Consequence of a Cause – Origins

During the 2020 pandemic and lockdowns, I had a lot of time to reflect on my life and past. For years, I debated writing a screenplay loosely based on some of the more traumatic experiences from my childhood. I thought that a good way to deal with my childhood trauma, caused in part by the public school system, would be through storytelling. It would be my little revenge against a society that had wronged me.

My Story:

I was born with significant neurological differences. It took me longer to learn how to walk and talk, than most kids. To contrast the developmental delays, my ability for independent thought, my curiosity, and creativity developed far more intensely than other kids. I was a weird kid. I was proud of my weirdness… but there were plenty of adults that didn’t see my differences as the gift I perceived them to be. I was diagnosed with “Attention Deficit Disorder Non-Hyperactive”, was treated like I was defective, and medicated for a couple of months; until I refused to take the medication. The depth of rejection and condemnation of fundamental aspects of my instincts and being, scarred me immensely. Years of being treated like I was an inferior breed of human really messed me up.

With so much time on my hands during the lockdowns, I decided to read the book “ADHD Nation” written by journalist, Alan Schwarz. I wanted to know who was responsible for my decades of pain, and how it all came to be, and the book provided plenty of answers. Chapter after chapter of descriptions of pseudo-scientific studies funded by drug companies, over diagnoses of children, medical negligence, and children used as scapegoats for a flawed education system filled me with rage. The temptation to hunt down those who were responsible for my agony was intense. I read three quarters of the book before I had to stop myself. The pandemic was stressful enough, without driving myself berserk. I still haven’t finished reading it.

Playing God:

Humanity has a long and sick legacy of fostering people with God-complexes. Narcissists who despise the idea of evolution and natural biological variability; those who believe they have the right to decide who other people are supposed to be. Sadly, the easiest and most convenient targets for their Frankenstein fetishes are innocent children. In recent history, there have been horrid treatment and experiments done on children with autism and down-syndrome; particularly in the mid 20^th century. We all know the senseless and emotionally devastating practice of “Conversion Therapy” gay children and adults were subjected to; that and chemical castration. The ADHD scam, I was subjected to, was a more modern example of this. It impacted millions of children – many perfectly healthy – for decades and still hasn’t been resolved. More recently, “Gender Affirming Care” – which follows so many of the same patterns as ADHD diagnosing and “treatment” – is subjecting children to insanely harmful drugs, hormones, and surgeries. Even my Grandmother, as a young girl, had her left arm tied behind her back at school, because it was “wrong” to be left-handed. All different takes on the same theme; the parallels are undeniable.

 

A Potential Future:

I wrote my feature screenplay, “Consequence of a Cause”, as a near future science fiction story, which takes my experiences, and ponders how much worse it could get. In the story “Attention Deficit Disorder” is in the past, but traits, like the ones I was born with, are linked to specific genes, and the politically motivated diagnoses of “Random Association Cognitive Dissonance” or RACD is born.

Synopsis of the Screenplay:

Calvin has spent months in hospital confinement, due to being diagnosed with “Random Association Cognitive Dissonance” or RACD. Calvin must prove the soundness of his mind, against a system that deems his genetic and neurological condition to be a new and severe mental disorder.

I’ll Elaborate Further:

In Calvin’s future, the secrets of the brain have been uncovered, and genetic testing has become available which reveals what neurological traits individuals are born with. As an international scientific collaboration, those tests were meant to expand humanity’s understanding of human neurological diversity. Unfortunately, as is too often the case, good technology is often commandeered by nefarious forces. In Canada’s future, a new political party, “Reformed People’s Liberal Party of Canada”, comes into power. They promise a country united through consensus, but behind the scenes, find ways to sabotage detractors of popular opinion. With their new access to the science that connects the human genome to natural born neurological traits, the party is able to target individuals who are born with a high aptitude for independence, inquisition, and analytics. Highlighting the negative aspects of those traits, and gaslighting the positive aspects, the party convinces the medical industry and the public to view those individuals as disordered and in need of help. That “help” includes “reprogramming” and medication that numbs their inquisitive nature. Poor innocent Calvin just happens to be one of those individuals.

We All Matter:

You can read more about the screenplay and story at “Consequence of a Cause”. My purpose for this blog entry was to explain my motivation for writing this screenplay. We are all born with varying traits – both physical and neurological – that as a society at large, compliment each other. We all have something of value to provide this world of ours, and when one type of human is suppressed, we all end up suffering for it. Society needs people of all talents, common and rare.