Racing toward being better than you were at something for personal reasons will most likely still be seen as part of the broader exclusionary race to win at others expense. By believing that this is the dominate force that drives all people, no matter what someone feels, they are categorized as a competitor like everyone else who is competing for the same things as everyone else.
Often the problem is a lack of trust. Too often people believe that if someone is doing well at something they may very well be trying to attain dominance over them, and they can't allow that because in their life dominance is traditionally abused.
For someone to not be seen as likely to achieve as much as the mainstream they must signify that by the acceptance of being put in a category separate from achievers, so they don't get in the way. To claim that by putting people in such a category doesn't create many disadvantages along with labeling them as less worthy of respect and dignity is a method of denial that leads to pity and other types of disempowerment. The idea is that if people aren't in the "real" race, they exist to empower the racers that matter as toys or tools.
In much of modern society, for those who govern to maintain their position, they need to control the masses.They tend to want credit for supporting societal burdens, and they disguise discouragement and oppression by holding up their programs of pity, and what they call inclusion (which are actually exclusionary) as examples of their goodwill.
Autistics are given categorical labels such as high and low functioning to copy the exclusionary ways of society.
The right to have our accomplishments not be ignored and be allowed to compete for jobs, training, and a more respectful treatment doesn't need to come at the expense of others. If the exclusionary ways of society aren't exposed by people who are fighting for civil rights then who will expose them?
Competition is part of consumerism and as consumerism rules us so does the competitive drive that supports consumerism. In such an environment, not only does everyone want to find manipulative ways to sell their product (which makes the influence of information a product that everyone competes for marketing rights and/or bragging rights of) but also the buyer/standard consumer must have the standard products that symbolize their status which is often at the expense of those who can't afford those products being seen as less worthy of respect and dignity.How this competition plays out among autistics is this: Because achievement being used to label one as a societal tool or a competitor is seen as fundamentally necessary in a commercially competitive society, the label that describes ability defines how autistics who have traditionally been denied their rights can be kept in that position.
For this exclusion and oppression to continue everyone needs to participate in it. Parents need to show what a burden their children are to their family so that all of society can then convincingly describe them as a societal burden as well. Autistics need to compliment this view by showing both how their struggles are worse than other autistics and how their achievements are greater than other autistics. The conflict this creates of course ensures that aid is impossible to provide for any autistics.
Intellectual ability tests and psychological tests must remain arbitrary in ways that can at any time change to be used to exclude the the misfits and the unwanted within society.
For this oppressive competition to continue people who don't follow these mainstream conventions must be seen as independent of the "real" struggle. They need to be seen as overly radical and unwilling and/or unable to relate to others. If they refuse to allow themselves to be ignored or else provide a higher standard for autistics to strive.... for or a lower one to stoop to, they must be....dealt with....or else....
There are lots of things in this world to strive for. We need to be sure that what we strive for doesn't sacrifice others rights in order to ensure our own. That's the type of competition where nobody wins.
Recent Comments