witzend
Well-Known Member
I am deeply disturbed by the comments the Travolta family have made regarding the possibility that their son Jett had autism. I understand that they say that Jett had Kawasaki disease, and that it may (in incredibly rare cases) cause seizures. I honestly had never given it a thought until they started showing Jett's picture since his death, and he seemed to have so many of the features I see in friends' autistic children.
I understand that as Scientologists they believe that mental health issues are "psychosomatic" and should be treated with "spiritual healing." Here I get a bit confused. Isn't autism a physical disorder? Since when is it a psychological disease? And even if Jett's seizures were from Kawasaki disease and not Autism, were they not treating the seizure from the Kawasaki that they blamed on carpet cleaning products? Jett had a "caretaker". How did he hit his head on the tub so hard that he died immediately, or conversely, how long was he injured and alone in the bathroom? Why did he need a caretaker if the caretaker didn't need to supervise him?
But most of all, what bothers me, is the comment from the family spokesman when it was suggested that Jett was autistic.
We have a small religious sect here in Oregon that believes only in prayer for treatment of illness. Their children die at an alarming rate from very treatable illnesses. Last year a 16 year old died from a kidney infection. It was a horrible death. His nephew had died of a throat infection a few years earlier. There were several deaths in the 1990s. All of these things started with a small discomfort that could have been treated with antibiotics.
We're beginning to prosecute these deaths as manslaughter. The law is being tested and verdicts will be appealed. I mean, obviously sometimes autistic people act out in ways that are difficult to watch and that we would expect healthy people to keep under control. But people with autism aren't healthy. Deaf people make funny noises that a goofy kid might make, but that doesn't make them a goofy kid. That makes them deaf. Since when does having a child with autism mean that you are not a wonderul loving parent whose top priority is your children?
I understand that as Scientologists they believe that mental health issues are "psychosomatic" and should be treated with "spiritual healing." Here I get a bit confused. Isn't autism a physical disorder? Since when is it a psychological disease? And even if Jett's seizures were from Kawasaki disease and not Autism, were they not treating the seizure from the Kawasaki that they blamed on carpet cleaning products? Jett had a "caretaker". How did he hit his head on the tub so hard that he died immediately, or conversely, how long was he injured and alone in the bathroom? Why did he need a caretaker if the caretaker didn't need to supervise him?
But most of all, what bothers me, is the comment from the family spokesman when it was suggested that Jett was autistic.
The couple's lawyer Marty Singer bluntly rejected the claims. "The Travoltas are wonderful, loving parents, and their priority is their children," he said. "They have (taken) and they continue to take the best possible care of their children. To suggest anything to the contrary is very hurtful to a loving family and also would be false and defamatory."
That's just confusing. Was he physically ill and they were treating him with medicine? Or was he "mentally ill" and "Spritual guidance" wasn't working out? I mean, I don't want to judge anyone's spiritual beliefs, but that's convoluted, isn't it? Isn't Autism a medical condition?
We have a small religious sect here in Oregon that believes only in prayer for treatment of illness. Their children die at an alarming rate from very treatable illnesses. Last year a 16 year old died from a kidney infection. It was a horrible death. His nephew had died of a throat infection a few years earlier. There were several deaths in the 1990s. All of these things started with a small discomfort that could have been treated with antibiotics.
We're beginning to prosecute these deaths as manslaughter. The law is being tested and verdicts will be appealed. I mean, obviously sometimes autistic people act out in ways that are difficult to watch and that we would expect healthy people to keep under control. But people with autism aren't healthy. Deaf people make funny noises that a goofy kid might make, but that doesn't make them a goofy kid. That makes them deaf. Since when does having a child with autism mean that you are not a wonderul loving parent whose top priority is your children?