around feeling miserable and scared. If you want to fight, Project 2025 is a guide to the weak spots where an attack will do the most damage.

Perlstein's insight continues to be borne out as the Trump regime makes ready to take power. In a new story for KFF News, Stephanie Armour and Julie Rovner describe the irreconcilable differences among Trump's picks for the country's top public health authorities:

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/trump-rfk-kennedy-health-hhs-fda-cdc-vaccines-covid-weldon/

The brain-worm-infected-elephant in the room is, of course, RFK Jr, who has been announced as Trump's head of Health and Human Services. RFK Jr is a notorious antivaxer, chairman of Children’s Health Defense, a notorious anti-vaccine group. Kennedy's view is shared by Trump's chosen CDC boss, Dave Weldon, a physician who has repeated the dangerous lie that vaccinations cause autism. Mehmet "Dr Oz" Oz, the TV "physician" Trump wants to put in charge of Medicare/Medicaid, calls vaccines "oversold" and advocates for treating covid with hydroxychloroquine, another thoroughly debunked hoax:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/12/17/hydroxychloroquine-study-covid-19-retracted-trump/77051671007/

However, other top Trump public health picks emphatically support vaccines. Marty Makary is Trump's choice for FDA commissioner; he's a Johns Hopkins trained surgeon who says vaccines "save lives" (but he peddles the lethal, unscientific hoax that childhood vaccines should be "spread out"). Jay Bhattacharya, the economist/MD whom Trump wants to put in charge of the NIH, supports vaccines (he is also one of the country's leading proponents of the eugenicist idea of accepting the mass death of elderly, sick and disabled people rather than imposing quarantines during epidemics). Then there's Janette Nesheiwat, whom Trump has asked to serve as the nation's surgeon general; she calls vaccines "a gift from God."

Like "Bidenism," Trumpism is a fragile coalition of people who thoroughly and irreconcilably disagree with one another. During the Biden administration, this resulted in self-inflicted injuries like appointing the brilliant trustbuster Lina Khan to run the FTC, but also appointing the pro-monopoly corporate lawyer Jacqueline Scott Corley to a lifetime seat as a federal judge, from which perch she ruled against Khan's no-brainer suit to block the Microsoft-Activision merger:

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/judge-rules-for-microsoft-mergers

The Trump coalition is even broader than the Biden coalition. That's how he won the 2024 election. But that also means that Trumpism is more fractious and off-balance, and hence will be easier to disrupt, because it is riven by people in senior positions who hate one another and are actively working for each others' political demise.

The Trump coalition is a coalition of *cranks*. I'm using "crank" here in a technical, non-pejorative sense. I am a crank, after all. A crank is someone who is overwhelmingly passionate about a single issue, whose uncrossable bright lines are not broadly shared. Cranks can be right or they can be wrong, but we're hard to be in coalition with, because we are uncompromisingly passionate about things that other people largely don't even notice, let alone care about. You can be a crank whose single issue is eliminating water fluoridation, even though this is very, very stupid and dangerous:

https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/the-fluoride-debate

Or you can be a crank about digital rights, a subject that, for decades, was viewed as by turns either unserious or as a sneaky way of shilling for Big Tech (thankfully, that's changing):

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/18/greetings-fellow-pirates/#arrrrrrrrrr

Cranks make hard coalition partners. Trump's cranks are cranked up about different things - vaccines, culture war trans panics, eugenics - and are total normies about other things. The eugenicist MD/economist who wants to "let 'er rip" rather than engage in nonpharmaceutical pandemic interventions is gonna be horrified by total abortion bans and antivax. These cranks are on a collision course with one another.

This is on prominent display in these public health appointments, and we're very likely about to get a test of the cohesiveness and capability of the second Trump administration, thanks to bird flu. Now that bird flu has infected humans in multiple US states, there is every chance that we will have to confront a public health emergency in the coming weeks. If that happens, the Trump public health divisions over masking, quarantine and (especially) vaccines (Kennedy called the covid vaccine the "deadliest" ever made, without any evidence) will become the most important issue in the country, under constant and pitiless scrutiny, and criticism.

Trump's public health shambles is by no means unique. The lesson of Project 2025 is that the entire Trump project is one factional squabble away from collapse at all times.

[la-cosmonauta-extraterrestre]

It shouldn't be a radical take to say that Jews have the right to exist. Yes, all Jews.

The Jewish woman in Maryland who is involved with her reform shul, celebrates all the Jewish holidays, and also celebrates xmas with her goyische husband? Has the right to exist.

The antizionist activist Jew in New York who goes to all the pro-Palestine events and swears she isn't being used as a token? Has the right to exist.

The homophobic rabbi in Jerusalem who advocates for bringing back the death penalty? Has the right to exist.

The secular Jew who was in komsomol back in the USSR and is now a militant atheist in Canada actively preventing his children and grandchildren from reconnecting? Has the right to exist.

The Israeli terf who would personally kill every Palestinian man? Has the right to exist.

The American kahaneist who's been living on the west bank for the past seven years? Has the right to exist.

The transgender reform Jew who writes a blog about disability? Has the right to exist.

The Jew in Iran who is an outspoken antizionist because he's afraid of the consequences if he isn't? Has the right to exist.

The Mexican Catholic who converted to Judaism after discovering crypto-Jewish ancestry and is finding her place in the Jewish world? Has the right to exist.

The non-binary, non-zionist convert who sponsors the weekly kiddush at their Conservative synagogue in Oklahoma? Has the right to exist.

The descendant of Nazis who converted to Judaism and moved to Israel and served in the IDF? Has the right to exist.

The chassid who thinks zionism is heresy? Has the right to exist.

You are going to disagree with some of these people. You are going to find some of them repulsive. You have every right to disagree, to explain why you disagree. That does not mean you can take an individual's right to exist.

[myceliacrochet]

Reblog if answer tysm!!

Eleven Urgent Campaigns

Hey guys, I know several people are waiting on me right now to make posts for you, and I apologize🩷🩷🩷 I am struggling to get everything done on my to-do list, especially since it is hard for me to get as much done due to disabilities, but rest assured that most of the items on my to-do list are for Palestinians🩷🇵🇸🍉 I made a lot of progress tonight on flyers to distribute in person for several families -- @manal-ghorab3, @sham-moner, Hala, Ayat, and Fatima. I also worked on job applications and my application for government assistance so that I can keep doing this work and so I can have a small amount to donate.

For now, I want to draw attention to several campaigns, each of which are urgent:

🇵🇸 Contact the WHO to ask them to evacuate nine-year-old Mohammed Alchear now for EMERGENCY LIFESAVING TREATMENT instead of in less than two weeks, when the child would be dead. The WHO has the permission of Israel, they just need to move quickly before the child passes.

