Buying Blue Sky (Script)

This video was made on August 10,2007
Script:
Hello,
Today's video is entitled "Buying Blue Sky". For the purposes of this broadcast "blue sky" represents a romanticised veiw of hope. We all seek hope but often we choose the wrong means for obtaining it.

Years ago there were traveling merchants who sold what they refered to as "cure all tonics". These merchants were described as "snake oil salesmen" by others and were not very well respected.

These tonics often included alot of alchohol and while they gave you a temporary buzz, ultimately no health problems or any other problems were really solved. People were just buying bluesky.

Today our news media preys on peoples fears in a similar way.
The reasons that people respond more to fear has mainly to do with how we've been conditioned. The news media promotes this condition of fear and profits by how the public craves what has long been a major part of our viewing diet.

When it comes to children with disabilities or differences, much of the general public has never been given much of an opportunity to be educated in how to best raise and/or care for this diverse population.

These ways do exist. As a matter of fact, I read alot of good ideas about this on the internet everyday. Many of them are coming from parents who are choosing an alternative and eclectic method of raising thier children that is tailor made to fit the individual needs of thier kids.

While all kids, like all people, are different, the open and observant ways these parents learn about how each one learns, can be beneficial for everyone to hear. I'm glad they are sharing it, and hope more people will take advantage of thier willingness to share it.

Those who our society considers disabled have been misunderstood and often mistreated. The concept of these people having diverse abilities is a very new concept to many and is too often not being embraced.

Certainly people do have medical needs and many autistics need this kind of help. We also think in different ways and need an educational approach tailored to these differences.

However, the claim of an autism epidemic has brought out the worst in opportunists who would prey on peoples fears. There are far too many bad treatments for autistics and far too many dangerous veiws that would naturally occur in a society that is so often fearful and intolerant of diverse expressions and diverse populations. This needs to be understood.

Parents of autistics need to be supported and encouraged and there is much we can learn from how many of them are approaching parenting.

The idea of an autism epidemic is based on biased reasearch and promotes more of the same.

While there are conditions that modern medicine can cure and even daily living it can enhance, the ideals of diversity must be our top priority. Until there is a shift in how our diversity is viewed, there will be more unreasonable, romantic, blue sky views of conformity, more standardized tests to support them, and more fear mongering.

This will do nothing to support different approaches that encourage different types of people, and ultimately all expressions may be seen as needing to cured or fixed.
Thankyou