To: The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate
Tell Susanne Atanus that Children With Autism Are Not A Punishment From God
Please denounce Ms. Atanus' statement that God is sending autism as a punishment for marriage equality and legal abortion. Ms. Atanus is a GOP primary candidate in the 9th Congressional District in Illinois. As individuals with autism and as parents, families and friends of people with autism, we are greatly offended by Ms. Atanus' exploitation of the triumphs and tragedies that go hand in hand with autism for her own petty political purposes. Ms. Atanus characterizes herself as "pro-life," but her characterization of autism as a "punishment from God" treats individuals with autism as a less desirable class of human. Please add your voice to the many who refuse to stand by while Ms. Atanus marginalizes our fellow Americans who happen to have autism.
Why is this important?
I am the mother of two children with autism and have been involved in the autism community for nearly 2 decades. There is a great deal of dangerous historical precedent for categorizing medical conditions as God's punishment. It leads to people with those conditions being treated as lesser human beings, something that is unacceptable in a democratic society.