There is a tendency to dehumanize kids that commit crimes. The system is focused on punishment, not on rehabilitation. These kids are the most misunderstood and most cruelly treated. Andrew Solomon More Quotes by Andrew Solomon More Quotes From Andrew Solomon I was in fact anxious about whether I would be any good at being a father. And then I met so many people who had been good parents under difficult circumstances, and I felt inspired by them. Andrew Solomon parent father people There is no question that abuse, drugs and exposure to violence at home can exacerbate someone's criminal tendencies enormously. But there are many, many criminals who don't come from that background. Andrew Solomon abuse drug home Some autistic people may emerge from their condition, but nobody knows when and why. Andrew Solomon autistic may people There is neither a cure for nor a way to repair autism. There is no implant like there is for the deaf. Andrew Solomon deaf autism way I would certainly not want my child to be schizophrenic. I wouldn't want him or her to be a criminal either. If, on the other hand, I had a deaf child, it would help that I have developed a real admiration for Deaf culture. Andrew Solomon real children hands I love to communicate, and I love music. That's why I always thought not being able to hear would be a tragedy. Andrew Solomon able tragedy would-be And I found out about the wonderful world of sign language. I suddenly realized: If we as a society recognize Jewish culture, gay culture and Latino culture, we must recognize that this is a coherent culture, too. I think deafness is a disability for social constructionist reasons. Andrew Solomon gay culture thinking With children who have never said a word, parents tend to assume, for better or for worse, that there isn't any language there. Andrew Solomon assuming parent children I found it very comforting to see that there is no such thing as a completely normal family. People find their way through whatever the differences may be. Andrew Solomon differences comforting people A lot of teams rely way too heavily on two or three kids to pitch and those kids are getting overpitched from a pretty young age. Andrew Solomon health Dealing with depression effectively is a mark not of weakness, but of strength. Andrew Solomon mark weakness strength depression Forging meaning is about changing yourself. Building identity is about changing the world. Andrew Solomon yourself building identity world We can never afford to be complacent; there is no such thing as security when it comes to human rights. Andrew Solomon human never security human-rights While all old people have been young, no young people have been old, and this troubling fact engenders the frustration of all parents and elders, which is that while you can describe your experience, you cannot confer it. Andrew Solomon parents you experience people I'm attached to my children with whatever flaws they have, and if some glorious angel broke through the living room ceiling and offered to exchange them for other, better children, I'd cling to my kids and pray away this specter. Andrew Solomon better flaws angel children Every stage of life longs for others. When one is young and eager, one aspires to maturity, and everyone older would like nothing better than to be young. Andrew Solomon nothing better maturity life There is enormous shame around depression of any kind and at any time. And there's enormous social stigma attached to it, which we need to go on fighting. But I think that the sense of depression during pregnancy and early motherhood has been particularly stigmatized, that people especially feel that should be the happiest time of your life. Andrew Solomon depression time life people Parenting involves two separate activities. You have to change your child in that you need to educate your child and instill moral values in them. But you also need to celebrate your child for who he or she is and make them feel really good. Andrew Solomon good you parenting change I would have had an easier life if I were straight, but I would not be me. And I now like being myself better than the idea of being someone else, someone who, to be honest, I have neither the option of being nor the ability fully to imagine. Andrew Solomon myself me being-myself life My father's an opera nut, and my stepmother used to work at the Metropolitan Opera, so I had a lot of opera immersion. I like the grandness and pretention of it. Andrew Solomon like opera work father
