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I’ve been very discourage as of late. There is a shadow of darkness and gloom hanging over our community. A heinous monster which only serves to defeat us, only serves to further distance us, conquer and divide.

Maybe you’ve come to realize it too? That ugly assaulting being is none other than each other. It’s no secret that there exist two entirely different pools of thought in the autism community. Those of us who desire to improve upon our loved one’s health to the point that they recover from autism, and those who feel threatened by the concept.

Indeed I am quite certain that the emotions run deep on both sides of the issue. I also have not a doubt that the feelings, ideas and ideals are warranted for the most part. But…..where I find fault, what I find to be incomprehensible and unacceptable is the constant bombardment of name calling, finger pointing and passing of judgment. And yes, I have a t times been guilty myself; regretfully so.

What has happened to us as a society, as a community, as a nation, and as a people? Have we learned nothing from history or have we completely lost our way? Either way, we’ve defeated ourselves; and worse, we have lost not only the battle for our loved ones with autism, we’ve surrendered the war. We’ve allowed or own human inadequacies, flaws and imperfections to stop us in our tracks. When we use our time and energy to fight one another, we all lose – both sides.

I’m okay with having sides. I do believe we can find common ground and unite on behalf of all individuals affected by autism. I absolutely don’t understand why it is we can’t just agree to disagree for the betterment of those we love and care for as a whole. Together we could accomplish so much on their behalf. We could ensure their futures. There is strength in numbers, and if we have any advantage at all, it is definitely in our numbers; our ever growing, ever increasing, never halting numbers.

I say we are entitled to our own feelings, our own thoughts, our very own opinions and beliefs, our ideas and most importantly, our emotions. We own those. So why do we spend so much valuable time and energy trying to make others accept them as their own? We may all have stepped and walked in similar shoes, but NOT directly in each others’ shoes. We can’t know, not without a doubt; what each of us has endured, what it is we’ve overcome or how far we’ve come, or not come for that matter. Although all too often we seem to think, or at least we act as though we do know; we really don’t.

I guess the question remains. Are we going to continue to use or precious time and coveted energy to continue the attack on one another? Or….are we willing to lay down arms; stop judging, in addition to not telling one another other how to act, think and behave, and even how to feel? It just seems to me, the later would be much more conducive to productivity; and in the end, we just might actually win this war. This desire to create better lives for those we love. I believe that is one goal we can all agree on.