Say it Ain't So, Joe

Arrrrrggggh ...

After hearing of the horrendous shootings in a Colorado movie theater, I mentioned to my wife Liz that "At least no one has mentioned the 'A word'".  "What?" she said.  "You know, said that the shooter was autistic".

The next day, I hear that news commentator Joe Scarborough said,

"As soon as I hear about this shooting, I knew who it was. I knew it was a young, white male, probably from an affluent neighborhood, disconnected from society — it happens time and time again. Most of it has to do with mental health; you have these people that are somewhere, I believe, on the autism scale," said Scarborough, whose son has Asperger's syndrome. "I don't know if that's the case here, but it happens more often than not. People that can walk around in society, they can function on college campuses — they can even excel on college campuses — but are socially disconnected."

 While I've come to expect such drivel from uniformed people that lump all seemingly similar things together, do I really want to get the same stuff from someone who is the father of someone on the autism scale spectrum?  No.

Well, old Joe felt the heat after his comments, and has backpedaled.

But that's not what bothers me. 

What bothers me is that Joe Scarborough has outed himself as one wholly disconnected father.  I mean, come on.  Who that has someone autistic in their family refers to them as being on the autism scale?  I mean, what responsible parent hasn't been to enough IEP meetings, read enough literature, talked enough to know that it's the autism spectrum?  And who, who has a son that struggles to be understood and to fit in, would even think of associating autism with what happened in Colorado?  I mean, how exactly will such comments lead to greater understanding and acceptance of those who are autistic?

Joe's phoning it in.  It appears he's the dad that mothers all complain about.  The one that disengages, backs off, and lets mom handle it.  The ugly, stereotypical disconnected dad. 

I'm sorry for Joe, and more sorry for Mrs. Scarborough and their son.

Walking While Black and Autistic

The phrase "Driving While Black" is one that is familiar to every African-American in the U.S., and refers to the practice of African Americans (especially young black males) being singled out by the police for "special treatment" when they are driving. Otherwise known as racial profiling, through either upbringing or isolated experiences many police officers come to unfairly believe that the majority of blacks must be up to no good, and thus deserve to be singled out for closer scrutiny, and assumed to be hostile until proven otherwise.

Steven Eugene Washington, a 27 year old black man who reportedly had never had a run in with the law, was shot dead while walking to a friend's house the other night in Los Angeles. When he was reportedly approached for "acting suspiciously", he reportedly

"...did not comply with their investigative demands and appeared to be reaching into his waistband. Fearing he was reaching for a weapon each officer fired once. One bullet struck Washington in the head."

While the LAPD gives its officers a one hour course in dealing with autistic individuals, the department could not say whether the officers who shot Washington had taken the course.

My ten year old bi-racial son had a large birthfather. He will be a big man. This scenario is one of my greatest fears.

I ache for the Washington family tonight, and long for a world where more than one hour is spent training first responders.