Ok, I know this is a blog about my life on the Spectrum, but today I have to dip into the political arena, just a bit. And heck, this is my blog, so I can and shall do as I please. :)
For those that have their heads buried under a pillow or have spent the last week sipping mai tais on a deserted beach without electricity, Andrew Breitbart passed away of a heart attack just after midnight on March 1, 2012. Political activist that fought the machine for all he was worth, laughed in the face of the copious amounts of hate that was piled on him, fearless defender of America and of all new media people seeking to find the truth, he was also a beloved husband and father of four, who will be greatly missed.
Now, not being a political blogger or a mover and shaker in that arena, I never met him. And still his vision, strength, kindness, and sheer guts impressed me greatly, and I am still having a hard time believing he is gone. I can't imagine how badly the many, many people who knew him feel if I am still shaky about it. There are many. MANY good videos and blog entries about him, but I encourage you highly to read this post (about Andrew Breitbart, which shows his interests were many and varied) from an EXCELLENT site about Autism and source for good information, Rethinking Autism.
In a future post I will write why I like the blog Rethinking Autism and am not so much a fan of Autism Speaks, but that is for the future.
Today, what interests me is whether I, indeed, have the guts to be Andrew Breitbart.
Do I have the strength to stand up against the narrative, knowing full well I will alienate friends and family in the process? Do I have the determination to blog regularly, do research, and be consistent? Do I have the ability to write well enough, charismatically enough, to make a difference?
In other words, can I channel even the smallest portion of the legacy of Andrew Breitbart and join the thousands of others who share the same vision of America, the same understanding of the culture war and the outright collusion between government and the media, and are frankly sick and tired of letting the narrative be taken away from us? Am I, finally, ready to stand with these bloggers and start fighting back?
I'd like to say I do it in little ways. I vote. I am clear about what I believe and don't shy away from it. But I don't invite or incite political discussion either.
But maybe, just maybe, it is time. Because as Steve Green points out in this Trifecta episode, it is time to start speaking.
Do I have a voice? Breitbart would have said yes. He then would have cracked open a bottle of wine, sat down, and showed me exactly how.
We are all Breitbart now. We have to be. Because the cost is too high not to do it.
#WAR
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