Who Are You? Shameful!

My it’s been forever it seems since my last blog…a little behind but bear with me. This blog isn’t just about Autism…it’s about people treating others with DISABILTIES terribly! Not just those with Autism, but with any disability. I have a few videos that I want to share with you as to prime examples of people who really need to learn about disabilities, compassion and understanding and most importantly acceptance.

As a mother of two children with Autism, each day I worry that they will be treating badly by someone who doesn’t know about Autism, understand it and does not possess the capacity to accept it. While I personally feel that these are all characteristics that all human beings should possess. With that said, there are a great number of people that are lacking in these areas.

As I am sure many of you have read or at least heard about the horrid letter that was left in a mailbox of a woman whose grandson Maxwell lived there and also had Autism. The letter which I will attach to my blog as well as a video story on the issue, was so vile, horrific, and cruel. I cannot imagine ANY mother telling another mother that she should euthanize her own child. My statement to the “author” of the letter is “Have you lost your ever loving mind? You know you were wrong when you wrote the letter or you would have left your name! How dare you think for one second that you have the RIGHT to say something like this to anyone especially about a child. Shame on you for the vile things you put on that paper. Your children, will treat people with disabilities the same way you do, because you teach them to. I just want to say one thing to you. The statistics show right now 1 out of every 31 boys will be diagnosed with Autism. One day you will know someone or love someone who is going to be diagnosed with Autism. It’s a reality, so don’t say it won’t happen. It will! And then what, will you ask that others not treat that INNOCENT child the same way you have treated MAXWELL and his family? Will you demand they be treated fairly. Be treated as any other child? How hurt will you feel when that child is in tears because they were treated badly because someone else’s parents taught them to treat him the same way you are treating your children now? Will you demand that they not be treated that way?

I don’t expect to be treated any DIFFERENT than you expect to be treated. I don’t expect my children to be treated any DIFFERENT than you expect your children to be treated. That isn’t asking for special treatment. That is equality. If you need to look up the meaning take a moment and do so. Do the right thing here, if you don’t want to admit who you are and that you wrote that letter, learn, and I mean REALLY learn about Autism and begin teaching your children to be accepting of it, teach them how to understand the differences and above all teach them to befriend a child with Autism and be good to them. That is my wish for you. Not to be humiliated or hated by everyone, just to learn about Autism and accept the differences and teach your children to treat others better than you yourself have done. 

Now a video that I viewed this morning just burned my buns! I appreciate all service given by all military members, police officers, EMS and firefighters. These wonderful people risk their lives each and everyday to keep us safe. And sadly many times while they may come home alive, there are injuries, that we may or may not be able to see. For the man in the video, the war he fought overseas caused him to have PTSD. For anyone that does not believe it’s real, do me a favor, go get on a plane, go to any country where the is war, and stay there for one hour. If you don’t come back all freaked out let me know! Or as with my above advice, research and learn about PTSD. Okay off that rant, the American Hero in this video, went to breakfast at a local diner, and yes took his SERVICE dog with him. And was sadly thrown out. The owner called the dog a fake service dog. I am sorry, can you tell me how you know the dog is a fake service dog? Last I checked there were a variety of dog breeds used as service dog, and while you may think of one breed as the usual service dog, it’s not so. Variety of dogs, variety of needs for service dogs. Get it? If not I again encourage you to do a little research on the matter. And for the refusal to say sorry to him and his fake service dog…..I am sorry that you will lose business over the ignorance that you apparently feel the need to force on others and I am sorry you refuse to educate yourself on the issue. When you are sitting there the day it hits you that you were wrong and now you have lost more than just a customer, think back to the day you stood in front of the camera and said those words. Yeah that will be your oh crap moment and you will wish for a time machine.

Why bring up these videos, these issues? People, businesses, everyone needs to understand that while there is physical disabilities, some are invisible. You may not see anything wrong with my kids, you may only see the kids running around the playground, hugging their mother or playing with their friends, and then wonder why are they parked in the handicap spot? How can that woman park in that spot! Well let me tell you, when is the last time you attempted to try an carry someone who weights almost a hundred pounds and is tall as you across the parking lot because something caused them to go into sensory overload and they are having a meltdown. How about the child that does not understand danger, doesn’t speak because he is non-verbal and darts out in the parking lot traffic? I do I do! Not every disability can be seen. Next time you think why are they taking that spot, why are they bringing that dog in here, why doesn’t she/he/they do something to get that kid to stop throwing a fit, if that were my kid they wouldn’t behave like that…..THINK….you don’t know what the situation is, so how do you have the right to judge them…..

And the last story of the day…To the person/woman that was intoxicated at Coconut Point Mall this week, and threw a young boy to the ground in the parking lot and then felt it was okay to DRAG him across the parking lot by his HAIR…..there is not reason that this should EVER happen. I hope and pray that you are punished to fullest extent of the law and that never will you ever be allowed to have that child back with you again. Being drunk while having that child, NOPE! And to treat the child in that manner. Sweetie, shame shame on you! The child was taken to the hospital for treatment and is in the custody of Department of Children and Families. 

Okay so I promise to blog more now that the kids are back in school…….until next time!