Ham-fisted as he was as usual, unlike pretty much every single thing else Michael Saveage has ever said I can't really say I wholeheartedly disagree with his premise at least. Yes, I know there a plenty of people out there with autistic children, and of course my heart goes out to them, as it would if their kid was deaf, or lost in a custody battle to K-Fed. But as these numbers of one in about 150 kids are autistic started coming out, I had my doubts. 1 in 150? Really? Seemed absurdly high and sudden. To me. But I do see a conflux of what this writer calls "The Kindergarchy" along with today's parent needing a professional to explain WHY Johnny hasn't made it to Princeton before the age of 5. I sense an almost perverse relief in parents that their child may have at least a "touch" of autism (read: special) rather than accept the fact that little Johnny is simply a normal, average, sometimes-idiot sometimes-not run of the mill kid. Which, last I checked, isn't a crime. Yes, I'm sure your child is the single greatest child ever to grace the planet. But I'm also sure he can benefit as greatly from "quit acting like an idiot" as "oh Johnny, you have childhood disintegrative disorder, so it's okay to act like a douchebag...here's certificates of achievement in advance of every single thing you do for the next 18 years until we send you off to a college that has no grades or majors."
Another note on the Savage uproar. I've noticed that unless you're more to the right than Sean Hannity, you're supposed to be outraged and demanding his firing. I would love to see the minutes from my neighborhood's Hipster Parents Meeting. Breathless indignation and fur flying over $50/lb cheese and crackers. But I got a feeling that the same enlightened geniuses who are outraged and rocketed into indignation by Savage's comments also made sure to let you know a few weeks ago how much they loved George Carlin, that he "got it." Reveling in stories of sneaking their parents cds of him into their bedrooms to listen to while writing graphic novels based on Bukowski. Which is funny, cause I wonder if they really listened. I'm sorry, maybe they're retarded?
Second, premise: not all chidren are smart and clever. Got that? Kids are like any other group of people: a few winners, a whole lot of losers! This country is filled with loser kids who simply...aren't...going anywhere! And there's nothing you can do about it, folks. Nothing! You can't save them all. You can't do it. You gotta let 'em go; you gotta cut 'em loose; you gotta stop over-protecting them, because your making 'em too soft.
Carlin is on the money here. It's like the sports leagues where everyone gets a fucking trophy. I taught at a crappy small college and even those kids were spoiled twerps clueless to the world.
Isn't it strange that when you fully expect people to be crude and vulgar, you just have to give them more slack? Everyone expects Carlin was 'only joking', as if he was 'always' joking. I understand behind the scenes that Carlin was very active in supporting Children's causes, both educationally and financially. Probably wrote a children's book. Autism really isn't funny, but I'm almost certain Carlin could've run with it. Maybe someone should try to find something funny in it. Laugh or you'll cry. I work with people with Alzheimer's Disease and a few autistic and mentally retarded adults and understand a fragment of the frustration parents must feel on a daily basis. Sometimes love and fatigue just collide. I am getting paid to take care of these people, but parents of autistic children are stretched beyond what most people could stand to deal with for one day.
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Carlin is on the money here. It's like the sports leagues where everyone gets a fucking trophy. I taught at a crappy small college and even those kids were spoiled twerps clueless to the world.
Few winners and a whole lot of losers!
of course, you are right too that the same people laughing at this are the ones who do exactly what Carlin talks about.
Isn't it strange that when you fully expect people to be crude and vulgar, you just have to give them more slack? Everyone expects Carlin was 'only joking', as if he was 'always' joking. I understand behind the scenes that Carlin was very active in supporting Children's causes, both educationally and financially. Probably wrote a children's book. Autism really isn't funny, but I'm almost certain Carlin could've run with it. Maybe someone should try to find something funny in it. Laugh or you'll cry. I work with people with Alzheimer's Disease and a few autistic and mentally retarded adults and understand a fragment of the frustration parents must feel on a daily basis. Sometimes love and fatigue just collide. I am getting paid to take care of these people, but parents of autistic children are stretched beyond what most people could stand to deal with for one day.
So I say to my autistic guy, Andy, who happens to be a heavy smoker,
"Gee Andy, I see you've been smoking up a storm there."
" Yes, I'm smoking up a storm."
"So what are you smoking?"
"A storm."
" Andy, you are so funny."
" I'm funny."
" You are."
" Scratch my back."
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