This couple appears in the film to be healthy, handsome and normal.
After a few years of pestering, with retaliatory threats because of my repeated questions, why persons with disabilities were never portrayed on taxpayer funded PBS stations in Boston, the stations actually (will wonders never cease?) broadcast a few full length features by independent videographers. The one being broadcast in January 2016 on WGBH-TV Boston and other PBS stations shows five people diagnosed with autism and their thoughts on love. They appear to be no different than thoughts expressed by poets and philosophers through the ages, and ordinary people alive today. The definitions expressed are pretty good. Two of the persons shown do not appear to have any serious illness. Nonetheless it is curious that the producer focused on love. Human services industry professionals assist people they declare disabled. Do they ever encourage them to enjoy love and romantic relationships as other people do?
Then there are three (of six) cable access television stations, CCTV, in Cambridge, MA (which receives about $1 million each year from the City). The executive director with a straight face explained to me that they could not find any features showing persons with disabilities to broadcast, as the reason why persons with disabilities seldom appeared on that station. That is Cambridge, MA the host city of Harvard University, MIT and Lesley University. The morally superior city which has a misguided self image as holier than thou.
Permanent host of PBS Greater Boston James Braude, former Cambridge, MA City Councilor omits persons with disabilities from appearing as guests on his show. He continues the tradition of Emily Rooney his predecessor.
Banning persons with disabilities is bad enough. The same show invites black people, women, homosexuals and Muslims to speak about how they experience discrimination. In Braude's mind everybody loves people with disabilities. Not so. They just don't think about them. For Braude every time there is a mass shooting he expresses a bigoted view, stereotyping people with disabilities as dangerous, violent and likely to take up arms and shoot up a theater or school. Braude objects vigorously to stereotyping black people, women, homosexuals and Muslims. But not so much for persons with disabilities, who he continues to insult on his taxpayer funded television show.
The same with CBS News' prestigous commentator, Andy Rooney's daughter, Emily Rooney. She was news director at WCVB-TV, Boston before she moved to public television. She now hosts a weekly show called Beat The Press, where her guests attack and ridicule conservative media errors, but ignore liberal bias. It is humorous to watch them make fools of themselves. Rooney refused to invite persons with disabilities on Greater Boston when she was the host. On Beat The Press she has a regular black lesbian, who hosts the Basic Black show, a few homosexuals, other black Harvard University elitists, but never, never anyone with a disability. For Rooney people with disabilities have no ability to repeat the liberal mantra and are unable to criticize, to listen to, or to read what is written, broadcast, published and posted online.
Taxpayer funded WGBH-TV, Boston's PBS station has a weekly show called Basic Black. Only upper class professional black people, e.g., professors, celebrities, journalists, are permitted on the show, which focuses on how black people can get more power and more money. They discuss how racist white people are, and how they enjoy privileges, which black people do not. People with disabilities are never seen on Basic Black or on WGBH, except as noted herein in recent days on independent shows. Not even black people with disabilities. That too is remarkable.
Harvard University when confronted with its bias against disability, marches out the few black disabled students they allow to matriculate. Never are white people with disabilities recognized at Harvard University. That is a fact. Over the past 20 years I am a tenant at a building owned and operated by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Harvard University campus police employees and building superintendents conducted and conduct a brutal criminal harassment campaign every day and every night. They disturb my sleep every one or two hours. They provoke, insult, ridicule, and humiliate me saying "He's crazy." But when I seek assistance from state and local taxpayer funded human services agencies they tell me, "There's nothing wrong with you." Their students tamper with my home computer, accessing it remotely to sabotage my use. For the elite at Harvard University and on public TV, disabled people are preferred targets for criminal abuse and bullying. No one listens to them and no one gives them a platform to petition for equal treatment by the four major approved victim groups.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/autism-in-love/
link to full video until April 10, 2016 9 [one hour, 13 minutes
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/videos/autism-in-love/
Autism in Love
Independent Lens Production
Broadcast on WGBH-TV
Monday January 11, 2016
More broadcasts in January 2016 see web page link above
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Filmmaker Sophie and her son Ben
Sophie and Ben
Short about disabled child, raised by alternative family.
Aunt Dona and Grandmother Mimi
Film maker Sophie recognized she was unable to be so unselfish to take care of her aunt as her grandmother took care of her aunt.
Her son Ben, was diagnosed as having autism, as she had a history of autism. Aunt Dona asked to leave public schools in second grade. Ben entered school in second grade.
Ben: "Differences are what makes us human. I mean, imagine if we were all the exact same person. The world would be a boring place! And now since, and since we have differences that makes the, that makes the world an entertaining, that makes the world unique. And I feel like autism and Asperger's Syndrome are just a difference, where your brain is built a different way, and it's completely fine to be different because it's what makes us human."
