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Comment by arcticfox | Hacker News Reader

He's specifically talking about nonverbal kids like mine. I'm sorry, it's a disability, and I'm terrified what's going to happen to my kid when I'm gone. I don't think RFK Jr's policies will help and I didn't vote for them. But the amount of frustration I have towards comments like yours that ignore our worlds is immense. At least RFK Jr speaks honestly and candidly.

The challenges a level 1 autistic person faces are well recognized and good for network TV. finally - finally! - someone is talking about the rest of the population that face far greater challenges.

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> At least RFK Jr speaks honestly

That's a very strange take considering he's known to spread lies. The very comment you replied to demonstrated that. He says that vaccines cause autism - they don't. He says that "Most cases now are severe." - they aren't.

I wouldn't say his record shows that he is either honest or candid:

https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-samoa-measles-kennedy-vacc...

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rfk-jr-disqualified-from-ne...

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2023/jul/19/robert-f-k...

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/01/politics/rfk-jr-fact-check-co...

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politic...

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/debunking-some-of-rfk-...

It is that old joke from Seinfeld's Constanza:

It is not a lie, if you believe in it.

From context, I thought he was talking about 1 in 31 eight-year olds (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/ss/ss7402a1.htm?ACSTrack...)

The kindness, sincerity and honestly that you attribute to his words are distinctly not there. Otherwise, he wouldn't be pitching pseudo-scientific views after ignoring and firing career professionals in the field. You have an autistic kid. Weren't you still able to recognize the dozen or so absolute falsehoods about autism that he spouted in that half an hour? What's even worse it that his tone and behavior has a very familiar and dreadful analogue from the past. Read your GP's top-level comment. At this point, people are simply ignoring the dozen flashing red lights. Do you really believe that he cares more about people's health than all the researchers who were working on several topics like this, whom he fired?

> The challenges a level 1 autistic person faces are well recognized and good for network TV.

Those level 2 and 3 people you seem to be so worried about are the ones who are going to suffer the most. At least we know how to mask it in public.

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