How is That Democracy?

My intention here is to raise a question and get a response and my ultimate goal is find a way to participate in blogging that will be more productive.

I believe that debates are important and I learn from them. Im also aware that what I say is influenced by my own experience and therefore just an opinion. I dont believe that all of life is realitive but even more importantly I dont believe that everyone needs to become a good debater.

Once a person enters a realm where their veiws are no more important than anyone elses a degree of uncertainty sets in that can create a certain stuckness.

Now heres the important part: I understand that people with autism are more naturally drawn to one paticular area of interest and can have a more naturally occuring intense focus about a particular subject or project. However, the way autism is generally described, takes this idea a step further which I dont think is either accurate or productive.

Where I see that this notion goes too far in describing autistics is by using a negative stereo-type of autistics by claiming that such inherrent characteristics such as these, makes autistics narrow-minded.

This is an inaccurate portrayal of autistics such as the one that says people with autistics lack empathy. These generalizations dont just go too far. Its much worse than that. Ive often seen how autistic traits create the opposite of being narrow-minded and lacking empathy. These convienient notions and stereotypes really need to be challanged if autistics are to be accepted and respected in society.

Here is where I see the challenge. Someone once told me that there are two groups of people in the world:
1)The group that thinks that there are only two groups of people in the world and
2) The group that thinks there were more than two goups of people in the world.
Now I kwow he just told me that to give me a decades worth of insomnia (like I needed that!) and realitivity has its uses. However, all cyles will ultimately lead to absolutes or the lack of them depending on which extreme is more prevelant at that time....which leads to my point.

If democracy is ultimately about social darwinism as it is defined by "only the strong suvive", another aspect of social interaction that has been just as important to our survival may be overlooked or dismissed by those clinging to a more narrow veiw of human evolution. I believe that those who may be better equiped to respond to the environment as it has been established by the majority, must yeild more to minorities in order for diverse expressions to be accepted. This can promote the inherrent strengths of these minorities that will then shape how the future environment is designed. This will lead to more diverse strengths being expressed and accomidated which could (I suppose) even lead to a shift in who is in the majority.

With great power comes great responsibility but, I dont think we need to be concerned with the autistic population being in the majority any time soon. As long as autism is seen by the majority as a disease that needs to be cured or a set of behaviors that must be "fixed", the voice of the minority who sees it differently, needs to be amplified.

People need to understand that being autistic (if attaching the label is productive) can (and very often does) lead to a person being more empathetic and less narrow-minded.So, by changing negative stereotypes, we create more opportunities for everyone...which brings me to my next point:

A bumper sticker that comes to mind that will help me explain this point is: "Share the Road with Bicycles". One of the ways this relates to what Im saying is that there are several reasons that a person might choose a bicycle as a mode of tranportation.
1)Certainly one that is no less valid than the others is for economic reasons. A person may not be able to afford a car or they may choose to spend their money in other ways.
2) Another (which is my reason) is that some people were not born with the kind of....sorry, I cant think of a better put it. I CANT DRIVE. (Sometimes even a bicycle is too much for me to handle)
3) I have met people who choose not to drive for environmental reasons. Cars cause air pollution and make us more oil dependant. This is also a very valid reason.
4)Bicycling is also good exercise.
These are all good reasons for sharing the road with bicycles. I really feel that the inconveinience to drivers is something that that should be better tolerated than it is. I know I read this example somewhere lately but I dont remember where or what they were using it as an example for. If I did Id write where I got it. Sorry, that happens to me alot.

Heres my point. In this post Im inviting veiws of what Im saying here. However, my continuing to comment on other blogs and asking for them to comment on mine may be directed by different motives than some others may have.

I know Im going to have to work at this which is why Im asking for ideas. I know that some people are good at debating. Some people enjoy it. Some just work hard at it because its important.(I admire their fotitude). Im not suggesting that I put forth any less effort. I wouldnt write about it if I thought that.

I also think that debating is a really good way for issues such as the ones Im getting involved with here, to be better understood by everyone. Debating can help people define their position and it can bring better solutions for how all of society can do things.

Im also aware that my veiws come from my perspective and are subject to as much critisism as anyone elses. However, I also believe that a person can have diiferent goals and objectives for making a point in what would otherwise be an environment where everything is purely seen as subjective to everyone elses veiwpoint.

I have heard it said that blogging is all about debates and that if a person wasnt interested in that or how the majority of people do it, they should stay away from it all together. I hope that everyone doesnt feel this way.

I also think that people who are new to debating need some room to grow and get better.I have been given that room by many and I appreciate it. Then there is of course the idea that people develop skills at different rates which should also be taken into account. Again, I think that the sharing the road with people with different modes of transportaion (like the example of bicycles)who choose those modes for different reasons is a good example that can be applied to blogging as a type of road. Im really trying to learn here.

I think one thing that I really need to do is better define my goals and find a better way of sticking to them. I want alot of the same things as most people do. I dont feel as limited by my abilities as I do to how those abilities relate to the environment where Im trying to attain my goals. I dont feel that this is a defeatist attitude at all. Actually, I think that it is optimistic to take a critical look at how I might better adjust to my environment that will help me and maybe some others that may be struuggling with similar things.

This type of writing is very difficult for me. It really upsets my constitution.I wont be doing it often but I need to get unstuck.

My most personal goal is vocational. I need some educaction to help with that. I have been offered the opportunity to have my writing published. I want to become a better writer to accomplish that but I need some priliminary education for taking writing courses. Its not the lack of opportunity for accomplishing this goal as much as it is how fast I accomplish it which is based on telling my support systems exactly what supports I need(Its actually alot more than that but its at least that). I think that I could network with educators pretty well on this. Ive already started doing alot of this lately. I want and need to do more.... even with those who are mainly interested in educating kids. I think that I have something to offer them as much as the ideas that they can offer me. Im open to any ideas on this.

I also cant ignore all that Ive been through in trying to achieve these educational and vocational goals(many years, many programs, many systems etc.). I have and will contiue to work hard at this. I have alot of knowlege about this subject. JUST ASK ME!!!! I know alot about how these programs work, how they think, and how this needs to change to accomidate more people. JUST ASK ME!!!! or did I say that already....

Ive met with alot of the difficulties that parents meet with in trying to help their kids with these goals. I am very invested in changing the support systems that are available to people like me in order to help pave the road for others.

I will navigate within my environment as best as possible to help everyone.I want to learn the best way to do that. I think that blogging can be the vehicle to accomplishing a wide range of goals. Id like to further explore the possibilities.