🇵🇸 Hala and her daughters are starving to death in north Gaza, where all life is being exterminated at an even higher rate than the rest of Gaza. Hala said they are praying that an angel will save them. Hala's campaign is dangerously stagnant and needs extra support because applying for vetting will be a challenge for her due to loss of hope.

🇵🇸 Ayat (26) and her one- and two-year-olds are also starving to death and in serious danger in north Gaza. Like everyone on this list, they desperately need emergency food, provisions, and evacuation.

🇵🇸 Moneer (19) just got out of major surgery, and his family -- who just lost two extended members to a raid -- is struggling to find most of the basic necessities, even clean water.

🇵🇸 Mariam, her little girl, and her baby are stranded in a refugee camp in Syria so dangerous that the organization that ran it, the World Food Programme, no longer brings food. She is trying to keep her head up. Like every Palestinian family I am advocating for, Mariam's family is freezing cold. She has enough food for the end of the month, but not enough cooking fuel, and she needs power.

🇵🇸 Sameer al-Kilani's (21) campaign is dangerously stagnant and he is starving. He needs community support.

🇵🇸 Neveen and her four children feel abandoned and overlooked by the world, and they are getting flooded with icy cold rains.

🇵🇸 Manal and her family of five need medical attention and emergency food, and their campaign needs more consistent support.

*Edit: Her GoFundMe campaign keeps getting shut down, and she just lost all her campaign money for technical reasons. Please help this family gain back the donated money they keep losing!!

🇵🇸 Shorouq, Sameer, and their three kids need the same, and they fear for the coming winter of even worse flooding, freezing, and famine.

I might need to post using this kind of format in the future for time's sake so I can get to everyone... Let's see how this one goes

@erectiledisfigurement @vague-humanoid @plomegranate @rainbowywitch @chronicsheepdeprivation @danielladadasworld @win-rrar @shizukateal @sweetsweethate @hexxeh @heydreamchild @knavewoods @katherinefh @variouscontent @blvvdyindustries @morelinesandscribbles @monstermashpotato @wellsbering @tolbachik @akajustmerry @comrademango @superdragonjpeg-thing @afropiscesism @ihavenotfallenyet @fly-sky-high-09 @remindertoclick @slowbrobutch @insanitysmiles @wirehairwiredstare @everypores @pregnantseinfeld @seeyouguyslater @innovatorbunny @ohlorde @imjustheretotrytohelp @awetistic-things @theinconvenientlifestyle @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @sea-shame @faacethefacts @craigthetourguide @blomstermjuk @mythiedew @operationladybug @fifthnormani @disinfobot @beserkerjewel @hellootoodlesxoxo

[fandomtrumpshate]

FTH 2024: Supported Nonprofit Organizations

Here are the nonprofit organizations that will be supported by this year's FTH auction. Many of these orgs will be familiar from last year's list, but we've cycled in some new groups as well. In particular, because it's a major election year in the US, we've brought in (or brought back) organations focusing on voter enfranchisement.

If you are a FTH creator and you want to ask your bidders to support an organization that’s not on the list, please read our policy on outside organizations here.

Bellingcat *

Bellingcat is an independent investigative collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists brought together by a passion for open source research in the public interest.

Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center *

The Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center (CREEC) is a nonprofit legal organization that fights for liberation and equity through the lens of intersectional disability justice.

In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda *

A national-state partnership focused on lifting up the voices of Black women leaders at the national and regional levels in our fight to secure Reproductive Justice for all women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals, NBWRJA delivers proactive advocacy and policy solutions to address issues at the intersections of race, gender, class, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Life After Hate

LAH provides support to people leaving hate groups, and providing pluralism education and training to vulnerable young people.

Middle East Children's Alliance *

MECA is a nonprofit organization working for the rights and the well-being of children in the Middle East. They collect funds in order to provide direct aid, financial support for community projects, water purification systems, and university scholarships, and also create educational and cultural programs in the US and internationally to increase cultural understanding.

National Network to End Domestic Violence *

NNEDV offers a range of programs and initiatives to address the complex causes and far-reaching consequences of domestic violence.

Never Again Action *

A Jewish-led mobilization against the persecution, detention, and deportation of immigrants in the United States, NAA takes on campaigns against detention centers and ICE training programs, and organizes mutual aid and deportation defense.

Razom *

Razom initiates short and long-term projects, or collaborates on existing projects with partner organizations, which help Ukraine stay on the path of fostering democracy and prosperity

Sherlock’s Homes Foundation *

SHF provides housing, employment opportunities, and a loving support system for homeless LGBTQ+ young adults so that they can live fearlessly as their authentic selves. Within these homes, young adults learn about responsibility, accountability, financial independence, life skills, and how to love themselves

Spread the Vote

STV helps eligible voters make their voices heard through voter education, supporting voters through the process of getting necessary ID, and advocating against voter suppression laws.

Violence Policy Center *

VPC works to stop gun death and injury through research, education, advocacy, and collaboration; exposes the profit-driven marketing and lobbying activities of the firearms industry and gun lobby, and offers unique technical expertise to policymakers, organizations, and advocates.

VoteRiders

VR works to help all citizens exercise their right to vote. It informs and helps citizens to secure their voter ID as well as inspires and supports organizations, local volunteers, and communities to sustain voter ID education and assistance efforts.

Umbrella: Environmental orgs

For the past four years, FTH has supported one “umbrella” cause: we invite participants to donate to their own local grassroots organization, while also suggesting a handful of exemplary organizations working in communities where the need is especially acute. This year our umbrella category is environmental organizations.

Pollinator Partnership *

Deploy/Us *

Together Bay Area

Wildlands Restoration Volunteers

Coral Restoration Foundation *

++

Organizations marked with an asterisk (*) allow for international donations directly through their websites. The orgs without asterisks may take international donations through a paypal or venmo account. If you are a non-US-based bidder/donor and you are having trouble finding an organization to which you can donate, please email us directly at fandomtrumpshate @ gmail . com.

[jedi-enthusiast]

Rewatching Death Note right now and, while I think that "fandom" shouldn't be brought into current events and that fandomizing politics is ridiculous and tends to bring about a lot of brain dead takes, the recent killing of that one CEO and how everyone immediately condoned it and started going all apeshit drooling over "vigilante justice" really reminded me of the Light Was Right to Commit Mass Murder™️ takes I saw a while back.

