Tell me we are an enlightened country. Tell me that prejudice died out with the great movements of the 50s and 60s and before that.... Tell me Martin Luther King, Jr, Rosa Parks, and the many others (I can't think of their names at the moment) made a difference in this country. Tell me that with agencies like the ACLU and a more awareness of the wrongs and damage of prejudice and hate and disabilities that we as a society have matured and grown and have changed our stripes or spots.... Tell me it's not just all lip service. Tell me that we really truly have changed and want to change and are effective in chaning.
Tell me... But don't tell me what you think I want to hear... Tell me the truth. Are we enlightened? Are we changing for the better? Or are we just kidding ourselves and our neighbors? Are we capable to move to such lofty ideals? or is it just lip service because the ideals are too high? too lofty? Don't it mean anything in this day and age. Don't we remember and care about what others have gone through to get these lofty goals and ideas in place or has their fight been so long ago that we as a society as a whole have forgotten it as we have forgotten about the other parts of our history. About the suffering of others who helped to bring about enlightment?
Tell me that it's ok and that I am misreading or misunderstanding the incident that happened to Alex Barton. Tell me that we are so much improved that discrimination, hate, injustice, and that what Martin Luther King Jr spoke out against no longer happens here. Especially to a 5 year old little boy?
Yes, I know that Martin Luther King Jr had more to do with the african-american movement and not so much with the disabled movement but bear with me. See being who I am and having been discriminated against, harrassed, hated not for the color of my skin but because I have a disability... I look normal upon 1st glance so I have been accused of being deliberately deceptive. I have the rage flare up unexpectedly when my dirty secret came out. So, Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks is where I got inspiration, hope, and courage from. For I saw it as being more than just an african-american thing but as a disability thing too. So yes, I'm guilty of my view being screwed.
I'll tell you what I have seen in my short time as if my earlier reference doesn't clue you in. I have seen that we do a lot of lip service and kid ourselves about how enlightened we are. Sure we allow disabled people out in public now. We have even stepped up to allow those who have autism out to mingle amoungst us. We no longer shuttle them off to institutions. We no longer use hushed voices like at a death bid vigil when their names come up in conversation. We no longer stick our fingers in our ears when autism (or other conditions) are discussed or at least that's what we pretend to do. We no longer cut the afflicted out of our family trees, forbid their names from being spoken, and hang out heads in shame. We no longer keep them burried as skeletons in our closet or do we?
I have seen the progress that has been boasted on. I have seen rules and regulations implemented. I have heard terms as main streaming, IDEA, FAPE bandied about by public schools, agencies, parent advocacy groups, etc. These are to help prevent discrimination and stop others from being hurt, left out, left behind, etc. I can tell you that they are encouraging to hear, see in print and read. But I can also tell you that in a lot of situations these are really empty words, broken promises, and ideals that are not going to happen.
There are lots of excuses mony is the 1 that I've run across. But really is it money? Or is it that money is the convenient cop out for covering our spots that haven't changed? I say this because if we have really really changed and are really truly enlighted would Alex Barton be in the news now? I don't think so.
Alex Barton isn't alone. He's not the only one who's had this happen to him. Why do I say such a bold statement? Because its true. Alex is just one of many. Do I know of more? Do I know of similar or the same situations. Yes, I do.
See my kids have also faced issues. My kids especially my daughter. She has deep long lasting emotional and mental scars. So deep that they still effect her and time hasn't erased or eased her pain. And that's with counseling throughout the situation and continuing on going. It's just that her wounds are that deep. It's been 3 years and a few months since the last incident... but to her it's just like yesterday. Her future has been altered because of incidents similar to what happened to Alex Barton. My son not only has faced similar issues because of his own disabilities but he also caught it for having a sister who's autistic. Oh yes, he got it for simply being a sibling to one who is autistic.
So now you have 3 children. 3 children who have been emotionally abused by those at public school. That is mind boggling to me. No this isn't a subject that is talked about. It's hushed up. We are lucky to know about Alex because he has the rare opportunity of having had media attention brought to his case. You don't hear about my kids because we weren't lucky enough to get media attention not for lack of trying either . How many kids have gone to school and been ridiculed by the adults that are their teachers? I'll give you another name. MINE. So now you have 4.
Are we alone? Are we the only ones who have been singled out? Are we the only ones who are unlucky enough to be initiated into this sick club that we've been granted access to? I think NOT! I think it's there hidden beneath the surface over looked by a lot of fast talk, hushed into silence, pregnant pauses, averted eyes, and glossy reports. How many other children have had this happen to them? How many adults carry the scars from their childhood?
But what about those who are hushed up? or are frightened into silenece? Those unfortunate ones who think it's only happening to them. Think they don't exist? Let me enlighten you. I thought it was just us. In the last 3 years I have talked to over a dozen people who have told me that they too thought it was just them. That they were the only ones. Their stories are either worse than ours or only slightly better than ours. But they all have the same out come. Deep Long lasting mental/emotional scars.
