🚀 go-pugleaf

(crossposted to all four groups although I only read
bit.listserv.autism)

On Wed, 05 Jul 2000 12:01:11 -0400, Ted Rosenberg
<Tedrosenberg@iname.com> wrote:

>Did you READ that piece of tripe, I thought I would split my sides laughing.  I
>can't imagine anyone is stupid enough to actually BELIEVE any of it.

The primary definition of "tripe" refers to it as a food.  It's not to
everyone's taste - its secondary definition likely came about from the
common practice of ridiculing that which the majority does not
like/appreciate/understand - but it is nourishing nonetheless, and of
real value to some.

The site in question seems to describe a way of looking at things
which works for its authors.  I am autistic, and much (but not all) of
it seemed sensible to me, although I strongly disagree that Avril is
somehow *the* spokesperson/interpreter for all autistic folks.  If she
and I happen to say some of the same things, this does not mean that
she speaks *for* me.  The concept of someone being the "one true
messenger" has IMO caused untold suffering, and it just doesn't seem
to me to work very well, so I don't subscribe to it.

As a tool for gaining understanding or sharing one's thoughts/ideas,
derision seems awfully weak to me.  I've learned that if I am angry
there is always another emotion behind/underneath the anger, and that
the situation won't be resolved until I deal with it.  Maybe the same
holds true of derision - that unless what is behind the derision is
brought out, all that results is useless posturing/namecalling.
Ridiculing others doesn't seem very productive toward learning *or*
teaching anything...

- Dave http://webpages.charter.net/dspicer