Why are we arguing about this?


Whenever there are 2 or more people in a room, there are politics. Humans tend to disagree and have independent opinions on many subjects. There has been a trend here in the USA to
suppress and “shout down” those who disagree with many ideas.

Autism as a topic is just as loaded with disagreements as any other topic.
I am constantly getting hostile email and comments from those who disagree with my flexible use of either “title ” for those who are autistic. I have autism, I am autistic. There is a lot of strong feeling in both camps.

It is obvious to me that the two perspectives will range from moderate to extreme, but I find the closed mindedness of those who camp at the far side of each of these opinions exasperating.

Shouting at me, “correcting and ‘explaining’ how wrong I am for using these expressions ” does not help, it merely causes friction and tension. Fighting about how we use words in expressing our ideas of self identity seems pointless since changing the word does not necessarily change my opinion or thought process.

Over 50 years ago there was a folk story that “went around” about self ( racial in this story) identity.

A child went to school in a new district and was introduced to classmates as Lisa , and since she was of a skin color much different from most of her classmates, was asked what term she wanted to be called, “afro american, person of color, Black????”

She said she preferred to be called Lisa.

Substitute any group or identity having this experience.

Don’t forget there is a person there under that label you want to choose for somebody else.

There is plenty of room for all of us to go our own way without getting angry about the names and identities I choose for myself, even if you strongly disagree.

Why are we fighting about this??? ( rhetorical question)