A Father Warrior's Autism Message: "Yes We Can."

Managing Editor's Note: We received this email from John Ruch. He left a comment, "Yes We Can." that really should be a post. So here it is:

By John Ruch

My non-verbal 6yr old son Ben was unusually restless the night before the election and dragged me downstairs repeating an utterance that sounded a lot like an approximation for "Obama". You have got to love and be moved by the message of hope that is Obama, and in that spirit I am offering an autism verse to the "Yes We Can" song, a declaration of a
hopeful people. (The You Tube clip is at the end of this post.)

We have a chance to educate a new President this morning, and we will summon our energy, creativity, compassion and love and teach him about autism.

Yes we can.

We will give him a lesson in science and statistics without institutional politics, and lay out a path to answer our most pressing questions, the questions of our childrens' future.

Yes we can.

We will persevere against the obstacles that until now have denied our very existence. We will introduce our children to the world, in numbers and names and faces that can no longer  be ignored.

Yes we can.

In the not so distant future, our work will bear out and we will hear a message from the top.

Through our struggle against the lies of omission, in the days ahead we will come to hear our President declare a worldwide crisis of humanity, a festering planetary epidemic, an age of autism.

Yes we can.

With that message clear we can focus not on getting to Mars, but on bringing our children  home.

Yes we can.

We will find the causes of autism and reverse the waves that are crashing down upon us.

Yes we can.

We will research the remedies of autism so that as parents we do not have to rely on hope  alone.

Yes we can.

We will take away the self-serving assurances and chase out the snake oil salesmen of all  types with the truth, because our children deserve better.

Yes we can.

We will beat back this beast and put it in its cage, and together the reward of our struggle  will be that we will see our children recover and walk free again, and talk free again, and live free again.

Yes we can. Yes we can. Yes we can.

John Ruch is a Father Warrior.

Comments

[Lisa Clark]

That is so beautiful. I am so full of hope. I can't wait to see these words put into action. America has spoken it's time for things to change. It's funny I voted Republican, but I am relieved that Obama won. Now , I am waiting for him to really shine.

[Mara]

This is an amazingly beautiful and heartfelt entry. Though I am not a parent of a child with autism, I am a new mom to a beautiful little girl. I am so thankful that she is healthy and I plan to do everything in my power to keep it that way, but I cannot control some of the outside forces. I struggle over our choice to vaccinate. For now, we won't be vaccinating her until someone can prove to us, without a doubt, that the vaccines are not one of the causes of autism. I am hopeful that soon, with Obama as our president (it's so wonderful to say that finally), that some non-biased studies can be performed on the link between autism and vaccines rather than the numerous studies performed by those with a connection to the vaccine manufacturers. As Robert F. Kennedy said, where are the exhaustive studies comparing the Amish populations with non-Amish. I admire all the parents' dedication, devotion, and never-ending desire to help your children and hopefully soon find the true causes of autism.

[Randy]

On John's last note, I would like to extend my previous sentiments to Allison as well (it was certainly implied, but worth stating here now)

[Ben's Dad]

I apologize Allison for creating a distraction on your important and substantive post. I just didn’t know where to put this tune in my head.

Just for the record, my extraordinary wife is the warrior champion in our house, and I am her warrior trainee. Unfortunately her job bars her from having a more public voice, and for some odd reason even blocks this site.

RFK Jr is getting beaten up over his comments on vaccines today on Kos and elsewhere, and for expressing his supportive concerns over mercury he has been labeled as anti-science and unfit for the EPA post. I have absolutely no patience for the lies anymore, and if there is one thing that recent events have taught me, it is that a clear and swift delivery of the omitted truth will win every time, but it takes a lot of preparation to be ready to take advantage of those opportunities. It won’t be easy, but as many of you have already shown, we can do it.

[Randy]

John / Ben's Dad - your comments in this forum are always articulate and inspiring - thank you

[Keith]

thanks for letting me know Allison

it eases my mind somewhat

[Sargent Goodchild]

Barack Obama is a critical thinker and intelligent. The case for Greening our Vaccines is in far better hands now than it has been for the last eight years. We should all be optimistic for what the future holds.

In health,
Sargent L. Goodchild, Jr.
Exec. Director
Active Healing, Inc.
www.activehealing.org

[AnneS]

John, that is beautiful.
We need to "you-tube" your version :-)

[Allison]

John,
I too loved your comment on my letter. I was inspired by your words. I love that video as well. We will not stop fighting for our children to be heard. And I believe "Yes we can" or else I wouldn't have spent so much of my time. This is our time, it's everyone's time. I'm very much looking forward to seeing which direction he may take us, I believe he will listen and learn and once his understanding is stronger he will do something. I may be naive, however faith is just that, faith. I'm lucky to still have it after all we've been through however I would not serve my son if I didn't have the faith to continue to fight for him to come back, climb up the spectrum and regain his health. Thank you for your beautiful contribution!

And my sister wants to know if you are single. LOL!

Keith, Axelrod is not the parent with a child with autism Michael Strautmanis is. I think Allen is making things up.

[Keith]

Arthur Allen states that David Axelrod has Obama's ear that vaccines are not implicated in autism. If this is so, we have an uphill battle.

Though he did PROMISE to listen even when he didnt agree (no promise to do anything but listen so far)

[Andrea]

Beautifully inspirational John. Thanks.