Today, I am writing about the dangers of neurodiversity and how the term can be coopted by the basket of deplorables that we do not wish to see at Cornell University.

Cornell’s diversity includes neurodiversity. Many students identify as “neurotypical”–they showed a typical development and socialization growing up. Others are “neurodivergent” and identify as having a non-typical neurotype.

Jonathan Chait penned an article in New York Magazine titled, Republicans Don’t Have a ‘Candidate-Quality Problem,’ They Have a Crazy-People Problem Being insane is not a messaging choice. While the thesis  is true, it could lead to alt-right, shaman-following  Q-anon Republicans being admitted to Cornell in the name of neurodiversity. If this happens, we really will have a Crazy People Problem.

Kookery is a defining characteristic of Republicans, and even if Trump does hard time in a federal prison for the rest of his life, the kookery will not go away.

Chait reported,

The McConnell analysis is that Republicans nominated a bunch of kooks either because Trump endorsed them or because they felt compelled to endorse Trump’s kooky claims. And this did happen in some instances. But this implies Republicans need only to remove Trump from the equation and their candidates will become sane again. This ignores the grim reality that kookery took hold in the party because Republicans genuinely embraced it and, therefore, that Trump’s disappearance won’t make it go away.

During Neurodiversity Celebration Week (March 13-17, 2023), we must work to ensure that kookery is never included in the definition of neurodiversity.