On Twitter, 50 Cent had apparently insulted someone that tweeted him by telling this person that he looked autistic. This ignorant quip had the ill-intended effect of the "R" word. Then, 50 Cent followed it up with another comment mentioning special ed. Of course, I was disgusted.
But, I gotta tell ya something. Autism parents are a fiesty bunch! As I was reading about this fiasco, I was thinking about how I could write a very spirited blog post without making him want to get a restraining order against me.
However, I saw that Holly Robinson Peete was leading the charge. I read her letter to 50 Cent and I have to say that she did a first rate, bang up job. I could not have written it any better myself! She was appropriate, informed and powerful. It's all the more reason to like her!
Holly, thank you from the bottom of my heart for representing the autism community so well. It is efforts like these that can help make change in the hearts of people everywhere.
To read the letter Holly Robinson Peete wrote to 50 Cent, click here.
To read a post from Lisa Ackerman of TACA about this, click here.
To read a post about the incident over at Strollerderby, click here.
Oh, and if by some miracle 50 Cent is reading this post, I have something I'd like to share with you...
50, this is what autism looks like in my boys. And, if I do say so myself, it looks damn handsome.
Photography by Dana Napoleon |
Rant complete.
Happy Independence Day!