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An Encounter With The Intolerant

© William Robb

Last month I talked about self-advocacy and gave four steps to self-advocacy. I hoped that these steps would inspire and encourage the disabled to advocate for themselves. It is imperative that we speak for ourselves if we are to dispel an old attitude which has once again emerged after laying dormant for 50 years. It is called intolerance and was responsible for WW II and the Holocaust.

Later I will show why self-advocacy is a must by citing an encounter which was directed toward me because I am disable. I call it: AN Encounter With The Intolerant.

Many believe that the intolerance of WW II was directed only toward those of Jewish ancestry. They don't realize that it first manifested itself with the euthanasia of the disabled. They were targeted for eradication because they were regarded as inferior. It is not known how many met their demise but their numbers are estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. They, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were thrown into a firey furnace. The furnace was called Purification. Those so condemned did not emerge but were lost to the world for all eternity.

Has intolerance again reared its ugly head? I hope not but I have heard that the disabled in other countries have been attacked just for being disabled and on government assistance. Maybe these attacks could be dispelled if the disabled advocated for change. Such change must portray us as citizens who wish to be productive and as citizens who wish to add to the economy of their country. If we don't portray ourselves this way, then we set ourselves up to be attacked by proponents of intolerance. If we continue to allow governments to place us on assistance then proponents of intolerance will continue to attack us as people who really don't want to work. Worse yet they may, as one did me, portray us as being leeches on society.

To dispel this type of thinking the disabled must lobby leaders and show them a better way to help us besides placing us on government aid. If this practice continues then all it does is add fuel to the fire of intolerance.

My country is suposed to be progressive when it comes to the disabled. However, it appears that proponents of intolerance have become entrenched and have begun to lable us as deadbeats or leeches on society. They have even portrayed us as citizens who prefer to depend upon government subsidies or entitlements. If this can happen in my country then think how much worse the disabled of other countries may be.

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