Why anti-Cure people get radical

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Posters have expressed concern over the apparent "extremeness" of some people in their views on The Autism Cure. Some anti-cure people, I must say, are radicals. They can't handle views not their own.

After some self-searching I realized why some autistics get so blindly upset about The Cure: It's a threat to the only community such activists have ever known. A Cure For Autism would decimate or at least reduce the community, leaving them without a culture they can call their own. Even autistic people, the world's most legendary loners, feel the primordial pull toward community. Never underestimate the pull toward community. It is almost as deeply ingrained in humans as tool-making and hunting-gathering. We are pack animals.

People with autism have trouble fitting in with ordinary tribes. We had to form one of our own. It's made us insecure and protective, ready to respond to anything, no matter its risks and benefits, that conceivably threatens the tribe. The Cure, in this context, is basically genocide. No wonder my people react so strongly.

I am not condoning behavior, only explaining it.

I haven't been a part of the AS community very long - only days - and I find myself not liking the idea of having my personality traits listed as wrong, bad, worse than mumps and measles, and hearing people pray for me to be cured of...myself.

But then again, I wouldn't consider myself radical in either direction.

It's more about principle than worrying about the size of WP or any other Aspie community. It's the way that the hard-line pro-cure message is one of intolerance and eradication, rather than respect and support.

I'm against cures, but I wouldn't say that I'm 'radical'. As a radical by nature would be uncaring and even violent towards people who support cures, even against people who are just connected with those people. But it is intelligent debate and awareness that gets things done, not violence or other kinds of rash, short-sighted (no pun intended) tactics.

I don't know of these protesters you mentioned, but I would only protest the idea of a cure for autism. you can't cure autism any more than you can cure a generous person or an a*sehole. If you could somehow remove autistic traits from a person, the person left behind would be an entirely different person with the same memories. Furthermore you would have to replace the areas of the brain you removed with "healthy" areas.
My point is, there is no cure for autism, there is nothing to protest.

Radical Aspergian, simplified topic

If there is a disease, then it is natural to want a cure or prevention. Since Autism is not a disease, then a cure is unnecessary.

Simple. No disease. No cure.

Sartresue stated:Radical Aspergian, simplified topic

If there is a disease, then it is natural to want a cure or prevention. Since Autism is not a disease, then a cure is unnecessary.

Simple. No disease. No cure.
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I agree AS is not a "disease" there is no "cure". Certain traits can be treated and treatment with various methods can be helpful.

Well stated MissPickwikian.

Here are my thoughts on this issue.Basically, I feel Autism and it's variants are simply a variation within the human genome, not something to be seen as defective or bad just a difference wherein, some people are left handed some right-handed therefore, I'd rather stay the way I am with all traits both good and bad and simply leave an extinstence without having someone make me feel less human for being the way I am...

Pastor Niemoller said it best:

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

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If I don't express my disdain at the curebies and pro-eugenicists... who will protect my grandchildren from them?

Well in the last few centuries, human society has become increasingly more complex and created jobs which require various different means of problem solving and thought. It's perhaps only natural that people should follow suit. The idea that such diversity should be stomped out vis-a-vie a cure, even in the interest of compassion, is both archaic and counter productive.

This reminds me of X-Men 3 where they find a cure for the mutant gene and all the mutants get really pissed off.

But it makes sense - AS isn't as good an experience for some people as it is for others. If someone feels their life is being destroyed by AS, they have all rights to change themselves if it's possible.

I'm anti-Cure, like most of you, but I'm also pro-psychology. I look for a psychological
reason someone might have a certain viewpoint, even if I share it.

Lots of pro-Cure people are obnoxious and radical, too, but the psychological explanation for that is much simpler--good old-fashioned ignorance.