The point of Death Note was that Light's vigilante justice was WRONG and that it's not right for someone to make themselves judge, jury, and executioner---that murder, even the murder of bad people, isn't excusable and that condoning the murder of "undesirables" or "the bad people" will eventually lead to condoning the murders of marginalized people and people who haven't done anything wrong. Death Note quite literally is a commentary on that sort of "righteous judgement" people advocate for irl which, unfortunately, a lot of people seem to have missed.

Honestly, I don't feel sad that that CEO died, and I'm not saying that everyone in the world needs to be sobbing and upset and empathetic about what happened to him---he caused a shit ton of harm to a shit ton of people, him being murdered doesn't change the fact that he was a shit person who did shitty things. However, we shouldn't be condoning the murder or cheering the killer on or advocating for more people to go out killing the "bad" people, because how long until that definition of "bad" starts expanding?

Homophobes think that gay and trans people are "bad." Racists and xenophobes think that POC are "bad." Sexists think that women, especially women that act outside of their "role" and "place," are "bad." Antisemites think that Jews are "bad." Ableists think that disabled people and neurodivergents are "bad." What happens when they start passing "righteous judgement" of their own?

What happens when "pedophile" turns into "gay/trans people existing in the vicinity of children?" What happens when "murderer" turns into "anyone who gets an abortion?" What happens when "actual rapist" turns into "any POC that a white woman said raped her" (she's lying)? What happens when "evil rich CEO" turns into "that upper middle class family down the street?"

No matter what, when people name themselves judge, jury, and executioner and use the sort of "vigilante justice" that so many of y'all are praising, innocent and marginalized people are going to get caught in the crossfire---not to mention that random killings, even of "bad people," isn't justice at all.

And wanna know what's another pill these advocates for vigilante justice have a hard time swallowing?

That their "vigilante justice" won't change anything.

Killing a CEO is easier than voting in people who will pass bills to help lower income people have affordable healthcare and/or stop the bills that already exist from being removed. It doesn't matter that the CEO will just be replaced with another jackass just like him.

Burning the government down is easier than putting people in office who will fight back against injustice and bring about equality, politicians who actually care about the people. It doesn't matter that destroying the government will likely just lead to more injustice and bring more harm upon marginalized groups.

Enacting violence against "undesirables" is easier than working with communities and those around you to actually bring about change in the world.

So how about y'all stop jacking off to your "righteous justice" hero fantasies and actually start putting in some elbow grease to bring some good about? I guarantee you that, if everyone started doing that instead of posturing online (while not actually doing anything), the world would be a much better place.

[kaija-rayne-author]

Would you recognize an autistic or ADHD person if you saw one?

What about an autistic or ADHD fictional character?

Many of y'all will say, of course.

And you'll be wrong.

I'm not talking to hatched autistics and ADHDers. We can usually spot others like us and autistic/ADHD coded characters in fiction.

Definition: A 'hatched' autistic or ADHDer is someone who knows they're one or the other or both, AND they understand and accept that pretending to be neurotypical is bad for us.

It actually kills us, so, yeah, bad. The leading causes of death for autistics is unaliving or heart attack from the stress of living in a world that was most certainly not created for us. In some ways, this world is antithetical to us.

We also experience the stress of what's known as 'masking'.

Our average age of death is 36 years old. Think about that for a second. 36. And the rates of unaliving in autistic and ADHD kids is utterly obscene. The suicide watch for parents of autistic kids starts at 8 years old. 8.

(I don't say this for everything, but self-diagnosis is absolutely valid for autism and ADHD. In a world where people can still be institutionalized or lose their kids because of an autism diagnosis--this is fact for Britain and several US states. France is awful for autistics-- self diagnosis must be valid so we can figure ourselves out without endangerment.)

Masking is where a traumatized autistic (and I've also never met or even heard about an untraumatized autistic/ADHDer) will create a, persona, almost, that lets us function in the world.

It's rarely intentional, my youngest son started masking at 4 in pre-kindergarten because he wanted other kids to like him and want to play with him. Even though our home is very supportive of diversity, especially about autism and ADHD, y'all... he was *4*.

Being autistic and/or ADHD is so damned lonely. Especially if you don't know why you're different. So we do our best to adapt. That can cause issues.

Masking isn't meant as a lie. It's survival instinct. Because even though the world absolutely doesn't treat us like we're human beings, we still are. We want to survive and thrive as much as the next hominid. We have all the same needs and desires as any other human.

But what about the rest of all y'all? Can you recognize us?

Last week, a music teacher banned a 6 year old autistic kid from the school concert because 'they would ruin the experience for the other children' this is after making the autistic kid learn and practice the songs for weeks. 6 years old and that kid already has scars from discrimination about a genetic condition he can't help. It's cruel and so damned inhumane. At worst, the kid probably sang off key and maybe fidgetted a bit. But that would 'ruin' the concert. It's not the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, lady, it's an elementary school concert. It's absolutely not worth scarring that poor kid over. It also happened back in 2022, and again in 2017.

People will have seen 'Atypical' or 'The Good Doctor' or, gods forbid, Rainman and think they know what autistic people look like. (You should probably know that the majority of autistics loathe those shows because the rep is so bad.)

But here's the thing.

You can't see autism or ADHD. Not just by looking at us. It's purely a brain wiring difference. People don't even believe me when I tell them I am if they've seen me in person. And I'm professionally diagnosed as both autistic & ADHD.

Sometimes, there are co occurring issues, like intellectual disability, that are confused with autism, but they aren't actually the autism or ADHD part of things.

I'm an autistic and ADHD advocate. I have a consultant option on my Patreon for people who want advice either for themselves or so they do the right thing by their kids. I'm autistic/ADHD, my kids are too. I've been researching and learning about the topic for close to a decade at this point. I truly know what I'm talking about. I understand the different flavours and experiences of these two types of neurodivergency extremely well.

As an aside, while I have you here, ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) is never the right thing. You know how gay conversion therapy is bad? The same person (Ivar Lovass) came up with ABA, and it's meant to do the same thing. To torture people, most often children, into pretending to be what someone else wants them to be. It doesn't support or help the autistic person.

Almost unilaterally, ABA causes a PTSD breakdown of self coming into our 30s. I say almost, but I've never even heard of an autistic person who has been tortured by ABA who hasn't developed severe PTSD.

If you tried to use the methods used in ABA on a dog, you'd be guilty of extreme animal cruelty.

Yet, because it's practiced on human children, it's fiiiiine. Big money lobbying has even made it so that ABA 'therapy' is the only one covered by a lot of insurances.

We can thank Autism $peaks for that. They are a hate group. They fit every bit of the definition of one and then some. (So please don't donate to them at the till. They love to pollute stores like Toys 'R' Us.)

Adult autistics have been speaking out against them forever. But since most autistics (80%) are under or unemployed, we don't have the kind of financial sway we'd need to get rid of them. Yes, this even counts for 'the new ABA'.

