{"id":311,"date":"2019-09-15T01:22:50","date_gmt":"2019-09-15T04:22:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/?p=311"},"modified":"2019-09-15T01:22:51","modified_gmt":"2019-09-15T04:22:51","slug":"no-life-is-not-black-or-white-lets-help-youth-see-the-light-of-hope-between-the-shades-of-grey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/2019\/09\/15\/no-life-is-not-black-or-white-lets-help-youth-see-the-light-of-hope-between-the-shades-of-grey\/","title":{"rendered":"No life is not black or white: Let\u2019s help youth see the light of hope between the shades of grey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
No life is not black or white: Let’s help youth see the light of hope between the shades of grey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bambi\u2019s current post is a quick comment to an article by Naomi Klein that she just read in the Toronto Star<\/em> (Sept 14, 2019) and entitled \u201cMaxime Bernier attacked Greta Thunberg\u2019s autism. Naomi Klein says autism made the teen a global voice of conscience\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.thestar.com\/opinion\/contributors\/2019\/09\/14\/maxime-bernier-attacked-greta-thunbergs-autism-naomi-klein-says-autism-made-the-teen-a-global-voice-of-conscience.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bambi cannot help not to weigh in on the conclusion of\nKlein\u2019s article before commenting on its introduction because, in her mind,\nencouraging a black and white view in youth is worrisome. This is even a bigger\nthreat than climate change or Maxime Bernier\u2019s clumsy yet possibly hurtful\nwords. Bambi will explain in the following paragraphs:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is surprising how Naomi Klein, a brilliant\nmiddle-aged writer\/activist and a mother, forgot how teen brains are not fully\ndeveloped yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether with high functioning end of the autism spectrum\ndisorder (i.e. Asperger syndrome) or not, all youth go through adolescence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adolescents typically have trouble understanding all the\nnuances or complexities underlying experiences and behaviours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, adolescents typically tend to see the world in black<\/em>\nand in white<\/em> or in good and bad. In other terms, they have a simple view\nof what is good and bad, what is right or wrong, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To add more complexity to the above, adolescence is a\ntime of dramatic and rapid biological in addition to psychological and social\nchanges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is an increased risk of depression, regardless\nof any complex care need like autism spectrum disorder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, child and adolescent epidemiological data\ngenerally agree that before puberty the rates of clinical depression are\nsimilar in girls and boys. However, gender differences tend to begin to appear\nduring adolescence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greta is an adolescent girl with autism. It is well\nknown that teens with autism spectrum disorder often experience medical mental\nhealth disorders, such as anxiety and clinical depression (depression usually\ngoes hand in hand with anxiety). They may also have medical physical problems\nand challenges in transitioning to adulthood.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All this is of course independent of any climate\nchange crisis (or breakdown, to use Klein\u2019s term). Imagine with concerns about\nit then? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, adults have the duty to simply support youth\nduring their adolescence journey and transition to adulthood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, like Greta, youth with similar conditions\ncan teach us about life. They can inspire us in many ways with their\nintelligence and ability to focus on matters for a long period of times\n(obsessions). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, let\u2019s not forget that we all have a bit\nof Greta in us. By this, Bambi means that we can all have autistic traits. This\nbeing said, Greta\u2019s story of mental health issues is not a secret. It is\nactually public: her mother published a book and Bambi has read her mom\u2019s\ntweets or interviews. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a clinical depressive episode, people (young and\nold) may have a black and white<\/em>\nview of the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, it may be unwise to\nencourage both Greta and her young peers to remain trapped in this view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bearing this in mind, Bambi would like to comment now on\nthe introduction of Klein\u2019s article. The author started by writing about how\nMr. Maxime Bernier \u201cinsulted\u201d Greta (in one tweet out of a series) by stating her\nmental health struggles in order to score a certain point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, he did not choose the most sensitive words, Bambi\nsadly agrees. However, he had the humility to clarify his thoughts afterwards. How\nmany politicians have the courage\/humility to do so? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bambi watched\/listened to the video of Klein with Greta\nand her other talented peers. What a smart, friendly, and funny girl this Greta\n?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Klein was excellent\nin general and happy to meet Greta. However, at one point, she took the time to\nmention Mr. Bernier\u2019s story to Greta and her American audience, without any\napparent consideration for Greta\u2019s feelings. Perhaps she asked her privately\nbefore if she can ask this question? Who knows? Luckily, Greta seemed to joke\nabout this story. Perhaps she has already learned to develop a thick skin like\npoliticians? Good for her then! