Whose Planet Is It Anyway?

Thursday, April 02, 2009

World Autism Awareness Day: "Promoting positive perceptions about autism"

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gets it. He understands, as shown by his World Autism Awareness Day statement, that the autism issues we really need to be aware of are issues of social perceptions and human rights. The statement is so refreshingly positive that I've reprinted it in its entirety below:


To Enable Children and Persons with Autism to Lead Full and Meaningful Lives is Not a Far-Off Dream

By designating 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day, the United Nations General Assembly has helped to galvanize international efforts to promote greater understanding about autism. This year's observance is being marked with lectures, briefings, screenings, musical performances, video conferences, art installations and other activities carried out by the UN family and a full constellation of partners.

I welcome this growing international chorus of voices calling for action to enable children and persons with autism to lead full and meaningful lives. This is not a far-off dream; it is a reality that can be attained by promoting positive perceptions about autism as well as a greater social understanding of this growing challenge.

I have seen what caring people who work tirelessly for this goal can achieve. Last year, the United Nations hosted a rock concert by Rudely Interrupted, whose members have various disabilities, including on the autism spectrum. They brought the audience to its feet with warm, communicative songs and showed, through the sheer joy of their performance, how much people with disabilities can offer the world.

The words of lead singer Rory Burnside were especially inspiring. "My advice", he said, "to kids who have some form of disability is: don't let it stop you. Use it as your strength; don't use it as your weakness. One red light can lead to a whole bunch of green lights, with a few orange lights thrown in. And the red lights are just a bit of a test. There are definitely more green and orange".

On World Autism Awareness Day, let us capture and share this spirit, and let us intensify global efforts to ensure that children and persons with autism everywhere can benefit from the supportive environment they need to reach their full potential and contribute to society.


Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General, for raising a voice of sanity and decency that is much needed in today's world.

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posted by abfh at 6:16 PM

23 Comments:

  • "children AND persons with autism" ? WHOA! Someone of stature has finally figured out that we grow up? Astounding!

    Yes, thank you, Mr. Secretary-General. Now make it stick.

    By Blogger Clay, at 6:46 PM  

  • IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!!!!!

    By Blogger Joanna Jenkins, at 7:29 PM  

  • *Cheers*
    I didn't expect to hear any good news today. :)

    By Blogger Gonzo, at 7:43 PM  

  • This comment has been removed by the author.

    By Blogger John Best, at 9:04 PM  

  • Feel good garbage that won't help one severely damaged kid.

    By Blogger John Best, at 9:05 PM  

  • I am glad to see this kind of thing, thank you for calling attention to it. Although I'm kinda weirded out by separate mention of "children" and "persons" (as opposed to, say, "adults" or similar word)... but that's just me.

    By Blogger Fleecy, at 9:30 PM  

  • (speaking cynically sorry) Didn't this day get started at the U.N. by Autism Speaks?

    "This year's observance is being marked with lectures, briefings, screenings, musical performances, video conferences, art installations and other activities carried out by the UN family and a full constellation of partners."

    I hope that there can be two objectives for the same events with this Secretary General's goals being core but the mainstream who I've seen in charge world wide represented by the internet so far are not making this about the goals of civil rights and rising above our challenges.

    The wrong view which seems to prevail of autism creates a lot of these challenges for us to overcome. Coexisting views which don't cancel the other out are difficult to comprehend.

    By Blogger Ed, at 11:32 PM  

  • Feel good garbage that won't help one severely damaged kid.

    This coming from a person who expouses the hate that the UN Secretary General made this statement against. Feel good stuff like this helps everyone because it encourages the support structures that are needed to fully understand the Autistic Spectrum.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:22 AM  

  • Amen.

    By Anonymous sanabituranima, at 6:43 AM  

  • Hello ABFH

    Thank you for your comment at my blog. http://cubedemon.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-response-to-secretary-general-ban-ki.html

    Will you do me a favor please? Clay will you come too? David Andrews will you come to? Jonathan Mitchell and John Best Jr. are attempting to say I am bluffing by not revealing my name. In a way, they're attempting to bluff me. They say I will not put my name out.

    I say my family would be in danger by Best by what he has revealed about himself and how he conducts himself. I am trying to protect my family members from him but I want to reveal my name.

    If I am going to be true to my words about everything I have said and what I believe then I need to be able to take my cubedemon mask off and to reveal who I truly am.

