Left Brain/Right Brain Closes
October 14, 2007 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
My friend Kevin Leitch—-autism father and autism blogger—has decided to shut down his five-year-old blog, Left Brain/Right Brain. This is sad news: Left Brain/Right Brain is one of the oldest and best-read autism blogs out there and whatever your views on the causes of autism, autism treatments, neurodiversity, cure, acceptance, and more, Kev always provided thoughtful, thought-provoking, and plain provocative posts. His occasional mentions of his daughter Megan were full of love and warmth.
And it’s because of the postings about his daughter and in her name by someone named John Best (his blog is called “Hating Autism,” and I think the title provides a sense of where he is coming from) that Kev has decided to stop blogging. Kev has had all kinds of ridiculous, slanderous, mean-spirited things said about him and he has blogged right though it, but the writing about his daughter and as his daughter (which is beyond mean-spirited) is simply unnecessary and uncalled for. Mr. Best’s posts are simply not nice (he wrote one about me in which he asked how someone with a Ph.D. could be so stupid). Even more, I am not sure how Mr. Best’s posts advance discussions or understanding about autism and how they actually help to make the world better for autistic children and persons.
But enough said about Mr. Best. Too much cannot be said of Kev and his blog and, even more, his family. In the past few weeks, he turned Left Brain/Right Brain into a group blog on which many autism bloggers that I have been fortunate to get to know, often via their comments on Kev’s blog, have been contributing. In honor of everything Kev has done to fostering good thinking and good questioning about autism via Left Brain/Right Brain, I am awarding him a Thinking Blogger Award. Neroli kindly bestowed this award on me quite a while back and I am glad I waited, because Left Brain/Right Brain more than merits it.
And I’m hoping—I’m sure—we’ll be hearing more from Kev. There’s too much to talk, blog, and think about.
I am just sickened by this.
Kev has made a difference–for the better. No doubts about that.
Whatever happens, he has my gratitude.
It was one of the first blogs I came across when I started bumping into blogs. I always appreciated the logical break down of current argument, like a road map for those of us reliant on GPS.
Best wishes
What a shame. Praying he’ll be back in the near future to blog again. Best wishes Kevin and Family.
Hold on!
LeftBrain/RightBrain is a group blog now. It does not belong to any individual. Kev may be taking a rest from blogging because one odious individual is targetting his daughter. He is putting his family first, as he should. That still leaves a strong community of people who embrace autism as a rewarding challenge, rather than treat it as a dangerous threat.
So, can we agree with Mark Twain that “the report of my death was an exaggeration,” and keep up the good work until Kev feels able to join us again?
That anyone would be bullied by That Man is so sad, it really reminds me why I started my own blog- so that parents of newly-diagnosed children would not feel desperate and fall into the hands of people like John Best. So people would not give in to fear, uncertainly, and the desire to be rid of their children just because the going gets rough or because of disability. So provide strength and support to parents realizing their children are beautiful just as they are- no matter what other people such as John Best might say about them. To bring positive light into a world that often seems so dark and negative when you first find yourself in it.
Kev brought that kind of light and hope. I will miss him and miss his blog.
I am saddened that Kevin is leaving the blogging. I have learned so much from him and the participants on his site. Thank you Kevin. I am glad that you pointed out that this decision does not have to do with him being personally derided by a clearly very sick, angry man. He is certainly strong enough to handle that! It has to do with protecting the most important person, his daughter. Once your child becomes an object of attack, everything changes. I can totally understand his decision, and I will miss Left Brain Right Brain.
I stongly suggest that Kevin take legal action against this individual, ASAP. Threatening and impersonating others, especially on that level, is simply illegal. I’m amazed this person hasn’t been sued already!
This is a loss. Kev put a lot of his energy into making a difference and he’s had an impact.
It’s a shame how a small minority can drag to tone of dialogue into the the gutter. It happens all over the web but is more disheartening when it happens to people trying to make a positive difference.
No, no, no, no, NO!
Kev if you read this – PLEASE don’t give up! Don’t let the bastard win, because that’s what you are doing! Letting the bastard win! Keep up the good fight. You have too much invested in LB/RB and the Autism Hub to stop now. Sure, it’s been made very hard by Best – but don’t forget he’s made my life very difficult as well. We need to fight people like this – and win because we know deep down we are right and people like him are wrong.
Just in case – I’m going to email Kev as well. I already did to join up the Autism Hub but that was before I knew about this.
