The politics of disability

AlexMcDermott · 05-24-2011, 10:32 PM

I once a read quote (can't remember by who I'll try to find it) that went something like this:

"A disability is the only minority group a person could find themselves in at any time."

Race, religion, gender, sexual orientation all that's leveled when you wake up in a hospital and someone says you'll never walk again (or any other disability). I was hit by a car last October and that was it. All I ask is for people to think about the disabled as any other minority group. Consider how the movie Avatar looks to me. You have a 'hero' willing to destroy worlds to walk again. When he switches sides, he decides being human is worth less than running through the forest. Bobby on Supernatural makes a deal with a demon to walk again. Breaking the Waves says it's ok to let your girlfriend get beaten, tortured and killed so you can walk. But the thing is- I never will. I don't have those option so what am I supposed to think? My life isn't worth living because I can't become a blue alien?

Every minute of every day is different for me now. It's so much more than just not walking like people think. Vote for universal health care. Vote for equal access and increased spending for social Services. I hope it's never you because I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. But it is me and I just wish people would pause for a minute to think.

Grausamkeit · 05-25-2011, 09:41 AM

I never thought about Avatar that way. Normally all you see is people bitching that it's "just like Dancing With Wolves, but with aliens." I had never considered how it might make someone who is disabled feel having a 'hero' that is given the ex-machina of somehow getting his ability to walk again.

One of my uncles has MS and it is a hard fight to get the government to help him pay for anything. Every little thing that he has that he needs to live he and his wife have had to fight for. I have always thought that it is shameful that in a country where even the poorest people can afford cell phones and the internet....healthcare is pretty much a shambles unless you are one of the few lucky enough to have an employer with good insurance.

AlexMcDermott · 05-27-2011, 10:07 AM

Your picture is really beautiful! I have to fight my insurance company for everything to! My dad's been the best! He's gotten to be an expert on it. I'm sorry my health issues don't fit into your matrix! It's frustrating.

As for the Avatar thing, that kind of stuff happens all the time. The image of a disability is presented as something you do anything to get out of no matter what. Would I take a cure if it came tomorrow? Hell yes! I want to walk again. Who wouldn't! But I'm not going to live every day miserable because I can't walk and I would NEVER hurt anyone to get it. I guess that's why the vampire legend has a different twist to me!!!

Grausamkeit · 05-27-2011, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexMcDermott

Your picture is really beautiful! I have to fight my insurance company for everything to! My dad's been the best! He's gotten to be an expert on it. I'm sorry my health issues don't fit into your matrix! It's frustrating.

As for the Avatar thing, that kind of stuff happens all the time. The image of a disability is presented as something you do anything to get out of no matter what. Would I take a cure if it came tomorrow? Hell yes! I want to walk again. Who wouldn't! But I'm not going to live every day miserable because I can't walk and I would NEVER hurt anyone to get it. I guess that's why the vampire legend has a different twist to me!!!

Thank you, but it is not me. I wish I were that beautiful. The one on my profile is me, though. Look at your own peril! You might lose your lunch.

I'm glad that your dad is a strong advocate for you. My husband and I are tireless when it comes to our children, both of whom are autistic.

I would support a movie or program that featured someone(a main character!) who is disabled without the 'get out of disability free' card. I know it's not the same, but I have always viewed the idea of 'curing' my children of autism with disdain. That's one of the reasons I dislike Jenny McCarthy so much. I know it's not the same as being paraplegic, though. I hope I'm not coming acroos as insensitive or completely stupid...

PortraitOfSanity · 05-27-2011, 02:24 PM

I admit, I was a little hesitant at this, because it's the 50 bajillionth topic called "The politics of ____________" I've gone through on forums.

Yours was well thought out and intelligent enough to stand out.

I spent 2 months on crutches. Clearly, not enough to make one "understand" what being disabled is like, but enough to make me understand that I don't really want to "understand".

And hey, welcome to one of the rare forums where you can scream Universal Healthcare from the rooftops and not get hit with rotting meat.

Grausamkeit · 05-27-2011, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PortraitOfSanity

I admit, I was a little hesitant at this, because it's the 50 bajillionth topic called "The politics of ____________" I've gone through on forums.

Yours was well thought out and intelligent enough to stand out.

I spent 2 months on crutches. Clearly, not enough to make one "understand" what being disabled is like, but enough to make me understand that I don't really want to "understand".

And hey, welcome to one of the rare forums where you can scream Universal Healthcare from the rooftops and not get hit with rotting meat.

Maybe because people here are intelligent enough to understand the need for it.

Versus · 05-28-2011, 08:36 PM

About disability being represented in movies:

I can empathize with the hero from avatar, but that might be because I have a minority perspective. He was alright with infiltrating the blue aliens because he didn't know anything about them and it wasn't until he was able to humanize an enemy that he could make the moral decision to help them.