You can't save ABA. Putting a 2 year old human child through 40 hours weekly of 'training' so that they can look and act neurotypical is just flat out torture. Making a child 'extremely hungry or thirsty' so that they will do what you want is torture. There's just no other way to slice that apple. It's rotten to the core.

But back to my point.

Recently, someone disagreed with my opinion on a fictional character. I feel the character is autistic/ADHD coded, the other person disagreed.

That's cool. Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one. And it's fiction, whatever. I'm not mad or upset. (I'm slightly insulted, because if you're not autistic/ADHD, [and a comparison they suggested made me think they definitely weren't] it's definitely not your place to disagree with one of us who says a character is autistic/ADHD coded. It's disrespectful and more than a little ableist. Simply because so many people have the completely wrong idea about both conditions.)

Regardless, the important part for a fictional character is that a person was able to see themselves in the character, to empathize with them. So it's not a big deal.

But it got me thinking about this.

Would most people recognize the subtle signs? They're almost always extremely subtle.

Ever hear of 'resting bitch face'? It's an incredibly common autistic trait because we either emote less or we emote differently than neurotypicals. In our world, it's known as 'flat face effect'. I have it, and I've been harmed many times because it looks like I'm pissed off even when I'm having a good time or I'm just deep in thought. I've got a firey temper, trust me when I say you'll know it when I'm pissed off.

So. You see a character (or even a person) who doesn't emote a lot? Or emotes extremely subtly? Wellll... that's a good clue.

So, X fictional character (or person) has odd or esoteric knowledge or hobbies. That's a good clue.

Are they nerdy or geeky in some way?

Most autistics and many ADHDers experience what's known as hyperfixation on special interests. Ever see someone get so fascinated by a topic or skill or activity that they get lost in it?

Forget to eat or drink?

Learn to do an obscure craft just because they wanted to know how it's done? That person is likely autistic or ADHD or both. It applies to fictional characters too.

Are they stand-offish? Many of us are for various reasons. One is that we're trying to figure out the 'rules' of wherever and whoever we're with.

Why all y'all insist on staring creepily at each others eyeballs is beyond me. I find it either too intimate, painfully so, or just ridiculous.

That quiet character (or person) who warms up slowly? There's a hint.

Another reason we tend to be cool with strangers is that ever present trauma thing. So many autists and ADHDers get to the point in life where we just don't have it in us anymore to keep trying to make social connections. A very common trait of both autism and ADHD is a lack of understanding of neurotypical social rules. And trust me, y'all have them.

Does the character or person fidget? Either subtly or more obviously?

It's called stimming. I had to learn to do it unobtrusively, so I'll suck air through my teeth (my dentist isn't impressed by this), circle my pointer finger around my thumb, tap the pad of each finger on my thumb in a rhythm, count silently to myself... the list is probably endless. I intentionally leave the cuticles on my thumbs rough, because I often rub the forefinger or ring finger of that hand over the rough cuticle as a stim.

Maybe they rotate their ring around a finger?

Play with their hair?

Stimming is something that calms us down and helps us regulate our emotions. (It's also one of the first things ABA robs us of. It's called 'quiet hands'.) It's really bad to deprive an autistic or ADHDer of stimming.

I used to click the button on a pen so much that I banned myself from having clicky pens because of how annoying it can be to others.

There are healthy stims and unhealthy ones. (Head banging is an example of an unhealthy stim.)

So a character or person who is just, always moving somehow? There's a hint. Or they're rhythmically moving a body part? Tapping fingers? Wiggling a foot or leg? Fussing with their clothing? Rocking?

Is the character or person 'a walking encyclopedia'? In other words, do they know a lot of information about either one or two topics or about many topics?

That character (or person) is often stereotyped as being a computer genius who can make any computer work just by looking at it for a few minutes. But it can honestly be any topic or combination of topics. That's another clue.

Many autists are almost hard wired to be painfully honest. Unless we've been traumatized into it, we tend to be shitty liars. I'm, unfortunately, a very good liar. It's not something I choose to do, because I don't want my trauma to change something so innate to me as my honesty. I had to learn to lie to survive. I don't recommend it.

Does the person or character truly believe in things like honour? Justice? Mercy? Peace? (Many neurotypical people will call these things social lies that keep the world working.) I'm talking a bone deep belief in honour etc. Are they a shitty liar?

I think I've blathered enough for now. I want to make it clear that I don't speak for all autistic and ADHD folks. I'm just one person attempting to share some of the more common traits with whoever wants to read about it.

A final thought.

Nothing can make someone autistic or ADHD. It's a genetic condition. Which is why so many parents find out they're autistic or ADHD when their kids are diagnosed. It's not more prevalent now, it's just that more people are learning about the actual parameters of it. Diagnosis is easier now than 50 years ago. It's been around since ancient Egypt and probably evolved as a way to keep the clan safe in prehistoric times.

We often have heightened senses. Sometimes we have what I call 'predator vision' which sounds awful but just means that my gaze is automatically drawn to movement. Our sleep cycles are also commonly very different than a neurotypical's. We probably ended up being people who would take night watch, stare at the stars for hours, or warn people when food has gone off so no one eats it.

I think we evolved right alongside neurotypicals because we're both needed for a successful society.

Many, many of the world's famed thinkers/creators are considered to have likely been autistic/ADHD based on records about them.

These people include:

Leonardo DaVinci

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni

Nikolai Tesla

Albert Einstein

Thomas Jefferson

Charles Darwin

Emily Dickinson

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

William Butler Yeats

Vincent Van Gogh

Benjamin Franklin

People who are autistic or ADHD these days that you may not expect?

Dan Ackroyd

Darryl Hannah

Anthony Hopkins

Jerry Seinfeld

Eminem

Courtney Love

David Byrne

Wentworth Miller

Satoshi Tajiri (creator of Pokemon)

There are also many, many people who have shown autistic or ADHD traits and haven't confirmed or it's impossible to confirm because they're deceased and we don't have the right records.

It's considered a massive faux pas to assign a diagnosis of anything to a living human being. So everyone living I've listed has in some way confirmed it. There are many, many other people (especially in creative industries or hobbies) I believe are likely one or the other, but I wouldn't label. That's for them to do.

If you enjoyed this or learned something and you can, please consider a tip or becoming a Patron. My work of words is my only income.

Every historical person is just a 'likely' because we'll never actually know. All we can do is point at the exhibited traits via records and say, probably.

