Because We Must

The Best We Can

Crafted for your viewing consumption by K Wombles 

Some Much Needed Levity

It's almost impossible not to have a heavy heart this week--the pain radiates out from Newtown and we, as parents, teachers, as human beings, place ourselves in the feet of the Newtown community. As we grapple with the idea that there is often no way to foresee such a horrendous act, even as people pretend they could and shift to blaming those around the young man who acted so violently, so viciously, with such evil. 

We grappled this week with how to tell our children, whether to send our children to school. We read and watched in horror as the media and people on the internet blamed Asperger's for the shooter's spree killing. We also stood and fought against such ignorance, and then as the individual victims' stories came out, we felt all too keenly the pain and the bravery of the parents, siblings, spouses, children who lost someone. We learned that at least one, probably two of the sweet, innocent children lost were autistic. And we grieved some more.

Grief, disbelief, anger, despair. I have little doubt we all felt that this week, even those who wrote such nasty, awful things about individuals with Asperger's and those grappling with mental health issues. Those who kept posting pictures of weapons and advocated everyone being armed, that more guns were a solution, felt the same things. So did those who advocated strict gun control.

Out of the same swirling morass of similar emotions came vastly different responses. We forget that we all experienced the same emotions. We continue to forget the common humanity that underlies each of us. We see enemies everywhere. And we forget that we are a global community: one people, with all life valuable. 

Each of us can only do the best we can. It's all we've got: the belief that what we do can and does matter, that we can make a difference. It's up to us whether it's a positive or a negative difference.

Somehow we must loosen the heaviness weighing on our hearts and souls while still holding on to the lessons learned: lessons that move us forward into a more full  and "joyful participation with the "sorrows of the world."

Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy. --Joseph Campbell

Links to Articles Concerning Autism and the CT tragedy

Kathleen and I believe that offering multiple perspectives is vital to the health of our community. Open exchange and dialogue are key to creating meaningful change in the larger society.

Speculation, as always, is rampant in the CT tragedy. The need to react, even if knee-jerk, is  understandable.

Below are the pieces we have found covering the intersection between autism and the tragic school shooting on Friday (in no particular order).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother-mental-illness-conversation_n_2311009.html

http://www.today.com/moms/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother-another-moms-cry-help-1C7625059

Response to the above post:

http://theautismwars.blogspot.com/2012/12/you-are-not-adam-lanzas-mother.html

http://www.emilywillinghamphd.com/2012/12/autism-empathy-and-violence-one-of.html

https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-autism-life/thats-just-not-what-autism-is/10151246304340896

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/experts-link-aspergers-violence-17987339

http://www.disabilityandrepresentation.com/2012/12/15/when-children-die-grieve-reflect-dont-scapegoat/

http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2012/12/15/autism-speaks-statement-on-newtown-connecticut

http://grasp.org/profiles/blogs/statement-from-michael-john-carley-on-the-newtown-ct-shootings?xg_source=activity

http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2012/12/15/asan-statement-on-media-reports-regarding-newtown-ct-shooting/

http://aspiefrommaine.blogspot.com/2012/12/autism-and-sandy-hookct-shootings.html

http://paulacdurbinwestbyautisticblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/mother-with-asperger-syndrome-grieves.html

http://autismwomensnetwork.org/article/awn%E2%80%99s-appeal-media-sources-covering-newtown-ct

http://thewildeman2.blogspot.com/2012/12/connecticut-school-shooting-and-autism.html

http://laughtercouldbethemissingpiece.blogspot.com/2012/12/sad-sorrow-all-is-quiet.html

http://www.autistichoya.com/2012/12/nameless-things-dismantle.html

http://timetolisten.blogspot.com/2012/12/plea-from-scariest-kid-on-block.html

http://kwomblescountering.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-do-you-explain.html

http://www.mindretrofit.com/2012/12/16/i-tried/

http://minikitkatgirl.blogspot.com/2012/12/thoughts-on-sandy-hook-tragedy-and.html

http://asd2mom.blogspot.com/2012/12/and-so-it-begins-blood-libeling-those.html

http://thegirlwhowasthursday.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/you-are-not-adam-lanzas-mother/

