As a person with AS I know that the level of severity is different in different areas for different people who are diagnosed with Asperger's. However, I have noticed a trend here lately with AS males specifically who do things that are illegal, and wrong, then attempt to play the autism card. No. Not okay. This Guy for instance. He is on his way to being a serial rapist and he cries Asperger's. I'm sorry, but since when did AS damage one's ability to know that it's not okay to run down the street sexually assaulting women?
There's been other stories I've heard of lately that I'd probably incite a voracious argument on my blog if I were to name them, due to my less than popular opinion on them. I will say in general, if one has at least an average IQ and has Asperger's then you have the ability to know right from wrong and to control your impulses toward your obsessions. Having a special interest in something doesn't make one excused for the laws that the rest of society has to follow. I also find it damaging to use that as a defense, because it does nothing for inclusion and understanding of Asperger Syndrome. It paints us as a group of unstable, impulsive people who might at any minute do something immoral, or illegal if it is a part of our obsession. This is simply not true of all of us. These stereotypes are harmful.
Friday, August 12, 2011
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Totally in support of you darling, with the caveat of the Arie Smith case, as you know i've written about that one. The thing in his case tho, was that it's doubtful if what he did amounts to the 'burglary' that the police charged him with. Probably something like 'entering a property without permission', or 'reckless endangerment', would have been more appropriate in this instance. And certainly Arie has never denied he did what they claim, only disputed that it was 'burglary'.
ReplyDeleteBut otherwise, i say, autistics are as capable of morality as anyone else.
How is it an autitic's rights violation and not a human rights violation? Everything that I've heard from that case points to the fact that it would be unlawful and wrong for anyone to be treated that way. His AS didn't have anything to do with it. The only thing that could bring his AS into light is if he was being housed in general population. That would be awful, but he shouldn't be able to be set free just because he has AS. The news stories makes it sound like he HAD to take and do what what he did. That he had no choice to give in to his obsessions. That's where I have an issue, because it doesn't reflect reality as I see it with AS. We're not psychotic and we most definitely have an ability to choose, even if it's hard for us to do so, sometimes.
ReplyDeleteYes, the circumstances around the original arrest were a human rights violation. But since then, it has become pretty clear the police have chosen to take a hard line, almost certainly becos of his AS. He wasn't set free, nor are the charges going to be dropped, becos of his AS. Nor is anyone wanting that. It's about bringing some common sense and proportion back into things. If he wasn't aspie, it's likely the charges would have been dropped by now,or replaced with lesser charges.
ReplyDeleteI don't think too much can be read into the news stories, btw, you know how they sensationalise things, and distort stuff out of proportion when it comes to aspies/auties.
As for his doing what he did becos of an 'obsession', i am perfectly sure that if he had seen what he did as a 'crime' (as opposed to picking up something discarded at a tip, etc), it's likely he wouldn't have done it. It was a matter of misjudgement, as much as following an obsession.
I think that we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one. Our opinion is so polarized and strong on this subject there isn't much chance either of us are going to budge.
ReplyDeleteIt pisses me off that people excuse their obnoxious behaviour with claims of AS. Talk about shitting on people that really have AS.
ReplyDeleteTo "Quiet Contemplation" glad someone else see's my point of view also, I agree with you. Everyone could come up with some excuse and in that regard, I think everyone should be treated as an individual and there individual circumstances should be taken into account. I get sick of AS being over used also, when quite often its not the AS aspect anyway, but an associated condition that needs to be considered. And of course there are many undiagnosed, does that mean they get treated unfairly, its almost like be able to afford a label and extra benefits come with it.
ReplyDeleteI agree - pet hate of mine too. It is not the Aspergers that makes them do what they do.
ReplyDeleteFrom personal experience and study I know that a true Aspie views the world with a higher understanding of ethics and integrity and therefore is almost incapable of breaking the law. Many will search for excuses to absolve themselves of responsibility however that is not possible with a person truly identified as having Aspergers.