[the-paris-of-people]

but yk that marginalised communities are Also gonna be harmed by a harris government? ofc trump will be worse but acting as if it’s only privileged oppressive ppl who are willing to risk it for change & a 3rd party bc at least with kamala we’ll all be safe(r) is silly and privileged in itself. for many ppl four more years of either party is going to be hell. and we need to start pushing for change Now.

Okay, so what is this "change" that I've been hearing about for the last several years? How do we organize a revolution against the largest military superpower in the world? How do we dismantle our infrastructure and build everything from scratch? WHAT do we build from scratch across this giant country? How do we get other people on board? How do we reconcile this vision of a utopia with people from other cultures and backgrounds with a completely different framework to achieve a common goal? How do we protect the disabled, elderly, chronically ill LGBTQ+ populations who rely on federal government assistance? How do we protect children and their lives, education and development during this time period? How do we protect marginalized people in red states where they will be the first to be killed?

I'm frustrated because "pushing for change" is so fucking vague and fails to account for the actual repercussions and havoc that unleashing a revolution will lead to. "Pushing for change" when the left is so incredibly disorganized and unprepared and fighting simply about the most basic tool at our arsenal to push the system slightly to our advantage (voting) when the alt-right is incredibly well-organized, prepared, and violent. Everyone wants to be the flag planter and the face of the revolution, but the reality is because the left is ill-prepared and disorganized, we're going to fucking die before we realize the revolution is even taking place. I said it before and I'll say it again, you do not have the right to unleash death and violence among people who do not consent to it. You do not have the right to unleash death and violence among people who do not consent to it. It's not wrong for people to value their current lives and want to protect their home.

Also, I'm genuinely confused as to how voting 3rd party is going to help. How have some of the 3rd party candidates ever helped the people in the U.S.? What political experience do they have? What resources do they have at their disposal? How will they use those resources effectively to protect vulnerable populations in the United States and alter pro-expansionist US foreign policy and diplomatic ties? How is diverting money and resources to frankly more imperfect politicians working within the political system within the United States going to help? How is voting for a party that is not going to win a useful practice of one of the only tools we have left for democracy? I'm genuinely not as educated about third parties but I have not seen a single concrete reason to why I should support them, other than that Democrats and Republicans are both evil and people want to remain morally pure. Mostly I have been seeing/talking to marginalized populations from blue states who are protected by state laws, but you're the first person who is implied to perhaps live in a red/swing state and be a marginalized person.

I don't know your situation, and I can't pretend to, and I'm sorry life in American has been terrible for you. Capitalism is terrible for many people and preys on vulnerable populations to support the ultra-wealthy. I absolutely hate it and I think everyone deserves human dignity, right, and basic needs. However, I'm genuinely confused as to when I said "everyone will be safe under Kamala Harris" I looked at my posts and I never said, nor do I believe it. I simply was advocating for harm reduction and expressing a sliver of hope and optimism, because the reality is, considering the ENTIRE AMERICAN POPULATION, we will be safer with Kamala Harris since she needs to young vote and is mutable than with Donald Trump and it's incredibly dangerous and harmful and frankly misinformation to say otherwise. Usurping millions of civil servants, fully stripping women of their reproductive rights and from receiving life changing healthcare (INCLUDING WHEN THEY HAVE A MISCARRIAGE OR HAVE A COMPLICATION WITH THEIR PREGNANCY), mass deportation of undocumented citizens, slashing funding for climate change, and promoting capital punishment is designed to disproportionately affect and eradicate marginalized populations across the entire nation on a scale that has never been seen before. There's hell but a hell in which we have one last semblance of democracy and leverage our power as young voters to push the Democratic party to the left while we try to work together, and organize something better, and then there's hell where we're all dead and cannot even vote anymore. And then there's the third party option, which frankly IS NOT VIABLE BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO MONTHS TO THE ELECTION AND WE HAVE TWO QUALIFIED, EXPERIENCED CANDIDATES WITH A COLOSSAL AMOUNT OF MONEY, POWER, AND NAME RECOGNITION.

Finally, IT'S NOT SILLY AND PRIVILEGED TO VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATE THAT HAS THE MOST VIABLE CHANCE OF WINNING IF IT HAS THE BEST CHANGE OF PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS AND LIVELIHOOD OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN THE STATES.

What bothers me most is that fracturing people into leftists who want to vote third party/don't vote vs. liberals who vote Democrat is used by the alt-right to divide people with the same ideology. Please understand that this way of thinking is a strategic move on the Republicans who, contrary to leftist belief, are far worse than the Democrats. I implore you to reconsider, read Project 2025 and consider the scope of it, but I understand your vote is yours alone.

I genuinely would love to work with people and research local initiatives we can advocate for/reach out to our representatives and actually take steps towards changing the infrastructure we need for the so-called revolution so in the near-distant future we actually have a fucking shot of winning. We all appear to agree on the same issues, so I would like to take action to actually move something forward rather than relying on a third party or revolution to save us.

[doberbutts]

I don't support everything he has ever said, but you should understand that this is coming from decades of abuse. Cripple course didn't start this year. Or the last. MIABs have been sending us death threats for a very, very long time. They literally stole our terms, closed their communities to us, and demanded we thank them for it. They called my friends ableist for wanting our own spaces and drove them to suicide. Let me ask you this. How many PD only spaces have you found? Compared to the numerous MI only, or even Autistic Only spaces?

Is one angry cripple really the bad guy?

I gotta tell you in 30 years on this earth never once have I thought that any of the various things wrong with me were properly accomodated unless I was specifically in a space that was intentionally curated to accomodate my specific needs. Including in so-called "disability-friendly" spaces. Sometimes it was the neurological. Sometimes it was the physical. Sometimes it was the mental. But without shaping my life around my needs, I was never really supported.

And for the record I don't love labelling folks as acronyms. It always seems somewhat combattive to me.

But I'm seeing some pretty bad takes on my dash, including "people with such severe sensory issues that sensory devices don't help them are rare and don't really go on the internet" (um. Hi?) and "at least you can get in the door" (yes I can physically move my body to go in the building but then I will vomit everywhere and pass out on the floor in minutes and that means there's accomodations that are lacking here) and "neurodivergent people are always coddled" (lmao yes I was literally beaten by my second grade teacher for having add symptoms in class but go off I guess).

Maybe it's because I was raised by a disabled man who was born in a time where the world was so hostile to disability that he didn't even know he was deaf until he was in his 20s, he just thought he was genuinely stupid because he interpreted it as "can't understand" instead of "can't hear". Because I was raised by his wife who specialized in teaching disabled children. Because I was born with multiple disabilities and from a young age was taught to fight for my rights and advocate for myself.