Trust me they are out there. If you don't believe me then why is Alex in the news now? Because if this was a single isolated incident then he wouldn't be in the news and trust me in my belief that Alex and my children aren't alone. His incident happened in Florida. Ours in MT. That leaves 48 other states that are silent. Are they silent in shame or silent because they are truly enlightened? I don't know.
the point of all this is I'm outraged that my children and I aren't alone. Funny? Maybe but I had hoped and prayed that we as a society had moved to the enlightened stage of mind that we boast of. That we had risen to the challenge that Martin Luther King Jr talked about. Now there is once more proof that we aren't.
I hope and pray that Alex won't be as deeply injured as my daughter has been and that he will heal faster than she has. I pray that the attention brought on will cause us all to step back and reconsider what we are doing and teaching.
My goal in this to cause one to pause and think and get back on track. to enspire all of us to get enlightened and to bring it out all the time not just when it's politically correct to do so..
So tell me are we enlightened as we claim to be? I think not. I don't think that we are changing for the better. Alex Barton's story is the reason why.
Tuesday, May 27 Action Alert from The Autistic Self Advocacy Network...
Hello,
As some of you may already be aware from news articles and blog posts on the topic, last week a Morningside Elementary Kindergarten teacher had students "vote out" of the class a 5-year old autistic student named Alex Barton. According to the news article, the teacher had each of Alex's classmates, including his sole friend in the class, state publicly what they disliked about him and then announced that they would take a vote to remove him from the class. Alex has not been back to school since and has suffered significant emotional trauma as a result of this incident. Regardless of who you are or what your connection to the autistic and autism communities might be, I think we can all agree that this is unacceptable.
We need to band together to prevent future such abuses from occurring, to ensure that this teacher is properly disciplined and to encourage this school to adopt both a strong bullying prevention policy and training on respect for all forms of diversity aimed at both teachers and students. As such, we've provided contact information below for you to write to communicate your outrage. Please be polite yet firm in your comments, pointing out the unacceptability of such actions when aimed at any student, as well as the need for this school to adopt policies to prevent this from happening in the future. This is an opportunity to drive home the message that we will not stand by while one of our own is abused. We ask that you please cc: info@autisticadvocacy.org in your e-mails to the school district so we can keep track of the strength and sources of this response. Remember: abusive messages hurt our cause - please be respectful in your comments.
Contact info:
Morningside Elementary School Principal: Mrs. Marcia Cully cullym@stlucie.k12.fl.us (772) 337-6730
St. Lucie County Schools Superintendent: Michael J. Lannon 4204 Okeechobee Road Ft. Pierce, FL 34947-5414 Phone: 772/429-3925 FAX: 772/429-3916 e-mail: lannonm@stlucie.k12.fl.us
[Thanks to Paula C. Durbin-Westby for compiling this contact information and for members of the autistic and autism communities who have supported this effort.]
Regards,
Ari Ne'eman, President, The Autistic Self Advocacy Network 1101 15th Street, NW Suite 1212 Washington, DC 20005 http://www.autisticadvocacy.org 732.763.5530 _____________________
Distributed to APRIL members at the request of Tink Miller tmiller@pirs.org, by:
Diana Spas, Information Coordinator RTC: Rural: The Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities The University of Montana Rural Institute 52 Corbin Hall, Missoula, MT 59812-7056 (888) 268-2743 (RTC office) (406) 243-5760 (my office) (406) 243-2349 fax dspas@ruralinstitute.umt.edu http://rtc.ruralinstitute.umt.edu (RTC: Rural) http://mtdh.ruralinstitute.umt.edu (Montana Disability and Health Program)
I am a mama to two adorable children who are considered special needs because of genetic predispositions; however I only consider them a blessing. I was a part of the Sandwich Generation long before the term was coined, I participate in the care of various family members & respected adults who need assistance.
I have quirky sense of humor and tend to be blunt and a bit rough around the edges.
I'm an artist who works with lots of different media (fiber, paint, clay, pen, frosting...) I'm a reader who is willing to read just about anything at least once.
I am a teacher; most often it's to my children in the form of homeschooling, but I've been known to teach others as well from time to time. I am a volunteer.
I am a student who feels that it shouldn't matter which path one takes to learning as long as one seeks out a path and continues along it. I firmly believe that one is never too old to learn and that with age comes an ability to perceive and comprehend more profoundly.
I am currently studying Quantum Touch, Reiki, doula training and childbirth education, advocacy, crocheting, and also plan to learn knitting soon. In addition, I am, of course, always a student of Life.
enraged 
. How many kids have gone to school and been ridiculed by the adults that are their teachers? I'll give you another name. MINE. So now you have 4. 
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