I am indeed hoping to be proved wrong in this post—-that there’ll be a second life/phrase/version of LR/RB. I really liked it—-became reliant on it—-with Kev “solo” and as a group blog. We’ll have to make up for LB/RB’s absence, not that that is possible.
I just wanted to send my solidarity to the Leitch family. And say that no matter what that awful troll John Bosta* says or do, Megan will always be remembered as a symbol of the beauty, wonder and dignity of our autistic children. May your family find all the peace and hapiness that you deserve.
*bosta = “crap” in Portuguese.
A terrible, sad, day indeed.
Joe
My favorite quote by Gandhi is “You must be the change you wish to see in this world.” Kev provided that for the autism world. I am so very sad.
“‘You must be the change you wish to see in this world.’ Kev provided that for the autism world.”
Very, well-said and very, true Laura. I whole-heartedly agree.
Please tell me that all of his postings are not gone forever. I did not get a chance to read or print all of them. His articles and comments need to be preserved some way.
Good luck, Kev, and thank you for everything you’ve done,
Signed,
A proud father of a smart, happy, and gentle 4-year-old boy.
Very, very sorry to see Kevin’s blog go like this. Hope he’s archived his postings somewhere. Best wishes to the Leitch family, especially Meagan.
I shall miss seeing Kevin’s posts. During some very dark days in my life I spent time reading various autism sites, parents referring to their children as train wreaks and worse. I had just about given up on internet blogs as places to read about autism. Then I came upon Kevin’s site, he had just made a video of his daughter playing on a trampoline. It was simply the work of a father lovingly watching his daughter play. It was positively moving. It also opened a gateway that has allowed me to meet, both in person and over the net, some outstanding people within the autism community.
Our friendship has grown, our families have blended. We have been lucky enough to visit in person on two occasions. He is a true gentleman with a great deal of love for his wonderful family.
I am sure it was difficult for him to place something he is passionate about on the shelf but his first duty is that of a father, taking good care of Megan
Kev, thanks for all you have done.
This is sad news indeed.
You know, this isn’t going to be a popular opinion, but I believe that Kev contributed to the problem himself.
I am not saying that I agree with John Best’s entries nor do I agree with using those sort of tactics in on a public blog.
However, Kev did engage in personal attacks against John Best on his blog. I remember commenting on one of his posts that I though his comments were way to personal toward Mr Best and his son.
It does not matter who starting the attacking but once you join the game and start throwing attacks back and forth you have absolutely no room to complain when someone does it back.
And you can say that “he did it worse” or “he stepped over the some line” but the truth of the matter is that once you yourself step over that line to any extent you no longer have the right to complain.
So, should Mr Best have done what he did? I don’t think so. But on the other hand Kev has no right to complain since he did exactly the same thing.
There is a problem with the extremists (mercury moms and neurodiversity ideologues) on both sides.
There is not much difference between this post and the character assassination, smearing, insulting and degrading barbs both sides use against each other.
Just look at the awful character smearing of Jenny McCarthy by the neurodiversity crowd.
This appears to a case of someone who can dish it out but can’t take it.
A pox on both your houses.
oh please Kev was a bad guy. He treated those on the spectrum like garbage
It seems that the sick posts that were so prominently displayed on the internet blog over the weekend are now gone. Amazing how that happens.
I hope that ten more Kev’s start promoting a similar autism agenda that does not revolve around hate. The world would be a far better place.
Thanks Kev.
I think we know where the real crime on the autismfront is….
Joe,
Kev “was a bad guy”?
First of all, I don’t think he died. Secondly, since you’re citing people who allegedly treat people on the spectrum like garbage, you might have taken the time to mention how the caring individual who runs “Hating Autism” recently called Amanda Baggs — an autistic person and very insightful blogger — a “freak.”
Why? Well, apparently because she’s autistic, and also dares to disagree with what’s-his-name’s incoherent rantings on the subject. (Now, of course, he’s taken that post and others down. Remarkably, it has hardly made his blog any less creepy.)
But gosh yes: Kevin = very very bad. The awful way he promoted respect for people with autism, including his daughter. Unforgivable!
Still, you’re certainly entitled to your (unsupported, uninformed, ludicrous) opinion.
I appreciate that Joe felt he could post his opinion here.
I don’t myself agree with many comments posted here (and, of course, I do agree with many), and I hope that as many views as possible might be posted here.
That said, I’ll reiterate that Kev is a friend and I find it very strange to go to the LB/RB website and not see everything. And that, after myself receiving some “interesting” comments from “JB” himself, I have chosen not to post his comments, whose tone and content was not (to understate the matter) very pleasant.