    I need to be able to reveal and expose myself before my peers to stay consistent with what I believe. Just like Pink Floyd in this song called The Trial(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCMHmDnfD6I) I have been sentenced by Mitchell and Best to expose myself before my peers.

    For most of my 30 years that I have been on this planet I have built a metaphorical wall around myself to keep myself isolated from others just like the guy in pink floyd did.

    I have put up conditions for me to reveal my name(http://cubedemon.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-symbolic-act-through-my-challenge.html#comments)

    One of the 5 conditions is that you and others can specify other conditions and that Best and Mitchell must meet them so:

    Will you and others come to my blog and specify any conditions if you think of any, please?

    By Blogger A better future for all, at 3:15 PM  

  • Cube,

    I have responded on your blog.

    Main point: do not reveal your name or other personal details... as for Mitchell, and his go at you there on your blog... his claiming that you could make him happy by killing yourself says that he's an obnoxious slimy piece of slug-cum with no obvious purpose on this planet and fuck all intent to become someone with a purpose. Maybe if he offered to kill himself.... ah, but... you seem the difference between me and Mitchell is this: he will rejoice in a suicide death that he has some part in procuring,whereas I wouldn't even go as far as telling him to do what he told you; the difference is this - CLASS!

    I have it. He doesn't.

    And he never will.

    By Blogger David N. Andrews M. Ed., C. P. S. E., at 12:44 AM  

  • Hey David and ABFH Timelord and Clay

    I wish to thank the both of you for your logical and thoughtful responses on my blog.

    There is an excellent value set out there. Both Best and Mitchell tried to use a sophistcated form of deception,sophistries, and manipuation.

    They tried to use an excellent value called honor in a truly sick, dispicible, manipulative, slick, and dishonest way.

    I did the exact same thing back to them but it was used in a brutally honest and dynamic way and you all can see it in more detail on my blog.

    I just demonstrated that our excellent value sets can be manipulated by evil and twisted people and guess what these people are our politicans too.

    By Blogger A better future for all, at 11:13 AM  

  • ABFH, if you notice closely Alison Tepper Singer and Lauren Thiery do this too.

    By Blogger A better future for all, at 11:14 AM  

  • Sanity Pending,
    Yup, you certainly demonstrate class with your four letter words and your abuse of senior citizens.

    By Blogger John Best, at 8:42 PM  

  • Indeed, ForeSkin;

    And I still have more class than Mitchell will ever have.

    Swearing is no indicator of lack of class, but just about everything that Mitchell does when people disagree with him is.

    And so is hosting a solicitation to commit murder.

    By Blogger David N. Andrews M. Ed., C. P. S. E., at 10:46 PM  

  • What senior citizens, 'Skin???

    By Blogger David N. Andrews M. Ed., C. P. S. E., at 10:47 PM  

  • Cube,

    You're welcome.

    By Blogger David N. Andrews M. Ed., C. P. S. E., at 11:36 PM  

  • Yup, you certainly demonstrate class with your four letter words and your abuse of senior citizens.

    That's higher class than virtually all the classless acts you've committed, Best!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:25 AM  

  • ABFH or anyone

    I have a weird question to ask? It's going to sound crazy but sometimes I can feel sensations that non-living objects feel. Sometimes I think my desk or my computer itches and I itch and I must scratch the object?

    What is going on here? This has happened all of my life ever since kindergarden in which Mrs. Cook and Mrs casey were my teachers. I felt it on a plastic, red, triangular block I think.

    In addition, I have a hard time clipping my nails sometimes because I think they're in excruiating pain.

    By Blogger A better future for all, at 11:33 PM  

  • Cube,

    It's called anthropomorphisation (or something like), and it is something that most people seem to go through until they can distinctions between living animal beings and non-living objects. Sometimes the tendency to think along such lines carries on, but people usually leave that way of thinking behind early on in life, as they distinguish between things that can have some form of mind and things that can't.

    By Blogger David N. Andrews M. Ed., C. P. S. E., at 12:04 AM  

  • I know logically non-living objects do not have living characteristics. I can make the distinction between living and non-living.

    What is happenening with me though? Why do I feel this effect alot? It can be a minor irritation sometimes.

    By Blogger A better future for all, at 12:12 AM  

  • Must admit, Cube... it would be hard to pin-point a single cause for that experience...

    By Blogger David N. Andrews M. Ed., C. P. S. E., at 10:13 AM  

  • Yes , I do think it is about Time!!! our children become members of socity no matter whom likes it. People whom live "In stature" have to accerpt this..

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:56 PM  

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