Comments on: Sorry - a word for all Australians http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/02/12/sorry-a-word-for-all-australians/ Ever the arty Autie Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:30:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Sarah http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/02/12/sorry-a-word-for-all-australians/#comment-18591 Sarah Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:46:56 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/02/12/sorry-a-word-for-all-australians/#comment-18591 Greetings! My name is Sarah Edwards, and I am an Aspie (a.k.a. I have Asperger’s Syndrome) and I am a medical student. I am working with another medical student, Sara Dungavell, on an ethics project about the meaning of words. We are working under the supervision of an ethicist named Dr. Jeff Nisker. Sara and I noticed that the common meanings of the words, “human”, “fully-functional” and “normal”, as well as how the words related to each other, get used to keep people on the Spectrum separate from mainstream society. We think in part it is because the definitions come from people outside the community. We want to know how people within or associated with the Spectrum define these words for themselves, so we are asking some bloggers who are part of the Spectrum community if they would like to give us their own definitions. We found your blog, and that’s why we are e-mailing you and several other bloggers. Once we’ve gathered these new definitions, we plan on analyzing them for common themes about what “normal”, “human”, and “fully-functional” mean and how they are related to each other. We plan on presenting these definitions and analyses to other medical students and the academic community to try and get them thinking about people on the Spectrum differently. Attached to this email is a letter of information that explains what the project is about again, and then at the end it asks for your definitions of “normal”, “human” and “fully-functional”. Okay so obviously this is not the actual email but should you wish to participate please email me and I will send the actual email on. Please read the letter, and then if you want to help us by being part of the research, email us back your definitions and any comments you might have about them. There are no right answers, please just tell us what your definitions are of these words and what they mean to you. Also if you know anyone else who might want to contribute please feel free to email this letter to them too. Feel free to answer beyond the scope of the definitions if you wish or to answer only one or two of the definitions. If you have any questions, or if you’d like to know more about what we are researching, please email me and ask them. Thank you, Sarah Edwards M.D. Class of 2010 Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry The University of Western Ontario sedwards2010@meds.uwo.ca Greetings!
My name is Sarah Edwards, and I am an Aspie (a.k.a. I have Asperger’s Syndrome) and I am a medical student.

I am working with another medical student, Sara Dungavell, on an ethics project about the meaning of words. We are working under the supervision of an ethicist named Dr. Jeff Nisker. Sara and I noticed that the common meanings of the words, “human”, “fully-functional” and “normal”, as well as how the words related to each other, get used to keep people on the Spectrum separate from mainstream society. We think in part it is because the definitions come from people outside the community.

We want to know how people within or associated with the Spectrum define these words for themselves, so we are asking some bloggers who are part of the Spectrum community if they would like to give us their own definitions. We found your blog, and that’s why we are e-mailing you and several other bloggers.

Once we’ve gathered these new definitions, we plan on analyzing them for common themes about what “normal”, “human”, and “fully-functional” mean and how they are related to each other. We plan on presenting these definitions and analyses to other medical students and the academic community to try and get them thinking about people on the Spectrum differently.

Attached to this email is a letter of information that explains what the project is about again, and then at the end it asks for your definitions of “normal”, “human” and “fully-functional”.

Okay so obviously this is not the actual email but should you wish to participate please email me and I will send the actual email on.

Please read the letter, and then if you want to help us by being part of the research, email us back your definitions and any comments you might have about them. There are no right answers, please just tell us what your definitions are of these words and what they mean to you. Also if you know anyone else who might want to contribute please feel free to email this letter to them too. Feel free to answer beyond the scope of the definitions if you wish or to answer only one or two of the definitions. If you have any questions, or if you’d like to know more about what we are researching, please email me and ask them.