ReplyDeleteI have As, and I never would ever think about harming people or animals. I think people like us are sort of like a very bright flashlight. We just burn a bit brighter at some things more than others would, without Asperger's. I am only interested in Computer Science, and I love animals very much. That is about my only two interests, I have. However, I also write things about the universe, such as the speed of it, which I could also find it to be very short-lived in the much bigger picture. I’ve also created my very own website called SPACEUPHORIA, which took me over nine years to pioneer. As for the asperger’s playing card, if someone really does have AS, unless they have other complications, normally we don’t break laws, because we can think pretty deep, and we seem to be more connected to the natural world around us, than we are with a labelled society, who often judges far too quick, and far too slow to understand anything most of the time. Now we approach the age of fear, because we all hide from what should be understood by all. Our world is getting too overpopulated, and that danger, and not willing to understand our planet is going to bite down very hard in the end, and we will be saying. “Why did we do that?” To fix a broken world, you must fix yourself first. To be kind to understand someone, only takes a minute of your time, and could change their lives forever, and it’s all a brief moment, that you can change someone’s life forever….
ReplyDelete"To be kind to understand someone, only takes a minute of your time, and could change their lives forever, and it’s all a brief moment, that you can change someone’s life forever…."
DeleteThose words are both brautiful and truthful. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. :)
I see life as a never-ending cosmic scheme all of things intertwined into “one”. I’ve never believed in God, or a Devil. The only reason is this. no one really understands anything at all, so why are these very same people telling me, there really is a God, when they don’t act like someone, who believes in such crap. I’ve always believed in the thought of reincarnation; we do it all over again, and again, and again. I’ve always felt more connected to that thought, than any, such thought of a wonderful place called Heaven, which I think if there were really such a wonderful place, it would be filled with spoiled, rotten people, who never die, and forget to live. That’s what motivates me to live ever harder. I don’t wait for some superhero to come to my rescue, because we can only help ourselves first. I feel that people who want God to come and clean up our act, they are far too lazy-minded to think for themselves. We are the ones who have to clean up our act. Don’t leave it to Beaver, he won’t do it for us either. I see life as “cut and dry”. And to me, that’s always been my greatest knowledge, which also helped me become all things I have learned. Outside of my so-called disorder, I’m a pretty wild thinker, and I won’t stop at nothing to have the privilege to ponder. I’m just a simple, complex free thinking being, and I love it that way. I hope you come and visit my website SPACEUPHORIA. Everything is possible! Thank you for the nice reply my good friend. This is who I am, and this is how I think? What you read is what you get…
ReplyDeletePeople with AS have a greatly increased potential to develop deep schizoid patterns of thought.
ReplyDeleteAn individual with a genetic predisposition towards aggression and increased sexual drive who has a difficult time considering the consequences of their actions from the perspective of others would almost certainly have a legitimate excuse for their actions - at least in court.
They would be detained and institutionalized to prevent them from harming anyone else.
However, they cannot be held accountable.
Playing the AS card appropriate when AS is actually to blame.
I would really like to know where you got that info on AS.... For the most part, people with ASD are a lot more likely to be victims. Plus, one of the behaviour patterns common to ASD is "following the rules".
Delete*nods thoughtfully* I would really like to know who diagnosed this guy and what his diagnosis *actually* is. Perseveration does not necessarily equal obsession; and, as I mentioned in my reply above, generally (though admittedly not always) people with ASD are more likely to be "follow the rules" type of people.
ReplyDeleteASD has nothing to do with morality and ethics. The States apparently has a population of 1 in 88 people (and that's with a focus on the males) on the spectrum. If it was linked to violence or criminal-type behaviour... where are all these criminal actions and cases, huh? There should be people with ASD committing crimes all over the place. But *there isn't*.
I'm not claiming everyone with ASD is as pure as new-fallen snow; that would be ludicrous. But to say that "his AS made him do it" is equally ludicrous. If there is a mental issue in that he is unable to comprehend or distinguish what is moral / ethical from what is not, that is not ASD, it is another condition (that at least used to be called either psychopathy or sociopathy, I always get the two mixed up). Otherwise, he has no "excuse"; he has a moral sense, and he didn't pay attention to it. (And even if he *has* that "excuse" - he needs to be in a prison psychiatric ward, not free in the population. Because without a sense of right and wrong and consequences, and having done the actions the actions he did, he *will* repeat them.)
:| tagAught
I totally think he will repeat his actions. I also believe that the AS might make him more impulsive, but it doesn't make one oblivious to morals. He obviously has some additional issues to the AS, and needs to be kept tabs on for the safety of society. I feel that it would be cruel to throw him into general population due to his obvious social issues that come with AS, but he doesn't get a free pass to harm others because of it, either.
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