Everyone’s doing posts about what they’re thankful for, on Thanksgiving.
I’m thankful for things that nobody should consciously have to be thankful for. I’m thankful that I have a family who has never once thought of killing me or justifying the deaths of people like me. I’m thankful for the fact that the people who did try, didn’t succeed. I’m thankful that I have a few friends who, unlike it seems the majority of the world, don’t think there’s anything about autistic people that remotely justifies other people killing us, and don’t spend their time sitting around sympathizing with the people who do. And I’m thankful for the existence of organizations like Not Dead Yet, that at least attempt to get what shouldn’t be a minority voice, that of disabled people who understand how far our lives are being devalued by this justification-talk, out there.
And if you’re still despite all the evidence of how much damage it does, going to justify this stuff? I’d be really thankful if you’d do it on somebody else’s server, and somebody else’s webspace, if you’re going to do it at all. As in, not here. There are more places where you can get away with that kind of bullcrap than places you can’t — if you’re that keen on it, go find one.
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8 users responded in this post
Hear, hear.
I am thankful that thanksgiving is something that happens in the USA and not over here :)
[...] Thankful for stuff people shouldn’t have to be by Ballastexistenz [...]
I’d like to thank you for your blog. I’m not sure how to explain this without sounding corny, but I have learned a great deal from both your writing and your videos. My views have been challenged, enlightened, and transformed.
Thankful for my daughter right now. The granted wish to be a parent. I know it’s not for everyone but I am not going to go out of my way to comply with stereotypes either. This despite society’s idea of an ideal parent being someone other than who I am. Thankful for what friends I have. Lately, I feel rather baraged by various disagreements of sorts… many of which challenge how “good” I am as a person. Personally, I don’t find that much fault with myself and I know I’m biased there. I know what I want to “fix” or what to “accept”.
I read the anti-euthanasia website in the link you provided. I totally agree with their view.
I’m thankful for you being here.
I’m thankful that you provide such an intelligent and articulate blog. Not just because I like reading it (although that’s definitely a factor), but because it weakens people’s ability to argue, “Oh, no, I’m not talking about people like YOU, I’m talking about people like THAT!
Although there are an insistent few who claim that people who can’t communicate in a way they understand are completely separate in every way from someone with the same disability who can, a lot of people can learn from this that the divide between “high-functioning” and “low-functioning” (and most disabilities have similar divides), and that someone who’s not (or rarely) capable of communicative speech may have something valuable to say.
Hi,
even though you don’t know me and I am new to your blog, I know quite a lot about you from cnn news. You really are a unique person and I truly hope you will do well… I will visit your blog often, if you agree to tolerate my presence)
sincerely yours,
lilalbrother.
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