US Secretary Kennedy mocks autistic people: A person affected reacts immediately
USA - Think first, then speak. This also applies to a high-ranking US minister. However, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (71) did not take this motto very seriously and made a serious slip of the tongue a week ago.
The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services mocked people suffering from autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder, during a press conference.
"These are kids who will never pay taxes. They'll never have a job. They'll never play baseball. They'll never write a poem. They'll never go on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet without help," said the 71-year-old disparagingly.
The response to his remarks followed promptly - from a person affected. James B. Jones is autistic and makes no secret of it. The 37-year-old is one of the stars of the popular Netflix show "Love on the Spectrum". Autistic people take center stage here, publicly trying to find true love.
"Autism manifests itself differently in every person. No two people who have autism are exactly the same," said the 37-year-old in an interview with People. Jones considers Kennedy's statements to be "shamelessly wrong".
James B. Jones found the love of his life in a Netflix show
US Minister Kennedy took the study as an opportunity for his mockery
The starting point for Kennedy's tasteless remarks was a study by the US health authority CDC. According to the study, three percent of children in the USA currently live with autism and therefore have a more difficult start in life than many others in their age group.
This was also underlined by James B. Jones, who said it had taken him "a little longer" to develop social skills. He is happy with what he has achieved so far: "I have a 40-hour job. I pay my bills. I pay my taxes. I drive a car," said the 37-year-old.
Although he still lives with his parents, he otherwise manages quite well on his own - or rather, there are now two of them. Jones met the love of his life, Shelley, while filming for Netflix. "I'm a star in a big show. I'm in a relationship with a woman and everything is going great for me right now," says Jones.
The newly in love had words of wisdom for US Minister Kennedy: "The fact that someone is different from you is not necessarily a bad thing and doesn't necessarily make them a bad person."