On George Floyd and the Protests: Still Processing (and Waiting for Better Voices to Speak)

There’s really not much to say from a white person like me without sounding like I’m bending over and speaking out of my rear. That’s why I’m not speaking on the protests yet. Besides, I think there are much better voices who should be listened to. My fellow blogger The Unabashed Autist is one of them. I’ll get you guys some more when I find them.

The truth is, most of my fellow autistic people stand in solidarity with the protesters. We believe that brutality and prejudice is widespread inside the many police forces, often giving pressure for even good ones to act with brutality. The FBI even warned about Ku Klux Klan infiltration back in 2006. With the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many other on a list too long to mention, I believe Klan infiltration may be complete. That is not a good thing. How can a people that believe themselves better than others treat anyone outside their supposed inner circle fairly and with justice – at all? Ask George Floyd.

The reason we say “Black Lives Matter” instead of “All Lives Matter” is simple: Of course all lives matter. We just have to prop up the black ones in order to get them to the equal levels the white lives enjoy without question. That is why when people say “All Lives Matter” to a black person, it sounds like “white lives matter more” (which I do NOT believe).

I guess, in my long winded way, I am trying to say this: there are much better voices to listen to regarding the tenets of racism and its infiltration. I mentioned one of them above.

Let’s amplify those voices, shall we?

I’m Boycotting TikTok. This is Why.

I’m not on TikTok. Normally, I would jump on this as a new app. I’ve even got a new phone for this occasion. But there is a big, giant thing in the way. 

The Autism Challenge.  

Remember that?  

Well, the gist is, people would mock the autistic by “acting like them.” Basically, doing the “universal hand gesture for mentally disabled.” This bugs me to no end. First, the big hand gesture. Normally, a person would have something like a stroke for that particular hand movement. Second, there is no evidence autistic people even do that hand gesture without the above mentioned stroke.  

And secondly, the app is suppressing the voices of disabled users. I would be a disabled user. Would they suppress my voice? Yes. 

TikTok suppressed disabled voices.  

I am being discriminated against by TikTok.  

And the people of TikTok like it. They like to discriminate against me. TikTok hates me.

Until TikTok apologizes to the Actually Autistic, I will not use its service. Until TikTok apologizes for the discrimination and hate it displays toward me, I will boycott it.  

Global Accessibility Awareness Day – May 21, 2020

This one snuck up on me. Normally I am on top of these things, but this one, I admit, snuck up on me. An important day, too. There is, though a need to make my site more accessible. So, I’ve decided to go online and get the accessibility guidelines in order to, from this point on, make my site more accessible. (I already see gaps in the fact that I need short captions for the pictures. It’s a start.) Give me some time, in order to make this blog a better place for all, to get things working.  

Also, I want to go back and retrofit the articles for accessibility. It gives me something to do for those spaces I have writer’s block.  

In case this snuck up on you, too, let me explain: Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD for short) is to celebrate accessibility on the web for those with disabilities. And, if we make it better for the disabled to get on the web and communicate like the not so disabled, would it not be a better place for all?

QUICK UPDATE: I have tried to find a way to caption my images here, which would give a great deal to accessibility, but I can’t. There’s also seemingly no way to contact the WordPress Administrators about this issue.

What It’s Like: Covid-19 Testing

My mother and I just got tested this morning. The county health department is doing them for free…and it’s….quite an experience.

The experience goes as this: my mother and I go to the health department, in our masks, and they direct our car around the building. We show them the IDs, they mark the car, and we get packets of information, with tissues and a mask. We go to the next station, where they do the main testing.

What they do is take a swab and stick it two or three inches into your nasal cavity. (I forgot we have such large nasal cavities!) It goes all the way to the back. (I didn’t know it could go that far!) They get a good sample, and put it into a small tube they have on them with the basic information. (I guess.) Apart from a little discomfort and a bit of mind blowing, it was okay. We’ll probably have the results on Tuesday, because it’s Memorial Day Weekend. As for the tissues, my nose was actually dry, but I do recognize noses are different. If you need a test and can get it, get it.

The big issue is, there’s a pandemic going on out there. I am honestly surprised I did so well at the test with my sensory issues. Isn’t it better to know? We have no plans, per my previous post, so if we have anything, we can isolate properly. And I’m saying “IF.”

Chasing After Family

I do apologize. I needed a rest from blogging for a while. Perhaps this life I led before and during quarantine has taken a toll on me from loneliness. Again, I am not being called or texted from my blood relatives. I hear people are somehow calling, FaceTiming, Zooming, and texting, but I don’t believe them. Where is their love? Do they even think about me? I guess I’m going to have to do all the calling, all the begging, and all the chasing.

My question is: Why do I have to do all the chasing after my cold and unloving family? I’m tired of begging and pleading for some drop of affection. Somebody, chase me.

A Blanket Finished

Well, I finished the blanket for my coming nephew. Here it is:

Anyway, for those who do not know, I crochet. You can’t beat it for speed. Unfortunately, I only know one stitch so far. I plan on learning more in order to make more elaborate blankets. I think that’s pretty cool.