They say that God gave us free will, or that God works in mysterious ways. I often ponder what God was thinking when he chose to make my son autistic.

Some will argue that God had nothing to do with the prevalence of autism – the old creationism-vs.-science debate.

My family and I recently found ourselves without a vehicle and were forced to rely on the Metro bus service. My son is nonverbal and autistic, legally disabled by federal standards. We often take the No. 5 Maine Mall bus; often, so do recovering addicts, headed out to the methadone clinic.

I am certain that many, if not all, of them were carrying government-paid-for bus passes. And they are using said passes to go to their government-sanctioned legalized addiction, which replaced their illegal addiction.

My son was born with autism. He cannot speak. He didn’t freely and knowingly choose autism, like these addicts freely chose to imbibe illicit drugs! Yet he cannot get a bus pass that would allow the two of us to afford to get to appointments, family events, etc.

He is as God made him and accepts it, as do I. What I don’t accept are the policies and priorities that prevent a disabled boy – through no fault of his own – being denied a pass to make his life easier!

Paul Darling

Portland

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