Blog #255: The Shinzo Abe Assassination from a Neurodiverse Perspective
- Jeffrey Snyder
- Jul 12, 2022
- 2 min read
Shinzo Abe, Former Prime Minister of Japan
I’m pretty sure many of you are very much aware by now of the senseless and brutal killing of Shinzo Abe, former prime minster of Japan who stepped down two years ago during the COVID-19 Pandemic. To many Japanese citizens, he was a hero and credited with bringing Japan into a prosperous new era.
Now, being a neurodiverse individual, there is no question that many of us are big into Japanese animation known as anime. So, the death of Shinzo Abe may come as a sudden shock and surprise. In fact, Shinzo Abe wasn’t afraid to become an anime character for a good cause.
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In 2016, at the closing of the Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Abe transformed himself into Mario of Super Mario Brothers as part of the closing ceremony. If anyone who was big into anime and happened to watch this, then they would connect with Abe in the sense that he was probably not afraid to escape into a world of his own sometimes.
I mean, there could be many of us out there that wished we could do what Abe did. Abe was a role model to the people of Japan and his assassination has brought memories of other assassinations to life including those of Lincoln, JFK, RFK and MLK, great men who opened many doors for people.
But there is something about the assassination of Shinzo Abe that is probably going through the minds of neurodiverse Japanese individuals. The fact that he is no longer alive is very difficult for many citizens, but particularly for those who are neurodiverse.
Much like any other great tragedy, it can be extremely difficult to process the feeling of what has happened. A lot of people are probably wondering, what will happen to Japan now? Will it ever be the same?
Neurodiverse individuals in Japan and abroad will deal with the tragedy in their own ways and accept right away that he is gone, and others will probably be in denial and not face the truth. Eventually, the truth must be accepted, but while there are some of us who claim that there was an alternate belief that must be revealed, even though it is not true.
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The death of Shinzo Abe can be another reminder to refresh ourselves on how we cope with a tragedy such as this. Even though it wasn’t in our country, it does bring up the question of how we process. In fact, ask yourself how do neurodiverse people in other countries and cultures cope with such a tragedy both privately and publicly?
I ask you to put yourself in the shoes of a neurodiverse citizen of a country such as Japan and wonder how you would deal with the assassination of someone as beloved as Shinzo Abe.
For now, may Shinzo Abe rest in peace and may God bless the people of Japan.
SHINZO ABE (1954-2022)
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Catch you all later!!
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