Why I am a Progressive

I grew up very Conservative. Very very Conservative Christian family. I had an anti abortion binder that I carried around in junior high and high school that I was very proud of. It had pictures of babies on the front of it pasted on with information on abortion clinics. My uncle and aunt invited me to their weekly abortion clinic visits which they would attend and sit and protest women getting abortions. I didn't go to these I was too young but they would attend. Being gay or should I say practicing homosexuality was looked upon as truly a heinous behavior, a deprived behavior. I was very proud of myself when I would speak with others and very high high high on my high horse as the saying goes. I look back in shame on this. Shame that I was such a judging young person.

As far as politics go I can only remember my parents speaking negatively about Clinton briefly and his affair. I would say well if he can lie to the American people about his adultery imagine what else he is lying to us about.

It wasn't until this election, this Presidential election that things began to get heated. In the first election my husband and I voted for Clinton. In the next election or final election we voted for President Obama. My entire family voted instead for McCain.

Both my husband, my dad and my brother were laid off of work. My dad started watching more of Fox (Faux news) daily and reading Glen Beck books. Never before had he been interested in discussing politics or really bringing them into the realm of "christianity." All of the sudden his men's christian groups were focusing in on the political world namely our newly elected President. One church that our family is familiar with Calvary Chapel Chino Hills recently held a town hall meeting promoting that the health care for all bill is voted down. Something seemed incredibly wrong with this picture and still does to me.

Now I don't mind a debate. In fact I like to debate. I enjoy it. Where it gets trouble some for me is when it becomes personal. I have been told by family you cannot be a Christian if you support our President or are progressive. I am not affiliated with a political party but have said I am progressive so that's why they go that way. I have been told you grew up believing homosexual marriage is wrong and abortion is wrong how can you now be a progressive. I have been told I don't "serve my country" and wouldn't even if I had the chance. When I retorted I do serve my country I am a community server of sorts the response back was that's not serving your country.

But all this to say the point of my post the reason I am a Progressive. I am a Progressive thinker because of my son and the fact he has autism. Those that are Progressive their goal is to save programs that serve people with disabilities such as autism. The goal on the other side of the aisle has been to ward off tax hikes and cut programs. All of the programs that have helped people with autism have been spear headed by Progressives, from social security, medicare, Americans with Disabilities Act and more. One of my heroes and lion of the Senate Ted Kennedy made it his mission to assist those with disabilities. I believe at the root of Progressive is to put people before profit, a sense that we must look out for one another, love one another, care about one another. The other side speaks of letting the weak fail and that the strong shall survive and that you can get through things if you pull yourself up by your bootstraps. They speak lovingly of democracy and the country first motto but in reality what our country is is a capitalist me first society. When I think of what Jesus would look at in terms of how he was in the New Testament here on Earth I think of Progressive. And look I am not saying that this President is perfect or that I agree with every policy. I am purely speaking of the philosophy that goes alongside the party of Democrats that are Progressive and Republicans that are Conservative. I am a Christian and I am Progressive. And I believe that in my interpretation of the Bible and more specifically the new Testament Jesus would have called himself a Progressive rather than a Conservative anyday.

Parents Just Don't Understand

Something I have been thinking about writing about but haven't is the subject of extended family and their response to autism or a child who has autism. My family specifically likes to use food. Food represents love. So when my son who has autism can no longer eat the foods my extended family eats the choice has been to let him cheat, to force him to abstain, not to attend events etc. When I have had parties and have tried to make foods my son can eat for the entire family or order them special I have been criticized for doing so and told to make or buy the rest of the people there "real" food.

My son doesn't want to love on or hug just anyone. It seems the only way my parents especially can relate to my son is by disciplining him. Aidan get off that table! Aidan No, No! He looks at them and sometimes listens. That's the only time they get a look from him normally so that's all I find them doing with him, verbal discipline.

Then there are the other members of our family. Let's just say they don't all rush to volunteer to watch him while we are somewhere and I want to do something else like have a grown up discussion. Never mind the fact that my husband and I were the token watchers of all nieces and nephews for them. I have never ever been able to relax, take it easy and enjoy at a family gathering with someone in my family saying hey don't worry I will watch him for a bit.

Who I have become as a matter of becoming an autism parent is something my family and parents just don't understand. They have no idea what I do, what groups I belong too, why my ideology on so many things has changed. Some families especially grandparents when they hear a grandchild has autism it is as if some mechanism forces them into action and they become so interested and wanting to help their child who has a child with autism. I thought that would happen at least with my mom but it didn't. Oftentimes I feel like such an outsider with my extended family. Their reaction or lack of reaction has been so demoralizing. I think I just needed an outlet to express that.