Note For Anyone Writing About Me

Guide to Writing About Me

I am an Autistic person,not a person with autism. I am also not Aspergers. The diagnosis isn't even in the DSM anymore, and yes, I agree with the consolidation of all autistic spectrum stuff under one umbrella. I have other issues with the DSM.

I don't like Autism Speaks. I'm Disabled, not differently abled, and I am an Autistic activist. Self-advocate is true, but incomplete.

Citing My Posts

MLA: Zisk, Alyssa Hillary. "Post Title." Yes, That Too. Day Month Year of post. Web. Day Month Year of retrieval.

APA: Zisk, A. H. (Year Month Day of post.) Post Title. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://yesthattoo.blogspot.com/post-specific-URL.

Friday, November 30, 2012

I am

Trigger Warning: Eugenics (mostly veiled-ish)

I am a burden.
I am a "situation."
I am a public health crisis, an epidemic, a tragedy.
I am a tsunami.

I am, I am, I am.
I cost and they pay and we need to know why.
Look at coal! It's vaccines! Pollution! Old fathers!
Cold mothers! Fevers and flu (in mom)!
Genes! Lots of genes!

But why does why help?
What does it do?
Why doesn't say what I need.
Why doesn't say who I am.
Why doesn't say how to help.
Why doesn't say good or bad or neutral.
Why, why, why doesn't do much.

Unless the aim is for me not to exist?
Am I just too broken to understand?
Too broken to realize that the best thing for me is nonexistence?
Too unaware to realize I should never have been?
Too selfish to accept that my kind's nonexistence is the goal?

No.
I am none of those things.
I am no burden.
I am no "situation."
I am no public health crisis, no epidemic, no tragedy.
I am no tsunami.

I am a person.
My brain is different.
My nervous system is different.
The way I see the world is different.
Different, even disabled, but not broken.
Never broken.

I am no mistake.
I am no new difference.
I do not come from coal.
I do not come from vaccines.
No conspiracy made me- I was always here.
It's just that you can see me now.
I'll not retreat to the shadows again.
This time, this time you will listen.
This time I will be heard.
I am here.

1 comment:

  1. As I often do, I've made a list-post of responses, including this one. I will keep adding to it as the days go by

    http://lizditz.typepad.com/i_speak_of_dreams/2012/11/historic-congressional-autism-hearings-november-29-2012-1.html

    ReplyDelete

I reserve the right to delete comments for personal attacks, derailing, dangerous comparisons, bigotry, and generally not wanting my blog to be a platform for certain things.