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for Bambi, she would have preferred to see Klein debating\nwith Bernier about Greta\u2019s comments: \u201cTo solve the climate crisis, we have the\nmoney in the banks. Just give it away\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyhow, it surprising how an experienced writer, like Ms.\nKlein, omitted to cite her references properly. Specifically, she started her\narticle by informing us that Mr. Bernier is the \u201cleader of the *extremist*\nPeople\u2019s Party of Canada\u201d. However, instead of inserting a link to his\npolitical party and letting us see for ourselves his extremism, she inserted\/cited\nan article in the Toronto Star about him. Instead of showing the readers the\nbio of Mr. Bernier, she inserted a link to another (biased) article about this\npolitician.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Bernier\u2019s words may have been interpreted as being\ninsulting to Greta. Klein\u2019s words could be said to be insulting the Toronto\nStar<\/em> readers\u2019 intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To come back to Greta, Klein added: \u201cIn fact, a big\npart of what has made Thunberg such an inspiring figure, is the fact that she\nis a living proof that diversity \u2014 in her case neurodiversity \u2014 is absolutely\nkey to the survival of our species\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well said\u2026 but what about the (intellectual, political,\nand scientific) diversity? Doesn\u2019t this matter anymore? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, Klein noted that people on the autism\nspectrum disorder are \u201cintensely vulnerable to bullying” because of the\nneurodiversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interesting point with which Bambi agrees. However, what\nabout their intensive vulnerability to political child use (abuse?)? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyhow, Bambi worries about how Greta will fare in the\nlong-term given all this premature fame in life. Is she really equipped to deal\nwith it? Of course, her parents are there to protect her. However, they can\nalso end up suffering from fame by proxy or from their own fame (as activists\nor as artists). Indeed, numerous examples of young Rock or Hollywood stars\nteach us that fame is challenging. After becoming famous, it is hard to turn\nback. The pressure can become unbearable for all, especially for an adolescent\n(with autism and\/or co-occurring other medical problems). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klein also wrote about how, \u201cat age 15, she decided to\nstop doing the one thing all kids are supposed to do when everything is normal:\ngo to school\u201d.  Is this an insinuation\nthat it is OK for other kids to stop going to school now to be like Greta. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Klein, \u201cpretty much *every aspect of our\neconomy* would have to change if we were to decide to take climate change\nseriously, and there are many powerful interests that like things as they are\u201d.\nIsn\u2019t this solution too extreme (not Bernier then ?)? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klein concluded her article as follows: \u201cBecause if\nthe emissions have to stop, then we must stop the emissions. To me that is\nblack or white.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This white and black view scares Bambi. Although she\nmay be wrong, it can lead to an intolerance for any developing nuance in one\u2019s\nown thinking and\u2026 in others\u2019 diversity of opinions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is one thing to lecture adults. It is another thing\nto play the same game with adolescents. Indeed, Bambi is concerned not about\nthe climate problem per se (although this is important) but rather by the whole\nworld-wide \u201ccircus\u201d or drama around Greta\/the climate. Even someone as\naccomplished as Naomi Klein seems to be inflating her own public image with\nGreta\u2019s brand name.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teens usually have existential questions concerning values,\nlove, friendship, parents, the future, society, morality, religion\u2026.and\njustice. They naturally question everything. They judge adults. Sometimes they\ndo so very harshly because, as mentioned above, they cannot see the nuances yet.\nThey are also searching for and building their own identity. They remain\nvulnerable, despite their increasing autonomy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To conclude this post, school is usually important for\nchildren\u2019s education all the time, not just from Monday to Thursday. Plus, it\ncosts money to skip all these Fridays. Instead of strikes (where many kids are\njust excited by skipping school), let\u2019s help youth keep focused. They will need\ntheir focus and hard work to graduate. Some of them will eventually train to\nbecome the scientists of tomorrow. Those scientists who will innovate solutions\nto the world\u2019s climate change problem. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bambi\u2019s current post is a quick comment to an article by Naomi Klein that she just read in the Toronto Star (Sept 14, 2019) and entitled \u201cMaxime Bernier attacked Greta Thunberg\u2019s autism. Naomi Klein says […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=311"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":313,"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311\/revisions\/313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}