RFK Jr Is One Of The Biggest Threats To Autistic People

The Systemic Violence Of Terminal American Capitalism

We have probably all heard the claims this week. By September, RFK Jr will tell us the cause of autism. Despite the glaring scientific inaccuracy of this claim, sycophants of Trumps extremist institution are foaming at the mouths like rabid dogs, waiting for a hearty meal of confirmation bias.

It should come as no surprise that RFK is claiming that autism “is caused by an environmental toxin”. This man was an outspoken conspiracy theorist long before Trumps dystopia gave him a seat at the political table. Anti-vaxxers have treated him as some kind of messiah, sent to liberate them from their imagined oppression.

It is clear that regardless of what any science says; RFK under Trumps administration will tell us that autism is a “preventable disease” caused by something environmental. Make no mistake that any findings will not be made easy to scrutinise. The neurodiversity movement is a growing civil rights movement that challenges the core normativity of Trumps dictatorship. Their goal is to undermine and dehumanise us, and they are unlikely to make evidence of their wrongdoing easy to access.

Given the power of the US on the global stage, RFK Jr presents a danger to all Autistic people on the planet. Regardless of your support needs or perceived “severity”, RFK Jr will not make any of our lives better. This is systemic violence from an authoritarian regime. This is the first step in what I fear will be major eugenics program.

This, perhaps, is the true beast we are facing. Eugenics. While Autistic people are the ones under fire now, non-Autistic people should not assume themselves to be safe. In terms of disability justice, Autistic people present an opportunity to test the waters under the guise of helping a suffering group of people. This same ableist can be extended from there to other disabilities.

It also follows that mental health conditions could be similarly targeted, and perhaps more concerningly, disability and mental health could be extended to encompass various minority groups. The fight to preserve Autistic rights and culture is not an isolated battle. It is part of a larger war wherein we are fighting for the rights of all minority groups. We would be fools to think that the likes of RFK Jr. only want to eliminate Autistic people.

His words have rung in my ears ever since I heard them earlier this week. What for many was a beacon of hope is different for me. I hear a declaration of war on people I love and care for. I hear a candid admission that the US government desires my elimination. It is not enough anymore to simply muse on the shortcomings of our neuronormative society. Now is a time to stand up and show that Autistic people, or all minorities even, will not disappear quietly into history as a necessary sacrifice.