But, honestly? I think attacking other disabled people is wrong. Shouldn't really come as a surprise considering I say this about everything else 🤷‍♂️ there are some otherwise able-bodied neurodivergent people who are shitheads to both the severely mentally ill and also to physically disabled people. There are some mentally ill people who are shitheads to neurodivergent and physically disabled people. There are physically disabled people who are shitheads to neurodivergent and mentally ill people. But here's the thing.

I just think they're all shitheads.

[esoteric-chaos]

Disability-Friendly Prosperity Magic

So let's face it, those who are disabled have a hard time with money in general, either from being unable to work or not having a steady, strong source of income. Sometimes we can monetize our hobbies, admittedly at a limited capacity (some less or more than others).

From our relationship with money, money mindsets, and income streams, it's hard. That's not to shame anyone, either. Some overspend to cope, while others are incredibly frugal.

In this post, I will review some resources, tips, and tricks for the struggling disabled witch.

The Mundane Before Magical

Step one is to make a budget and track your expenses. I'm serious. Sit down, look at where your money is going, and decide on a budget that you can realistically stick to. I use the 50/30/20 rule as a budget, which is 50% Needs, 30% Wants, and 20% Savings. However, I recently switched wants and savings around so I can save for a trip.

Now I do not want you to worry about a big fancy budget method. I don't want you to overthink it. Here is a resource (Canada, but it can be used in the USA) to start one. Focus on your needs like housing, utilities, basic clothing, food, etc. Then go into wants and entertainment, and finally, savings. I suggest you put any debt payoff into the needs category if you have any debt. You do not want a blow to your credit report.

Now do you have any financial goals? Going back to school? Debt payoff? A trip? Even a big medical trip coming up? Here is a resource (Canada, but it can be used in the USA) that can help you create a goal and a plan to pay this off.

Savings, please, your SAVINGS. It is vital to have an emergency fund. Job loss? Death? Vet bills? Children? Dentist? You better believe that piles up. It is recommended if you are single to have at least 3 months of income saved up, with a child and single at least 6 months. Married on two incomes, the same amount. Married with one income, it is recommended without children at least 6 months saved up and with children 9 months. It is vital you have the means to take care of yourself if an emergency strikes. It is never recommended that money be stopped from being put into these accounts.

If you are in debt, look at your debt relief options. Sometimes there are services out there that can advocate for you regarding debt. They will help you develop a plan, understand the relief options, sign documents with you, and develop a credit rebuilding program. These services are out there; even if they are paid, they can help you pay off some of your debt, especially credit card debt.

Educate yourself on investing, basic investing, and financial literacy, in stock markets and everything beyond. Know what kind of accounts you can hold and what could help you in your situation.

Need help applying for disability? Here's a resource for the USA (a lot can also be used for Canada).

The Magical

Upkeep a prosperity altar. Work with the spirit of money like you would any other spirit. Honour it, talk to it, venerate it. Money loves to be valued, moved, not wasted, and used in charity. Most importantly, money takes time. Money takes time to grow and build a relationship with.

This is the most important thing I've learned about money. It wants to be worked with. It's sitting there. It wants to help and aid you in ways that you need.

Work with this altar on Thursdays, incorporating the spirit of Jupiter. Jupiter rules over finances. Long steady finances, not quick finances. Jupiter rules over business, legal and all things finances. Jupiter is a slower-moving planet.

You can also incorporate the spirit of Mercury on Wednesdays along with your Jupiter workings. Mercury is a fast-moving planet, a planet for fast-moving money. However, you must build a long, steady form of finances over quick, easy cash (but sometimes you do need it right now).

You can create a money bowl and work with it on this altar, a Jupiter cashbox (I will make a future post on this), or a manifestation mirror box filled with petitions, sigils and your investment/banking information.

Fill your altar with greens and gold, imagery for wealth and abundance, pocket change, and anything else that symbolizes wealth.

Do not forget to leave offerings for your money altar. A simple glass of water can do but try to do more if you can.

Road opener workings or petition with an offering for the cross-road spirits who can unblock blockages in your way.

Final Take Away

I know this might not help everyone, but I sincerely hope this helps somebody. Financial literacy was not taught to everyone, nor were proper budgeting tips. I wanted to share what I've learned over the years as I believe it is vital information for some of the information I have collected.

Blessings

[justforbooks]

That Librarian by Amanda Jones

A small-town US librarian’s lively account of her battle with a group of far-right censors reveals the toll it took on her health

Amanda Jones’s story is awful – and important. A school librarian for 23 years in her home town of Watson, southern Louisiana, she has watched with concern in recent years as a movement of book-banning swept across the US. According to the American Library Association, “book challenges” in public libraries almost doubled from 729 in 2021 to 1,269 in 2022.

In July 2022, when Jones heard about a public meeting that would discuss “book content” in local libraries, she went along. A board member said she was “concerned” about some “inappropriate” material in the local library’s children and young adult sections. In response, Jones gave a measured speech, explaining her belief that “while book challenges are often done with the best intentions, and in the name of age appropriateness, they often target marginalised communities” and “books on sexual health and reproduction”. She went on to detail the “First Amendment right to borrow, read, view, and listen to library resources”.

“I said nothing earth-shattering,” Jones writes in her memoir. But within days her life had been upended because of two posts on social media. The first was by the Facebook page of Citizens for a New Louisiana, a far-right group whom Jones knew had worked to defund a library in nearby Lafayette and whose executive director was a man named Michael Lunsford. It accused Jones of “fighting so hard to keep sexually erotic and pornographic materials in the kids’ section”. The second Facebook post was made by local man Ryan Thames, who wrote that Jones advocated “teaching anal sex to 11-year-olds”.

The posts were shared widely by local people, including many Jones knew. “One parent in particular whose child I had helped with getting services for a learning disability was especially vicious,” she writes, devastatingly. Later, she received a death threat. Over the course of the next year, Jones, who is in her mid-40s, lost a lot of weight, experienced hair loss and took medical leave from work. In the spring of 2023 she sued Lunsford and Thames for defamation.

That Librarian is Jones’s account of the 2022 public meeting that started her ordeal, the ultimately unsuccessful court case and all that followed. She has a lively, convivial style: “I worried that my friends and family would be targeted next. Spoiler alert: they were.” Sometimes this breeziness veers into pettiness, as when she describes an opponent who has “the spelling and grammar of a child of 10”, or refers to Valarie Hodges, a member of the Louisiana state senate who posted online against Jones, as “my gal pal Val”.

The more wistful sections are warming. Jones describes how she was in high school when Watson had its first traffic light installed – that’s how small a town it is. She credits her teenage reading of Judy Blume, one of the most banned authors ever, with “making me more empathetic”. Jones believes uncompromisingly in the power of books to open minds. And through working as a school librarian, has seen the impact of exclusion politics: “I have lost more former students to suicide than I care to think about, many of whom, I suspect, died as a direct result of being made to feel excluded in our society.” Together, these experiences have informed her anti-censorship mentality.

