“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor. Never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ~Elie Wiesel
This morning, (well technically it was still dark out, but you know Mateo doesn’t wait for the sun to start off his day), as usual, I sat in the hammock drinking my coffee watching Teo play in the rain. He absolutely loves this weather and had been asking to go outside from about 3AM. He was just so happy and carefree. What an absolute contrast to the current state of the rest of the world.
A World in Chaos…
So many countries are still struggling to take care of the vast numbers of people sick with COVID-19. Our neighboring countries aren’t even just dealing with COVID-19 now. They are also struggling to deal with flash floods and torrential rains. Even some Belizean families have been displaced due to flooding. We are all worried about our economy and the world’s. To make matters worse, the riots, protests, and looting happening in the USA seem completely out of control.
Today, in the US anyway, is #BlackOutTuesday in support of Black Lives Matter. People are encouraged not to post on social media and not to shop- just basically to unify in solidarity against racism. While this is an American campaign, I’ve seen friends and family in the US, UK, Canada and the Caribbean joining in.
While I absolutely believe Black Lives Matter and I KNOW something must be done, I wondered about what to do re: Autism Belize. Should I not post at all on Autism Belize’s social media accounts today? Or should I go on like normal since this is Belize and not the US? Should I not comment at all because this page’s focus is about Autism and Special Needs?
Belize Struggles Too…
Last night I watched a news story on Channel 5 news about the Ministry of National Security admitting to some wrongdoing in relation to misconduct allegations. This did not include allegations of racism, but let’s face it, racism does exist here in Belize. It exists in most, if not all, countries in the world. Yes, it’s come to a dangerous boil in the US, but Belize has its own issues with race relations and police and with racism on a whole. It’s not something we might like to talk about, but it’s there.
My Personal Fears About Police and Autism…
When I started to plan the activities for World Autism Awareness Month in April (yes, most of which were postponed) one of my main goals was to try to do a sensitization workshop with the Belize Police Department. I wanted do this not because I thought the Police Officers would be discriminatory against special needs persons, but more because I worry about lack of understanding and information.
While I lived in Jamaica about 9 years ago, I remember talking to a mother whose 14 year old son had gone ‘missing’. The son is non-verbal and severely autistic- just like Mateo. She searched frantically for him, only to find out that the Police had detained him and thrown him in jail with the general population because he looked so big. They detained him because he was behaving erratically and wouldn’t tell the officers his name and then he resisted. Again, he is non-verbal and autistic. He was in Police custody for 48 hours before his mom finally found him.
This is one of my biggest nightmares- Mateo escaping from me and being detained because of his behaviors or because the police might think him rude or insolent because he won’t ‘speak to them’. Mateo is a generally happy and sweet kid, but if approached with aggression or forced in a vehicle with people he does not know or if his hands are restrained, I have no idea how he would act. I just fear how quickly a situation like that would escalate.
As a mom with a child with special needs, I have to worry about the bullies and predators, yes but I also need to worry about those, who because they don’t know, may react harshly to Mateo’s not so typical behaviors. And yes, sadly, I do need to worry about police and those in authority too- because Autism awareness and understanding is still not as prevalent as we need it to be.
Speak Out & Stand Up for What is Right…
I honestly feel, that unlike racism, a lot of the negative attitudes and reactions from people towards those with special needs can be changed with education. So, I’m going to keep writing and pushing the objectives of Autism Belize: Teach Autism, Promote Awareness, Show Acceptance, Provide Support. I have no clue how to even begin to fix or address the world’s problem with racism. For today, though, because I can try to understand what it’s like to fear people in authority – even when you’re not breaking the rules, and because racism IS wrong – no matter where in the world you live, and because I get the frustration and helplessness so many feel, I will make this my only post today on Autism Belize’s social media. I will openly support what is right. It might not necessarily be Autism related or even Belizean driven, but it is right.
#BlackLivesMatter #BlackOutTuesday
