We the people
RFK Jr. wants to make a registry of people with Autism.
Here’s what will happen if he creates such a registry. Parents will stop getting their children tested and adults who suspect they may have Autism won’t be evaluated either.
People will stop seeking medical intervention to avoid being named on the registry and the number of people diagnosed as autistic will drop, drastically.
In triumph, RFK Jr will say he has found a cure for Autism as documented cases drop.
I do not want my medical records under the scrutiny of RFK Jr. I do not want to end up on an undesirable medical list. We have recent history of how people with certain diagnoses are discriminated against.
I can remember hushed conversations from my childhood when adults were talking about someone who had been diagnosed with cancer of some kind. It was as though leukemia or bone cancer was something brought on by a personal sin or failures.
Ignorance of how people became sick was common. We thought smoking was good for us. Corn syrup was the new wonder food. Margarine was better than butter. Sitting in the sun was good for our skin. And seatbelts were odd things in the car no one ever used.
What helped to change all this? Science. Research and development. Changing social norms.
Autistic people have always been part of the human family. We just have a way to describe the different way brains work and behaviors from the different kinds of brain wiring.
Autism is not a sign of parental failure or sin. Science is pretty awesome. Knowledge and facts are not in conflict with faith.
Government lists can be scary though. Not lists such as who has earned enough credits to get Social Security, Medicare, Veterans benefits, voter registration, etc.
The Bible has lists, genealogies, lists of the Apostles. The genealogies of Jesus in the gospels do not agree with each other, but they have some surprises including a number of women’s names and Gentiles. The lists show us how God has worked through generations of faithful and unexpected people to bring about God’s Kingdom on earth.
I am reasonably confident I am on various prayer lists and maybe some other kinds of lists as well!
Lists created to scare people away from seeking help, medical assistance that can be life giving are wrong. Lists to make it seem like a medical condition is disappearing rather than going into hiding will not Make America Healthy Again no matter how the data is manipulated.
Christians are not afraid of the truth. The truth sets us free. Christians are not afraid of science. God has given us minds with which to think and reason and explore and create. God did not want robots. Christians are not afraid of medicine. God has given us the ability to use all God has created for good.
Incompetent, unqualified people running various government agencies or organization will not Make America Great Again.
We make America great, we the people, in all our diversity. We make America great, all the people through many and various ways we worship and serve our neighbors. We make America great, all the people from all over the planet, speaking all the languages.
We the People make America great and healthy, and safe and free when we organize to make those ideals incarnate.
People of God, resists lists that divide us. Hold onto God’s vision for us, all of us made in the image and likeness of God a beautiful array of humanity.
Because Jesus loves you and I do too.