I currently work at an agency in Oakland, California that assists the intellectually and developmentally disabled. I've only worked there for a year and a half, and I was recently promoted back in late July. As everyone close to me knows, I'm a childhood trauma survivor. Yet, despite this horrible past -- some of which was even tolerated by my own family -- I still give my all to serve others in any way I can. Call it being "a flower that blooms in adversity", or what have you. I can't stand it when people pick on others because of their perceived weaknesses of their victims and a gross sense of entitlement. It's standard bully mentality, and on a deeper level, Lesson #1 in How To Be An Abuser 101. I've seen our clients visually hurt when they talk about how the world hates them simply for being different, that they aren't "normal". As if such a universal definition even exists. I've seen firsthand that our clients are capable of creativity, ambition, and kindness that not even some of the richest and most powerful leaders on the planet are capable of. A statement of pride from an accomplished handicapped person trumps the same from a world leader of a nation's corrupt government any day.
But I wasn't aware of the length of cruelty some would go to in order to step on innocents like this here in America. Then I came along this story about United Airlines and their cold rebuttal of the respect all disabled people are entitled to.
When I read this, I'm immediately reminded of ignorant pawn scum like our 45th "president", who openly mocked disabled people during his disgusting idea of a presidential campaign in 2015. To add insult to injury, the guy is clearly disabled himself -- mentally and physically -- in all the wrong ways, quite frankly to a level beyond salvation. And yet, he's automatically embraced as a "very stable genius". Well, last time I checked, pretending to be higher than God Himself was never an indication of mental stability at all. There are names for that kind of "stability": Malignant Narcissism (a form of NPD - Narcissistic Personality Disorder) and "God complex", to name a few. And history has shown that people like this often refuse treatment (or outright embrace the illness; Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Osama bin Laden are fine examples -- and for the record, bin Laden's God complex got him killed) and thus become walking, humanoid weapons of mass destruction.
This also comes after the realization that, by U.S. government standards, I'm disabled. That's right, I'm on Social Security Disability Insurance, due to the frequent mental anguish stemming from my childhood trauma. So I take personal offense to any dissing of disabled people, whether mentally or physically. And I've been the recipient of such maltreatment myself, more so after a recent incident of racist and ableist discrimination directed at me by a White club employee.
Let me very clear: I may live in a (somewhat) free country, but I'm not okay with having to give my tax money to a government that ignores this kind of singling-out. Disabled people -- and those of color more so -- already have it rough enough living in societies intentionally purposed to deny them the care they need. So the higher-ups must either own their roles and do something about it or shut the hell up. Screwing the average citizen has been a method of governing in America for long enough.
Anyway, I could be looking at yet another promotion next week if I play my cards right. Word got out about my background in art (and more specifically, comic books/graphic novels) and I could become an art/creative writing co-instructor for our clients soon. Aside from a one-time illustration teaching gig at a mental health services center back in around 2014, I have no real teaching experience. But our clients want me to try, so what do I have to lose? We'll see, here's hoping it works out.
Later, everyone, and remember: disability is as much a social construct as race is.
But I wasn't aware of the length of cruelty some would go to in order to step on innocents like this here in America. Then I came along this story about United Airlines and their cold rebuttal of the respect all disabled people are entitled to.
When I read this, I'm immediately reminded of ignorant pawn scum like our 45th "president", who openly mocked disabled people during his disgusting idea of a presidential campaign in 2015. To add insult to injury, the guy is clearly disabled himself -- mentally and physically -- in all the wrong ways, quite frankly to a level beyond salvation. And yet, he's automatically embraced as a "very stable genius". Well, last time I checked, pretending to be higher than God Himself was never an indication of mental stability at all. There are names for that kind of "stability": Malignant Narcissism (a form of NPD - Narcissistic Personality Disorder) and "God complex", to name a few. And history has shown that people like this often refuse treatment (or outright embrace the illness; Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Osama bin Laden are fine examples -- and for the record, bin Laden's God complex got him killed) and thus become walking, humanoid weapons of mass destruction.
This also comes after the realization that, by U.S. government standards, I'm disabled. That's right, I'm on Social Security Disability Insurance, due to the frequent mental anguish stemming from my childhood trauma. So I take personal offense to any dissing of disabled people, whether mentally or physically. And I've been the recipient of such maltreatment myself, more so after a recent incident of racist and ableist discrimination directed at me by a White club employee.
Let me very clear: I may live in a (somewhat) free country, but I'm not okay with having to give my tax money to a government that ignores this kind of singling-out. Disabled people -- and those of color more so -- already have it rough enough living in societies intentionally purposed to deny them the care they need. So the higher-ups must either own their roles and do something about it or shut the hell up. Screwing the average citizen has been a method of governing in America for long enough.
Anyway, I could be looking at yet another promotion next week if I play my cards right. Word got out about my background in art (and more specifically, comic books/graphic novels) and I could become an art/creative writing co-instructor for our clients soon. Aside from a one-time illustration teaching gig at a mental health services center back in around 2014, I have no real teaching experience. But our clients want me to try, so what do I have to lose? We'll see, here's hoping it works out.
Later, everyone, and remember: disability is as much a social construct as race is.