When I hear talk on this subject, talking about those who are ignorant or gullible and what they do or don't deserve, or the stakes of personal responsibility, it makes me think of how neurotypical that is. We have awareness nowadays of those who have disorders that allow them high functioning status in society, yet their cognitive function is different than what is considered typical or the ideal.
I know that might seem biased to reach for the extreme, "why isn't it okay then to take advantage of someone with mental disabilities?" But in my mind, there's very little to differentiate someone with high-functioning autism or Aspergers and someone who is uneducated, naive, or gullible. They both can dress and clothe themselves, hold a job, have relationships, etc. But they're missing certain aspects of cognitive function that some others typically have. Do they still have personal responsibility? Or are neurotypical people responsible for protecting their interests? Does the label/diagnosis make it okay/not okay, or is it the state of their mental awareness and capabilities that defines whether they're being taken advantage of or not?
That's the way I see it.
I know that might seem biased to reach for the extreme, "why isn't it okay then to take advantage of someone with mental disabilities?" But in my mind, there's very little to differentiate someone with high-functioning autism or Aspergers and someone who is uneducated, naive, or gullible. They both can dress and clothe themselves, hold a job, have relationships, etc. But they're missing certain aspects of cognitive function that some others typically have. Do they still have personal responsibility? Or are neurotypical people responsible for protecting their interests? Does the label/diagnosis make it okay/not okay, or is it the state of their mental awareness and capabilities that defines whether they're being taken advantage of or not?
That's the way I see it.