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YeahGoodTimes/~3/PB0ZIUeULmc/the-connecticut-tragedy-and-autism.html

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/aspergers-alive/201212/the-pain-being-linked-asperger-dx-mass-shooter

http://skeptoid.com/blog/2012/12/17/sinister-speculation-part-1-autism/?fb_source=pubv1

http://mamabegood.blogspot.com/2012/12/so-angry-so-sad-what-now.html

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/spectrummentor/~3/O6Z9iqgSc-I/

http://confessionsofanaspergersmom.blogspot.com/2012/12/what-i-know-what-i-dont.html

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/pGPmZ/~3/MPmqmpE9XTU/im-autistic-please-dont-fear-me-sandy.html

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ToTheMax/~3/rLtVTeGODqM/the-connecticut-shootings-whats-autism.html

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GirlWithTheCane/~3/mBIJ9upOsl0/

http://yeahgoodtimes.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-connecticut-tragedy-and-autism.html

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/dec-17-updates-on-connecticut-shooting-aftermath/#autism

http://diversityisart.wordpress.com/2012/12/17/reblogs-and-thoughts-about-tragedies/

http://crackedmirrorinshalott.wordpress.com/2012/12/17/i-was-one-of-the-scary-kids/

http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2012-12-16-after-newtown-why-amateur-diagnoses-are-dangerous

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/opinion/dont-blame-autism-for-newtown.html?_r=0

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/12/17/health-asperger-syndrome/#respond

http://www.businessinsider.com/autism-empathy-and-social-cues-2012-12

http://www.autismspeaks.org/news/news-item/autism-speaks-responds-claims-linking-autism-spectrum-disorders-planned-violence

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/my-life-aspergers/201212/asperger-s-autism-and-mass-murder

http://www.slate.com/blogs/crime/2012/12/16/gun_control_after_connecticut_shooting_could_australia_s_laws_provide_a.html

http://www.blogher.com/we-need-talk-about-adam-lanza?page=0,0

http://www.blogher.com/ethics-publishing-i-am-adam-lanzas-mother

http://www.blogher.com/frame.php?url=http://sarahkendzior.com/2012/12/17/a-joint-statement-from-sarah-and-liza/

http://fumblingnormality.blogspot.com/2012/12/this-is-reality-and-its-personal.html

http://autismconsecrated.blogspot.com/2012/12/aspergers-in-news.html

http://www.kevinhealey.net/?p=2029

http://www.care2.com/causes/please-dont-pathologize-aspergers-syndrome.html

http://thautcast.com/drupal5/content/being-part-functional-community

http://alienhippy.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/asd-who-do-you-see/

http://autismplanet808.blogspot.com/2012/12/newtown-and-autism.html

http://joashline.com/2012/12/newtown-on-guilt-grief-and-gratitude.html

The Blog Ladies Need Some Links!

Gratuitous sleeping kitty picture.

And now, stills from our show on The Autism Channel!

Here's some topics we'd like to share with viewed (over 7,000 subscribers on Roku):

I'm covering Change and how we deal with it (autistic bloggers please share your posts of how your prepare and handle change!)

We'd also like your how to handle holidays posts!

Your feedback and suggestion for topics you want to see covered would be tremendously helpful. We have a huge opportunity here to bring the best of the online world to the tv viewing world. Controversies are fine, as long as what we're sharing is constructive. Is it thoughtful, is it respectful? And hey, let's cover whether those two criteria are necessary--what if the message is important but worded in a way that doesn't quite meet the respectful? Do we have any right to argue that someone's tone is more important than the message? Should the message be the most important thing? Shouldn't it? 

Your posts on this topic, your thoughts on it would be incredibly beneficial. Do you video blog? We can showcase your blog and highlight  your video. 

Inundate us! The more ideas you give us, the more we can share relevant topics with the community and increase the conversation.

Thank you! Our bloggers are the bedrock of our show.