Quote:
Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby
No they're not trying to "get him to stop." They're shaming him and making nasty remarks, INSTEAD of trying to get him to stop. He CAN control himself. This is his method of expression. He can step away from it, or sit down, or not show up, or listen to the music in his own house instead. But this is his expression of joy. Just like my expression is to jump out of my seat and dance, without making noise, his is to dance and make noise. He does not have severe autism. Severe autism would be an inability to connect with other people at all, make eye contact, or have physical touch between themselves and other people, and is usually accompanied by being non-verbal, and the LOUD noise and crowds of the squares would be a total overload for someone who is severely autistic. They wouldn't be capable of existing in such an environment. Mark seeks it out and comes here on his own, on purpose, because he enjoys the music, and the crowds, and connecting with other people.
I think maybe you've never actually had a conversation with Mark. I really hope you are able to catch him walking to Publix some day, and invite him for a short chitchat at the table outside, and get to know him. He'll lighten your day. He is a very precious soul.
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Like I said, I stand corrected if what I was told was wrong. I have had several conversations with him and talked about it in on this thread. To repeat, I said he was a nice and likeable guy if you take the time to talk to him. I am not condemning him. I am condemning those who want him banned from the square.
But, at the same time I understand what others have responded. One person stated, if someone hits you with a bat, you take take the bat away. So what is the solution? I have no idea. One thing is for certain, we all know he is not going to voluntarily stop using the baton... no matter how many people he nearly strikes or the inconvenience of others having to manuever away.