#and in bio we were focusing on finding patterns and focus but I was Autisms Georg

[spookysplatt]

Hey anyone wanna come break into my school and bring me home. I will give you. Bead lizard

[autisticadventurer]

On Violence

I usually don’t like to do much writing on current events. I think that things tend to work themselves out eventually, and they do. If anything, I think that we need to take the time to dissect what really happened in Florida. Being as I am Autistic, I think I might have some unique perspective on what has happened here. 

I would like to say, before diving in, that violence is violence; that a crime is a crime. The shooter has been identified as being possibly Autistic and Autism does not excuse him from his choices. At the same time, from previous school shootings, we know that the perpetrators have often been victims of months or years of emotional violence, bullying, and the like. It is likely that the most recent shooter is no exception. 

I have heard excellent arguments on all sides of the gun control debate but from where I am standing, gun control or lack thereof is not the issue. In Chinese medicine, there is the belief that if the root of an issue is cured, then there will be no proliferation of symptoms. Our arguments regarding gun control all deal with the branches, the symptoms, and pruning them does nothing to uproot what is really going on.

The problem, as I see it, is that America has a culture of violence. We (perhaps not myself or my readers, but in general terms) are violent against women, we are violent against people who look different than ourselves, we are violent against the very young and the very old, we are violent against people who do not have the same abilities as us. I know all too well the abuse that occurs when I don’t fit in, the line of reasoning tending to be, “If you can’t act right, by God, I’ll make your life a living hell until you figure it out.” Perhaps, “If you really loved me, then you’d figure out how to be normal.” Both of those examples come from my bio-mom, but I was no stranger to teasing and bullying at school for being different. I find it unusual that it was other social outcasts who were the most terrible to me, my best friend treated me like a scapegoat until she discarded me about eight years ago. I was lucky enough not to notice, and also highly skilled at the fine art of ignoring shitty people. 

Whenever there is a member of a minority group who is the perpetrator of an unspeakable crime with lots of press coverage, there is a tendency to vilify the entire minority group. First of all, I don’t know the guy, I don’t know if he’s Autistic or not, and if he is, his neurodiversity doesn’t excuse him from consequences. Secondly, every person is different, especially in the Autism community. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, I wish Autism was called, “Snowflake Brain” or “Snowflake Syndrome” because the only thing that links us all is that our brain function shows incredible deviations from the norm and that between us as a community, there are no real patterns in how we deviate. To vilify us, continue to bully us, exclude us, or verbally and emotionally abuse us only creates more violence. What the Autism community needs is acceptance and tolerance in the schools despite our social differences, and accommodation and opportunities in the workplace. You can’t abuse me into understanding implied language any more than I can abuse you into understanding calculus (or whatever). 

The truth is that no amount of gun control will cure a violent culture, just like limiting access to substances doesn’t cure addiction, and that violence and addiction spring from the same root: a lack of nurturance, discipline, love, and acceptance. Even our families of origin teach us abuse through abusive parenting. This abusive behavior spills over into the school setting, the social sphere. We wouldn’t need gun control if it wasn’t cool to be mean; to treat people like shit for being different. The truth is that for some of us, no matter how hard we try or have tried, it will never be enough. We just don’t fit in. We can wear regular clothes and try to say regular things but they just aren’t right. I spent the entirety of my teenage years as a 4.0 student but constantly harassed by my peers saying things like, “What are you on?” because my innate behavior is just unusual. When I try to act more normal, I come across as cold or indifferent because I’m really just trying to tone down my very natural hyperness and I simply have trouble with the back and forth of conversation. I don’t always know when it’s my turn or what to say. This doesn’t mean that I deserve to be bullied or that I don’t care. 

What I cannot understand is, if you don’t like someone, why don’t you leave them alone? If you want to be the change, why would you single out another human being to commit violence against? There is no right or wrong answer when someone gets to the point of commiting physical violence. Who knows how many times these kids ask for help before they reach that point. Who knows... but nobody is innocent here. I went to high school. I know how fucked up it can be. If you want school shootings or shootings in general to stop, stop focusing on what’s wrong with the people around you. Stop focusing on competing for the best of everything. Stop worrying about party lines. Stop worrying about appearances. If you want to put an end to violence, start worrying about self discipline, stewardship, tolerance, acceptance, and love. Stay away from violence, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. Plant seeds and water them, focus on thriving as a community instead of “Winning” as an individual. Start pulling people up instead of putting them down. Instead of trying to fix others, work on fixing yourself. Stop worrying about what’s right and wrong; don’t be a slave to your cultural groupthink. We know as humans that nobody should be shot at or feel that they must shoot. We know. It’s a tragedy because we know. What we easily forget is that change comes from within.