On Monday, I used this scene from X-Men: First Class when I talked about it being society and not our kids that are disabled. But this one is so important that I thought it deserved its own blog.
I think that Magneto/Eric makes a very valid point…especially for our Aspie kids. They spend so much energy, effort and time trying to ‘look normal’ that they cannot truly concentrate on anything else. I know this was especially true of PanKwake during her one year in ‘school.’ She spent the whole day trying to mimic the behaviors of the other kids that it exhausted.
To make matters worse…the one time during that long day (especially for an Aspie four year old) that she dropped the mask, she was penalized. You see this school had the absolute worst reward system on the face of the earth…only your last action counted. That’s right…one screw up and you are a failure was the message they taught our kids. They had a board with circles on it…gold, silver, green, yellow and red. Every child had a name card and the teacher would tell them to move it from one circle to another.
Because PanKwake had spent the whole day trying to ‘look normal’ by the end of the day she was exhausted. Of course, to make matters worse the end of the day was when everyone cleaned up…one of her least favorite things to do. So every day, she ended up on red or yellow so she did not get a reward. And those bullies who had terrorized her on the playground got a prize…because they picked up a couple of toys. WTF? So I was left with an exhausted and cranky child to get home. A near impossible task without a meltdown.
The thing is that is how society as a whole treats its people…’normal’ or special needs. They judge you on one single moment…and not all the good that came before. They cannot accept anything that does not exactly fit its mold of perfection. So when your ‘blue’ comes out like Raven’s/Mystique’s…even for a second…you are rejected. All you did before does not count. And to make it worse…neither does all the good you do after. That single ‘blue’ moment defines you…sometimes forever.
We need to move away from that…we need to face head on the damage that society is doing…not just to our Aspie kids but to all of us. We need as they do to reject old rules and norms that divide us…and begin to make the new norm…ACCEPTANCE.
And I am afraid that while Charles Xavier’s ideals may appeal to my optimist, my realist side stands firmly in Eric’s camp…peace was never an option. Society is too entrenched in the old ways to willing embrace anything that is different. The only way forward is MELTDOWN…like our children to stand by their sides and militantly shout, kick and scream our right to be different. As a seamstress, I know that when a garment is sewn wrong the only way to fix it is to first rip it apart.
And that is why…ADVOCACY is the only way forward. In your face, kiss my *grits*, I have the right to be here, to use this facility, to do this thing. Of course, we can first try Dr. X’s nice way…sometimes individuals themselves will accept our ‘blue-ness’ but society as a whole…will not…unless we make them. We have to demand our rights…just to exist. But then too that is our ultimate gift and purpose…to drag society kicking and screaming into the new age.
So I stand with Magneto…and Mystique…Mutant and PROUD!
PanKwake 