Sunday, July 30, 2006

Off to Autscape in the morning

Well tomorrow actually, but why should I let that get in the way of a catchy title and a literary reference that is probably far too obscure for most of my readers. (If you know the title prove me wrong)

I don’t doubt as I shall disagree with practically all of the presenters, not to mention the organisers, not to mention the very fundamental principle that Autscape ought to be serving but I believe it is not.

So why bother? I guess I want to meet people again (how shockingly NT of me)

Well I might let Wendy Lawson have an easier time than I have given her on my past two encounters. Whatever I guess Autscape does not suck as much as I suppose Autreat would for me, I am not one of natures convergers.

What really pisses me off though is the whole internal “navel gazing” of it all. I prefer myself to present at more hostile conferences because there are more people there who need to hear about how autism positions within a wider disability movement.

This seems to be my latest perseveration, that we are not going to make any progress or inroads against discrimination and the crap we are dealt unless we make alliances beyond what appears to be our rather insignificant movement when you stand back and look at it globally.

Are we saying anything new?

No we are not even if we delude ourselves into thinking that we do.

Autism is no more unique than any other kind of human diversity. Now whatever the Russian scholars might say, you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs and I am going to have to continue upsetting people on my right and on my left, before me and behind me, above me and below me. Hedged about with ideologues of all persuasions, you can’t be heard unless you make a noise.


My visions mine, though some I share
I bend not break, for such a load I bear
And what I dream no other mind could see
The pattern of my own eternity
My destination not one I would chose
My life's my own and there's no time to lose

So beat the drum if that is what you will
I need no drum my vision to fulfil
I hear no sound, for sound can come no more
Existence’s edge the place where I explore

7 comments:

n. said...

philadelphia?

Anonymous said...

Of course you are on the right trail of convergence...
And since I have been instructed to do so by some power greater than myself I will say Philidelphia..
Now I am back into obscurity..

Alyric said...

Well have fun at Autscape and give my regards to Wendy Lawson. Careful there, she's a compatriot of mine, so she's not to be upset, inconvenienced or sujected to too many Derridian obfuscations :) OK?

Larry Arnold PhD FRSA said...

Now I would say to Alyric "oh yes she is" in perfect pantomimicry for I reckon as she has already had a dose or two of that, hyperealism notwithstanding (na that lyotard innit not to be confused with the geezer that the gymnast garb is named after )

Or was that Baudrillard I dunno il fait du brouillard aujord hui

Larry Arnold PhD FRSA said...

Trust someone to parry my sword strokes, never let it sleep in my hand eh.

Sut Rydychi Vanu :)

ballastexistenz said...

You're right, we do need to start making connections outside this community.

I've been trying to make some with the anti-torture folks in America, but unfortunately I've been having trouble, of all things, figuring out when to talk to them. (We keep attempting to set up times to discuss things and not getting there.)

Redaspie said...

"This seems to be my latest perseveration, that we are not going to make any progress or inroads against discrimination and the crap we are dealt unless we make alliances beyond what appears to be our rather insignificant movement when you stand back and look at it globally."

Yes I think this is absolutely correct. To a great extent the movement really consists of a whole bunch of people blogging. This is a good way for us to get to know each other, but we need to start making an impact, and this will require making alliances with potential allies. Now, I am a very conventional type of activist so I tend to think in terms of holding big demos and such like. I do have a mad plan to hold a demo in London (which I intend to move to within a couple of months) around the time of next year's Autistic Pride Day. I can think off the top of my head of a whole bunch of organisations that might potentially show some interest in supporting this: DANDA, psyche survivors groups, the Disability Alliance, gay rights groups, the carers' movement, the Green Party, RESPECT, SWP, Indymedia... If anyone is in London and finds this idea interesting let me know, either here or on my blog.
btw Amanda which 'anti-torture folks' are you talking about?