An Open Letter To Colin Meloy Of The Decemberists

Dear Colin Meloy, First off, I must say that I am a fan of your music. I have seen your band in concert twice: once at the Hollywood Bowl and another time at the Wiltern. That being said, I have some serious concerns about your apparent support for neurodiversity, a philosophy that seeks to deny autistic people a cure that they deserve and need. I understand you have a son who is relatively high-functioning on the autistic spectrum. If he is able to succeed in life without a cure, then kudos to him! Unfortunately, that is not the case for everyone. In a recent interview with you, I noticed that you encouraged pro-cure bloggers to cease their activity. You said that they were portraying autism in an unfairly negative light. However, keep in mind that their children are likely in a very different situation than yours, and if these people didn't have access to blogs that were sometimes brutally honest about autism, they would feel very much alone. In "Autism: The Musical," Stephen Stills mentions that his son is unable to attend Crosby Stills Nash & Young concerts due to his autism. If your son was unable to attend your concerts, would you want that? And I'm not talking simply not attending a concert out of disinterest. That's fine for anyone, autistic or not. But many autistic people would love to go to a concert, but they simply can't due to their autism. Only you know the answer as to whether or not you'd be fine with your son being unable to attend your concerts, but I can say that if I was in your shoes, I would be heartbroken. I am not demanding that you change your views; I am just suggesting that you consider our viewpoints, and that you don't simply write us off as bigots or insensitive. I wish the best regards for you and your son in the future. Sincerely, Oliver M Canby