Why RFK's Dangerous Autism Rhetoric Should Taken Seriously By Everyone

 Recently, RFK Jr., nephew of the man who ended the Cuban Missile Crisis, who was the leader of the ambitious mission to beat the Soviets to the moon, the founder of the Peace Corps, beloved 35th president, and methamphetamine enthusiast, John F Kennedy Jr., stated; 

“These are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go on a date, many of them will never use a toilet unassisted”, and the ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) community (rightfully) went ballistic. 

The Autism moms especially weren't having it.

I cannot speak for all moms of children with ASD, but for me, my memory did that weird Twilight Bella backward review of life thing before I opened my murderous eyes. I remembered the past 26 years of advocating for two children with Autism. 

The pediatricians who said, "Well, he doesn't look Autistic," and refused to entertain testing. 

The 18-month-long wait list to see the psychologist who said, "He can make eye contact, so he's not Autistic".

The 2-year wait for the in-home services for my non-verbal child that were closed out after a month because "he's not being cooperative."

The pre-K program director, who said he didn't know his alphabet because he couldn't say it when asked (again, non-verbal) and recommended a special education class.

The special education teacher who ended up sending him to other random classrooms because he "wasn't a good fit", so he ended up having no set classroom at all.

The people I've had to verbally clothesline when they started suggesting I buy only organic, give them a good whooping, buy non-GMOs, try colloidal silver, don't get vaccines, try having them drink bleach

The psychiatrist who finally diagnosed him and asked me why I didn't "seek services sooner."

The IEP meetings where we'd outline his plan just for the school to not follow the fucking plan.

The countless days of missed work.

The sleepless nights and bleary-eyed days managing nightmares, "behaviors", coping mechanisms...

The kicking in doors to get resources only to be told there isn't funding, or providers, or they don't take my insurance, or I'm not in the right place...

The absolute fucking war you have to fight to help your child succeed.

This would be a good point to mention that I have been on the waiting list for the Developmental Pediatrician I was told my child "absolutely needs" for eleven years.

And then, like the warriors they are, my kids graduated from high school. Got jobs. Made friends. Went from non-verbal to verbal. Have interests and hobbies. Have goals for their futures. The meltdowns became less frequent. They have resources and providers in place. There is a flow that fits them.

And then this motherfucker...

However, as I set aside my own experiences as a parent of children with Autism, I see a much more dangerous picture. 

RFK Jr.'s comments are in Nazi territory. 

He's speaking on people with ASD not being able to contribute to society  (unless you're Elon Musk, of course), but this is not the first attack on the disabled community by the Trump administration.

Project 2025 already tells us that there will be a dismantling of resources for people with disabilities, which we've already seen the beginning of with DOGE's interference.

In 1939, Hitler authorized the killing of people with disabilities with Aktion T-4. (Trigger warning for the video below. It is extremely disturbing.)

We know that both Musk, and Trump are Nazi sympathizers. Trump has blamed airplane crashes on people with disabilities, has said, "Those people...  The shape they’re in, all the expenses, maybe those kinds of people should just die.” [link], and Musk has repeatedly used the "R" slur.

So, RFK Jr.'s comments are more than an insult to people with Autism and their families. He has been emboldened by his position in Trump's administration to spread a very dangerous message - one that everyone in the world seems to recognize but us.

Jordan Christian LeVan, a disability advocate and founder of the educational advocacy organization Fighting for My Voice, says; 

“The most practical thing non-disabled people can do is stay informed and recognize the power of their voice." 

“In our current climate, the last thing those in power want is for people to understand the impact of their advocacy. Contact your representatives, show up at school board meetings, and support disabled-led organizations. Call out policies that harm disabled people. Your voice matters more than you want to believe.”

You can find your state representatives and their contact information here

And on that note, here's that poem RFK Jr. thought he'd never get:

I went to law school

Failed the Bar because of Horse

A worm ate my brain