Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vowed to the Trump administration that he will find the cause behind autism. He has called autism a “preventable disease” that “tears families apart,” and has said that autism never existed this much in the past. He has recently stated, “These are kids who will never pay taxes. They’ll never hold a job. They’ll never play baseball. They’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.” His words are false and founded in ignorance and arrogance. He also believes that SSRIs should be taken away from people with mental illness, and instead people with mental illness should be put on wellness farms. 

This is also the man that has questioned vaccinating children, compared anti-COVID-19      measuree to The holocaust, suggested that HIV does not cause AIDS, said that human-made chemicals can make people gay, promoted drinking raw milk and said that the use of antidepressants has caused school shootings. 

This man makes baseless claims with intense motivation and it is a threat to Americans’ health and society’s perspective on the world. He now wants to track autistic adults which is an invasion of privacy with an immense lack of respect for individuals with the disorder. He believes that autism is caused by an environmental toxin and refers to it as an “epidemic.”  

Kennedy is not a doctor himself, nor a researcher, and has a degree in American history and literature, and a law degree. Therefore, he is not suitable to coordinate this research nor is he fit mentally to serve as a health expert politically, but that was President Donald Trump’s doing. 

Trumps’ team of researchers will receive grant funding. One could propose that Kennedy pay for the research himself, but the government would call that silly. Kennedy has promised confidentiality, but with the example of secret war plans being recently released to the wrong people in a group chat, the Trump administration has failed more than once.  Kennedy describes autism as a “preventable disease,” which has been found to be false, as autism can most be attributed to genetics and shows signs in children as early as 18 to 24 months old. 

Autism, as a disorder, is a spectrum. Experiences with having it can range and personalities differ exponentially. Autistic people are some of the smartest, kindest, funniest and wisest people. Just watch “Love On The Spectrum,” and you will see this. 

If the research Kennedy was doing had true intentions and good morals behind it, it would be justified. His fights against science have proved his thoughts and theories behind disorders, especially mental ones, are unstable. 

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