Thank you,
Sarah Edwards

M.D. Class of 2010
Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
The University of Western Ontario
sedwards2010@meds.uwo.ca

]]> By: The Integral http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/02/12/sorry-a-word-for-all-australians/#comment-18423 The Integral Sun, 24 Feb 2008 03:17:19 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/02/12/sorry-a-word-for-all-australians/#comment-18423 Adrianna: As a fellow American, I feel that there is finally hope for America to come back to her senses. You're right, we do have a very long way to go....but finally after what feels like forever, there could be, COULD be, depending on what happens in November.........a light at the end of our very long, dark tunnel. The Integral Adrianna: As a fellow American, I feel that there is finally hope for America to come back to her senses. You’re right, we do have a very long way to go….but finally after what feels like forever, there could be, COULD be, depending on what happens in November………a light at the end of our very long, dark tunnel.

The Integral

]]> By: Deborah I. Thorsos http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/02/12/sorry-a-word-for-all-australians/#comment-18404 Deborah I. Thorsos Fri, 22 Feb 2008 05:51:58 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/02/12/sorry-a-word-for-all-australians/#comment-18404 Hi, I feel the same way as both of you do in that it is wrong to exploit indiginous populations. Unfortunately, this has occurred over and over again throughout the world and throughout history. My ancesters, the Jews were exploited and forced into slavery. Some other population such as Native American Indians were forced to live in only selected lands with oppression with high rates of poverty and disease. I now have some photos of my artworks and other things on www.flickr.com and search dithorsos. Here is a link to one of my videos on www.youtube.com: Face Blindness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo2nwD4ldNQ Infantile Autism http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tnfn8vbQwg Breakthrough in Learning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN4WyV4TW30 Debbie Hi,
I feel the same way as both of you do in that it is wrong to exploit indiginous populations. Unfortunately, this has occurred over and over again throughout the world and throughout history. My ancesters, the Jews were exploited and forced into slavery. Some other population such as Native American Indians were forced to live in only selected lands with oppression with high rates of poverty and disease.

I now have some photos of my artworks and other things on http://www.flickr.com and search dithorsos.
Here is a link to one of my videos on http://www.youtube.com:
Face Blindness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo2nwD4ldNQ

Infantile Autism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tnfn8vbQwg

Breakthrough in Learning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN4WyV4TW30

Debbie

]]> By: Adrianna http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/02/12/sorry-a-word-for-all-australians/#comment-18361 Adrianna Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:15:19 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/02/12/sorry-a-word-for-all-australians/#comment-18361 I feel similarly as an American when it comes to compensating the hideous crimes that white people committed against our indigenous people, as well as the many other races and ethtnicities, religions and political affiliations. Of course, Bush will never do such a thing, and we are VERY far from doing all we need to do to apologize for our crimes. No, I never did anything to harm any of these people, but if any of this is to be prevented from happening again, we all need to be aware of these issues and accept them as our own. It is not the Indian thing, or the Jewish problem. It is everyone's thing; it is everyone's problem. I feel similarly as an American when it comes to compensating the hideous crimes that white people committed against our indigenous people, as well as the many other races and ethtnicities, religions and political affiliations.

Of course, Bush will never do such a thing, and we are VERY far from doing all we need to do to apologize for our crimes. No, I never did anything to harm any of these people, but if any of this is to be prevented from happening again, we all need to be aware of these issues and accept them as our own.

It is not the Indian thing, or the Jewish problem. It is everyone’s thing; it is everyone’s problem.

]]> By: alyric http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/02/12/sorry-a-word-for-all-australians/#comment-18345 alyric Mon, 18 Feb 2008 03:29:24 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/02/12/sorry-a-word-for-all-australians/#comment-18345 I saw the speech in Parliament and felt quite proud to be an Australian too (something of a rarity). It was a remarkable speech - might even surpass Chifley's 'the light on the hill'. I saw the speech in Parliament and felt quite proud to be an Australian too (something of a rarity). It was a remarkable speech - might even surpass Chifley’s ‘the light on the hill’.

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