But she knows party politics comes into it too. Her local area has become “extremely alt-right and conspiratorial” in recent years, and she has noticed that “all book banners seem to be Republican”. She is refreshingly honest about her relative complicity. “It wasn’t until I was into my 40s that I realised some aspects of our country weren’t that great,” she writes, before admitting that she voted for Donald Trump in 2016. She regrets it now, but these admittances are important. Listening to voices from across the political divide, and understanding the ways in which we are both similar and different to those who vote similarly and differently to us is crucial in understanding why the world is the way it is – even more so after Trump’s re-election.

Several times, Jones refers to how she has tracked her defamers to see they have also donated to election campaigns of particular pro-ban politicians. But she never fully examines the intricacies of this likely organised overlap, or takes a step back to consider how this current wave of book banning compares with historical cases. As such, “my fight against book banning in America” would be a more suitable subtitle, not “the fight”. This is a brave, fascinating book, but it’s the personal story of Jones’s ordeal – about which she is evidently still very bitter – rather than an account of the movement as a whole.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[zeroar]

An Open Letter to the People Who Support Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks is eighteen years old. The age they should start dismissing themselves as being an authority on autism like they do with autistic adults if they cared about consistency at all.

They were founded in 2005 by a couple of Hollywood executives who grieved the diagnosis of their grandchild. This was a full dozen years after the seminal "Don't Mourn For Us" by Jim Sinclair was penned and presented.

From the beginning, Autism Speaks was anti-autism. They sought a "cure" they could use to erase our existence from the planet, they fomented anti-vax conspiracies which are still plaguing our society today, and they fostered and continue to foster an environment supportive and understanding of child-murder.

But. They were connected to celebrity. And they had the endowment and reach to become the largest anti-autism group in the nation and world.

The primary method of advertising which Autism Speaks used from the beginning is known as "fear appeal".

Typically, they frame autistic children as changeling-like creatures which replace the allistic or neurotypical child you had with one which will never love you and will tear apart your family.

Autism Speaks spotlights the worst of having an autistic family member and pulls the drapes on any mitigating circumstances or assistance. They emphasize the burden we are and the harm caused to our families by our existence.

Autism Speaks then goes on to frame themselves as being the solution and the experts on everything autism. They say, don't listen to autistic people, listen to their parents and other people who have been negatively affected by their existence. Listen to these cherry-picked examples.

They talk vaguely about support for autistic children and families while they campaign ceaselessly to find the genes which contributed to making us... so they can unmake us.

As you might expect for people who frame themselves as being the victim of their children's existences, they have been easily taken in by snake-oil salesmen and conspiracy theorists.

To this day, Autism Speaks continues to emphasize the "environmental causes of autism" even while fully knowing (from the millions of dollars of research they put in pursuing a debunked study) that autism appears to be primarily genetic and our environment really only affects our presentations as autistic, not our realities as autistic.

"Environmental causes" is a dog whistle for vaccines because they no longer feel it is profitable for them to explicitly encourage widespread death and alternative disabilities of children, so they have started only alluding to it and finally, years after the study was debunked and retracted, agree that vaccines do not cause autism.

"Environmental causes" is also a dog whistle for things like heavy metal poisoning causing autism and various other external things that can be "taken care of" via chelation therapy and bleaching our insides. Yes, Autism Speaks is at least partially responsible for spreading bleach "cures".

I believe they've taken it down since I first started advocating for SPLC to recognize Autism Speaks as a hate group—something autistic persons have recognized for years—but as recently as a year ago they were still directing people to seek out these "cures".

They worded it in such a way that it was, "These 'cures' do not work and can cause harm, but you should talk to people who tried them for their children and see for yourself."

It's cruelty for cruelty's sake. Or it's believing scientifically disproven things in a way that promotes the torture of children.

Which brings us to arguably their biggest crime against humanity and against autistic people specifically thus far: the advancement of behaviorism or behavioral conditioning as the "treatment" for autism.

Behaviorism, that is, conversion therapy torture. When done on autistic people, it is commonly called ABA or PBS.

This is another reason why they cling to "environmental causes", because behaviorism is entirely consumed with external presentation.

Autism is a pervasive neurological state which colors every aspect of our lives. Their "solution" is to deny our reality, break us to their will, and have us pretend to be "normal".

Through their efforts, they have ensured conversion therapy is not just used, but frequently the only choice for covered treatment of autistic children.

I say "choice", but the torture is sometimes court-mandated (and this is more common when the parents are marginalized-by-society in some way themselves).

Autism Speaks is so very proud of their government influence. Shortly before I started the petition, I watched in horror as their testimony scuttled a bill at the state level intended to help autistic children which had the support of their parents because not enough torture was included in the "help".

People say they've "changed", yet it's not like their institution is so hallowed and sacrosanct that it is necessary to keep around even as it is continues to encourage harm and death to autistic children and autistic adults.

Autism Speaks is the multi-headed hydra of anti-autism rhetoric and hate in the world today. They have so many branches and have infiltrated so deeply that many of their supporters ( I hope ) are not even aware of the hateful rhetoric and active harm they spread.

People tend not to even question the premise that autistic humans are better off dead than alive, people have for ages not even thought of us as human. Autism Speaks recommends starting behavioral conditioning as early as possible in children as young as two. The least intensive programs they recommend are for dozens of hours a week.

This is what they recommend, push, and lobby for with *all* autistic children.

If they become able to accurately recognize autism in a fetus, then their genocide and eugenics will only accelerate. I am pro-abortion, but no one should be coerced into an abortion with lies and one-sided propaganda.

Showing hateful rhetoric and catastrophizing about our existence to a newly pregnant person is similarly abominable as the sort of thing anti-choice people do.

Autism Speaks has not changed, though they have gotten better at pretending normality. Maybe they put themselves through conversion therapy torture to learn how to pretend to be a force of good while being sympathetic of child murderers?

Or, you know, they've hired publicists and PR people.

If you were duped by them, I'm sorry that their hate is not more well-known. Can you imagine if the first place you felt supported you and understood your struggles was the bad guy? Who would think that by default?

But they are the bad guy. And they're using you. Preying on your isolation and desire for community and support.

They start early. Constant public outreach. Working with cops. University chapters. There may even be entire branches under their umbrella that are actively dedicated to good. But they support the hate and harm by supporting Autism Speaks.

If you support Autism Speaks, then you support the elimination of autism.

If you believe their fear-driven propaganda designed to earn more money for themselves, that may sound like a good thing to you.