I have dealt with Kev way before his blog or autism hub. He was before that a regular on the boards at Aspies for freedom.
RAJ: If a pox, so be it; one hopes some day for pax on all sides.
Sorry to hear the news. LB/RB was an amazing blog and I am going to miss it in the blogosphere.
Best wishes to Kevin and his family in whatever the future brings.
Kristina,
May i just say how much i appreciate (and admire) your understated wisdom and sense of diplomacy. You and Estee stand as much-needed examples and reminders for the rest of us who sometimes can let our emotions get the better of us in these conversations.
I agree it says a lot about your blog that Joe and others feel they can safely post dissenting (yet still reasonably civil) opinions here, and my apologies if i came off as a little snippy in my reaction. In general, getting into flame wars — even when the provocation seems extreme (and i’m not referring to anything here) — just winds up degrading everyone in the end.
Also, i’m not sure whether you intended this as a sly nod or not, but thank you for titling one of your posts “We Take the Skyway.” It suddenly put me in mind of a great little Replacements song from the mid-’80s — one i hadn’t thought about in years. Now it’s playing happily in my head.
I was so saddened to see that Kev is leaving blogging. The reason he is leaving made me even sadder. Even though I sometimes did not agree with his views (though often, I did), I really admired his thoughtful discourse.
I hope the other bloggers in his group will continue.
Fortunately, nearly all of the other bloggers who had been contributing to LB/RB have their own blogs. And those blogs are all (as far as I know) listed on the Autism Hub site, which will most definitely continue to operate.
qchan63, I was thinking of the Replacements song too—-a different sort of Skyway but the tune’s playing in my head now, too. Thanks for your affirming words and I only hope I can keep at this as long as Kevin—I have a ways to go to equal his 5 years! I’ve been checking the Hub more than ever…
Sorry, I mis-typed the link to the Hub: it’s http://www.autism-hub.co.uk.
Dave,
Thanks for the link.
I did respect most of what Kevin wrote on his blog — and espeically his overwhelmingly positive ideals — despite the fact I didn’t agree with many of his opinions and I felt he strayed from critical thinking often enough. I am saddened that he stopped posting, because he engaged in reasonable debate on most occasions.
Since I can’t personally verify what Mr. Best did or didn’t do, I have to agree and disagree with some of what Joe said.
There is no question in my mind that Kevin certainly published and encouraged very personal attacks on Mr. Best and others in the camp he disagreed with — those posts I will never agree with. But that doesn’t justify the reciprocation for better or worse, so although he personally attacked Mr. Best, he does have a right to complain about like or worse treatment against himself and his family.
I don’t condone that type of personal attack EVER, even in reciprocation — because that is childish and frankly uncivilized. If Mr. Best actually did those things — since I can’t personally verify it, all I have is Kevin’s post to go by — then it will never be condoned by myself and I am saddened by all of it.
Schwartz, I have a copy of what Best wrote that got Kev upset if you are interested. Not to mention numerous occasions when Best (I assume) threw comments supposedly from Megan onto his blog “pleading for help”.
Shwartz…I’m a little late here, but Kev didn’t just encourage personal attacks…he called people names like “idiot” and “moron” because in his mind, only HE knew the real deal. There are many, many, MANY people who are glad he’s leaving. If only he could use some of that free time to help his daughter. Now, THAT would be time well spent. I don’t know if you’ve seen the videos of her he’s posted on youtube, but she is NOT in good shape. I am not saying this to critisize the child, but to say to the parent WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP! Your kid is sick. Get her what she needs to get better.
From what I gather, more than plenty of time was spent with his daughter. Yes I have seen the videos and I have to wonder what people would think if I posted my own son at certain times, and at certain others: He is doing great, and he has moments, “clips,” when it gets more interesting. Best wishes.
You’re a doctor Diane?
This is just ridiculous. I tried to read LB/RB this morning, and got a password prompt.
OOOps – don’t know what happened with that! It posted way too soon.
Anyway, as I was saying….This is just Ridiculous. got a password prompt when I tried to read LB/RB this morning. Even though Kevin and I aren’t always on the same side of the fence it doesn’t mean I don’t respect what he has to say and I know there are a lot of people in the same position who’d agree!
Kevin, this is like letting them win. This is the ONE time you can veto their comments, and NO ONE would blame you. Then block their IP, anything you have to do. Sue them for harrassment.
Never let the morons win. EVER.