Autism and Aspergers =/= Violence or Misogyny

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Last Saturday I reflected on the tragedy of the Santa Barbara shootings. Within my entry, I have claimed that some sites are labeling Elliot Rodgers, the gunman behind the atrocity, as being written off as mentally ill. More specifically, Rodgers was supposedly suffering from Aspergers.

Aspergers is a high functioning form of Autism. It can often lead to awkward social interaction, repeat behavior, and clumsiness. These symptoms often start in the early normal language and cognitive development. Notice that nowhere in that definition is the word ‘violence’ included, but look at stories of Rodgers and you will notice that ‘Aspergers’ is splattered throughout the articles.

I find it sickening that the media would use such a scapegoat for something that they refuse to acknowledge. Instead of noting that what Rodgers did was out of hatred and misogyny, they choose to pinpoint it to a mental illness he doesn’t even have. While in other stories it was stated that Rodgers went to multiple therapists, we don’t know what exactly for. He could have possibly gone for the loneliness that he claimed he had, which was caused from his lack of friends and many rejections. However, his loneliness doesn’t connect to Aspergers, especially for the definition I just said. Plus wouldn’t the therapists have diagnosed him with Aspergers prior to the event, if not the first few visitations? And would the therapy and possible medication have stopped the shooting? We will never know.

Even some articles claim that Aspergers and violence have no connection whatsoever and they’re at the complete opposites of the spectrum. Instead, children who have Aspergers are often targets for violence as opposed to committing it. So rather than acknowledging misogyny and that it is incredibly wrong and flawed, the media chooses to use a mental disorder as a scapegoat. Not only does this make Rodgers and Lanza seem like tragic characters who were acting under the influence of an illness, but it gives a bad name to those who actually have this specific disorder. The media is damaging thousands of people who unfortunately have Aspergers, leading them to be attacked and discriminated against because of the “terrible things” their disorder can cause them to perform.

I’ve known people with Autism and Aspergers and to be honest, they’re no different from you and me. They’re just trying to get through life, if not with a little more difficulty. For them to be labeled as a part of a group where someone who couldn’t handle rejection well or felt like shooting up a school is just disgraceful. Those killers don’t belong in that group, especially Rodgers; who should be in a separate, acknowledged group of misogyny crime and not crime caused by a mental illness he didn’t even have.

Feel free to reblog, comment, and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed. So, what are your thoughts on Rodgers? Do you think he had Aspergers and why?

Elliot Rodger: The Misogynistic Murderer

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

There are times when I honestly give up on society and humanity because of how some people are. Some people can be so idiotic you don’t know how they function. Others sympathize with killers because they are ‘mentally ill’ when in truth they are nothing more than misogynistic loners.

Today, six victims were killed in a drive by shooting in Isla Vista, in Santa Barbara, a California college town. The murderer has been identified as Elliot Rodger, a twenty two year old who wanted retribution for no woman having relations with him.

Just before the killing spree, Rodger posted a video on Youtube. In the segment, Rodger claimed that college was a time for sex and pleasure, none of which any female would give him. None of them were ever attracted to him and he has felt loneliness since puberty. He also declared himself a God and the superior gentleman, thus flexing his masculinity. His beliefs of women owing him sex and that he was entitled to intercourse can be seen as misogynistic.  Rodger also had other videos on his Youtube account, discussing about why girls don’t want to be with him, his reaction to other couples, and many other videos. He even wrote a manifesto ‘My Twisted World’ chronicling his life and his many rejections up until the time of the murder.

As opposed to coping with his loneliness and understanding that women aren't alive to bow down to men or be their toys, he decided to go on a murdering rampage. He first killed three of his apartment tenants, gunned down some young ladies outside the campus’ sorority, stabbed a man in a deli, had a shoot out with some police officers and injured thirteen, and then proceeded to take his own life after wrecking his vehicle.

Some news sites have written Rodger off as having a ‘mental illness’, even though the boy has not properly been diagnosed or treated for being mentally ill. While he has been supposedly seeing multiple therapists, his mentality does not excuse the crime for which he has committed. His misogynistic beliefs and enforcement of male dominance, do not pardon him from the crimes either. Rather, they show that misogyny is still running amok in this world, leading men to murder, harass, and rape women for no reason at all. It also depicts that as a society, we would rather label a murderer’s intent as a mental illness as opposed to misogyny.

This is what makes me lose hope in humanity. That there are men out there like Rodger who are not only getting played off as a tragic victim to a mental illness, but also being treated as a hero to other men who share his views. That is another factor that makes me lose faith in this world: misogynistic, chauvinistic, and ruthless men who believe that they are God’s gift to the world, that women only exist for their pleasure, and the actions they commit because of these beliefs.

Women are entitled to their own bodies and have the right to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and choose who they want to be with.  Yet there are some men who believe otherwise. We women have come so far as inspirational icons, leaders, discoverers, artists, rebels, protesters, and many other aspiring positions. We are tigers with burning eyes and lipstick, we are heel clad warriors with Einstein like intelligence, we are delicate cherry blossoms with thorny wit, and we are beautiful. We are no sex toys to any man and if they don’t like that we say ‘no’ to their sexual advances, then tough bananas. We are no inferior gender, we are just as strong, if not stronger, and if this world can’t see that, then there’s clearly something wrong with it.

Misogyny is real and it’s men like Elliot Rodger who enforce it. Regretfully there are other men in this world who enforce Rodger’s beliefs and exercise them on a daily basis. I believe it’s time for the world to wake up and see that this is a serious issue. Don’t you agree?

May those who lost their lives in this horrific tragedy by Rodgers’ hands rest in peace. As for Rodger, well, there’s a special place in Hell for men like him, and I hope the Devil gives him his due.