But you cannot eliminate autism without eliminating the autistic person, too.

We cannot turn off our autism, some of us can pretend normality—frequently to our great misfortune—but others can't do that either. It's similar to what happens when you force queer people through conversion therapy torture / behaviorism regimes.

There is not some hidden switch in our brains to "fix" us. Even if there was, we would not be ourselves, we would be different people. You cannot separate autism from the autistic.

If this letter spoke to you, I hope you will consider signing my petition to get the Southern Poverty Law Center to track anti-disability hate and to recognize Autism Speaks as an anti-autism group.

You can find the petition here:

Thank you for reading, Zero Richardson

[poetrydarling]

is it better to speak or to die?

what do i gain from speaking up

for being accused of being too sensitive

too defensive

‘this is just the way the world works’

they say

and i can’t change it

am i not allowed to advocate

for my people

or anyone else’s

for the children who can't speak for themselves

or the disabled who are brushed past every day

my words fall upon deaf ears

‘i don’t care i don’t care i dont care’

they laugh at me

throwing daggers

giving into centuries of oppression 

and saying the world will never change

they will never change 

but i refuse to believe it

ignorance isn’t bliss

you are not self righteous for refusing to care

you are a coward

allowing the world to go on this forsaken path

you are part of the problem

the world won’t change if you wont change

if you don’t look in the mirror 

to shame yourself for your willfulness

you wield so much more power than you realize

you have the power to prevent famine

to prevent poverty

to prevent anguish and death

don’t name call me

don’t shame me

at least i have the courage to tell it how it is

and i will keep telling the story over and over

even when your eyes avert my gaze

even when your scoffs interrupt

because unlike you

i refuse to be complicit in evil

~ a. ana

[willgrahams-dog]

it scares me how quickly so many supposed leftists have turned away from palestine, and how similar their language is to the people they say they're fighting.

how is calling for the violent death of palestinian children because you say they're terrorists any different from attempting to justify the murder of a black boy who was acting "suspicious"? how does ignoring and ridiculing the suffering of palestinian women make you a feminist, and why does the argument that they "deserve it" sound so familiar? how can you claim to advocate for disability rights and then pass over a child who starved to death just because he had cerebral palsy and he was "at risk anyway"?

this is a genocide happening in real time, and the world will not forgive you for ignoring it. we CAN'T ignore it.

being part of an oppressed group does not excuse you from oppressing another. saying that all people supporting palestine are antisemitic is wrong and insulting. we're not calling for the death of all jews, we're calling for the safety of all palestinians. the fact that you think jewish and palestinian lives cannot exist together says more about you than it does the people you're fighting against.

why does someone who lives on the other side of the world have more right to the land than someone who has lived there their entire life? that's colonist rhetoric, and it's the same ideals that were used in the manifest destiny when the u.s. expanded west and attempted to eradicate hundreds of indigenous cultures. that's bad!! forcing 2 million people- individual lives, each with dreams and hopes and a family and secrets and favourite school subjects- into a "safe zone" they can't evacuate from and then carpet bombing them is bad! it's fucking unfathomable to me how people have gotten so stuck on the false dichotomy of freedom for israelis or freedom for palestinians that they're excusing a genocide. they asked for your help and when you demanded proof, they gave it to you. you said it wasn't enough and they gave you more, the fucking israeli army gave you more. and you're still sitting here reblogging iof thirst traps and calling yourself a leftist.

palestine is a feminist issue. palestine is a disability issue. free palestine 🇵🇸 🍉

KEEP TALKING ABOUT PALESTINE.

[pippasop]

heyy can you advocate for this family, they need support. of their goal for 50,000 they only have 12,000.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-weal-alnamla-to-get-treatment-and-leave-gaz?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=chat&utm_source=whatsApp&utm_term=undefined

Please, if you can, donate money to this fundraiser. The Money collected will be used to help them replace their prosthetics for their disabilities and finding shelter since their home was destroyed. the money Sanaa Rahman send to them has helped their children get a chance at having a normal life despite their amputations.

If you are unable to, please reblog to spread awareness. Any action, big or small, counts. 🇵🇸

"I am Weal 32 years old from Gaza. On August 1, 2014 my entire home was bombed and destroyed. In this war I lost my leg from the knee. My wife Israa 27 years old, lost her leg from hips. Since then she has been on wheel chair. My son Shareef lost his leg from knee snd his right eye.My daughter Abeer 10 years old was disfigured on her right side on her face during the raid. She needs surgery when she reached 15. This war is more devastating on us than previous wars. Our suffering is double in this war because we all suffer from amputations. No hope to escape this devastation and a certain death we are unable to run or move like others. The assistance gives our family hope and I appeal to you to help. My family needs these prosthetics and donations for housing to help us get through to the end of this war."

[flimsy-roost]

A lot of late ID'd autistics- specifically, those who were not misdiagnosed with something else as children- fantasize about what their life could have been if only their disability had been noticed sooner. I rarely think about it now, but I had a weekslong period where I was actively angry at certain adults in my life for their failure to address my needs as a kid. They could see me struggling every day, why did they never help?

It's been interesting, validating, and sobering to read stories from autistics who were formally diagnosed as young children, because our childhood interpersonal experiences are not very different. Guardians and teachers can be just as cruel and unsupportive, peers will ostracize you using the same grammar and cadence, and your perceived flaws and shortcomings will be articulated identically.

While we all seem to be batted around by the same abstract social forces, late-ID'd autistics, at time of writing, have had the distinct benefit of avoiding the concrete superstructure that is the carcerality of psychiatry.

I think a big part of the fantasy of early diagnosis is that it would have fundamentally changed how we were treated by those closest to us. That our long-suffering parents would radically reframe how they perceive our way of being, that they would immediately recognize that previously punished "bad behavior" were in fact cries for help or attempts at self-regulation, and that they would immediately have the time, resources, and emotional intelligence to properly accommodate our needs. I don't doubt that those kind of parents exist, but I believe that they are very rare. I also don't doubt that, had my kindergarten teacher sat my mother down with a diagnostic checklist, that she would have simply wielded ABA and Special Education as additional tools against my suboptimal behavior. To paraphrase more intelligent disability advocates; you don't actually wish that you were more visibly disabled, you wish that your needs were taken seriously and accommodated appropriately.

I wouldn't go so far as to call "not being diagnosed with a lifelong disability as a child" a privilege. Nobody wins here. The total lack of self-knowledge creates its own unique difficulties, some of which can also terminate in death or lifelong trauma. But, given the current prevailing attitudes towards autistic people and how they should be treated, late-ID'd autistics undeniably dodged a particularly heinous bullet.