It was a completely human decision and had nothing to do with him being disabled or being offered the chance to walk again for his service. More likely, it's because he was a marine that could not be a marine. I personally know people, who despite their injuries, would give anything to get back in the fight.

AlexMcDermott · 05-29-2011, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grausamkeit

Thank you, but it is not me. I wish I were that beautiful. The one on my profile is me, though. Look at your own peril! You might lose your lunch.

I'm glad that your dad is a strong advocate for you. My husband and I are tireless when it comes to our children, both of whom are autistic.

I would support a movie or program that featured someone(a main character!) who is disabled without the 'get out of disability free' card. I know it's not the same, but I have always viewed the idea of 'curing' my children of autism with disdain. That's one of the reasons I dislike Jenny McCarthy so much. I know it's not the same as being paraplegic, though. I hope I'm not coming acroos as insensitive or completely stupid...

Your profile pic is even better than your avatar!! Serious!! Lovely!!

Fight for your kids because I'm sure you know that no one is going to do it for you! Most of the time, it's just the opposite actually.

AlexMcDermott · 05-29-2011, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Versus

About disability being represented in movies:

I can empathize with the hero from avatar, but that might be because I have a minority perspective. He was alright with infiltrating the blue aliens because he didn't know anything about them and it wasn't until he was able to humanize an enemy that he could make the moral decision to help them.

It was a completely human decision and had nothing to do with him being disabled or being offered the chance to walk again for his service. More likely, it's because he was a marine that could not be a marine. I personally know people, who despite their injuries, would give anything to get back in the fight.

That's true, but there a few scenes that most people never even catch that I couldn't ignore! The one that sticks out more than anything is a cut shot from the CGI to real life. The voice over from our hero is talking about how his legs are getting stronger, running through the forests, how powerful he feels and then the scene cuts to him returning from the link. He sits up and looks down at his legs that as a human being, don't work. The look on his face cut right through me because my legs will never work again either. That look of 'cripple' is there through the whole scene. He lifts his useless legs off the link bed, transfers to his wheelchair and pushes himself down the hall- all well aware that's he's not 'whole' as a human but he is as a blue alien.

As for the decision to walk again? That was the ONLY reason the guy went out there to begin with so that was in fact his sole motivation from the start of the movie. The first time we see his wheelchair we hear the voice over about the surgery curing spinal injuries and its prohibitive cost. He's there to make the money to walk again. And how am I supposed to feel?

prophecyofdoom · 05-30-2011, 01:26 AM

It sounds like Avatar might have been written by or for someone who couldn't walk as a beautiful fantasy. One of those wistful, what-ifs. Like stories about poor people who win the lottery. Movies are like that.

ape descendant · 05-30-2011, 05:41 PM

I know this is an incredibly poor analogy. But, my blood boils every time they take a "nerdy girl" and make her over to be "pretty"... as if she was unworthy or a lesser person before. I'd imagine its something like that, only to a greater degree.

Alan · 05-30-2011, 05:45 PM

Jesus, no! You two above, shut up.

AlexMcDermott · 05-31-2011, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PortraitOfSanity

I admit, I was a little hesitant at this, because it's the 50 bajillionth topic called "The politics of ____________" I've gone through on forums.

Yours was well thought out and intelligent enough to stand out.

I spent 2 months on crutches. Clearly, not enough to make one "understand" what being disabled is like, but enough to make me understand that I don't really want to "understand".

And hey, welcome to one of the rare forums where you can scream Universal Healthcare from the rooftops and not get hit with rotting meat.

I wouldn't wish a disability on my worst enemy, but it's my life now. Anyone who doesn't support universal health care is nuts and better hope they NEVER have a major health issue!

AlexMcDermott · 05-31-2011, 12:47 PM

Oh and thanks for the compliment about being well thought out! I just wrote what I was thinking. Glad it came out ok!

AlexMcDermott · 05-31-2011, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prophecyofdoom

It sounds like Avatar might have been written by or for someone who couldn't walk as a beautiful fantasy. One of those wistful, what-ifs. Like stories about poor people who win the lottery. Movies are like that.

It's not a beautiful fantasy or wistful thing for me. It was written by James Cameron who likes to make money to be honest. But the message is really clear from where I sit. My beautiful fantasy doesn't center around walking again. Beautiful women, lounging at the beach, and fantastic wine ok... but I don't spend my life waiting for the cure.

AlexMcDermott · 05-31-2011, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ape descendant

I know this is an incredibly poor analogy. But, my blood boils every time they take a "nerdy girl" and make her over to be "pretty"... as if she was unworthy or a lesser person before. I'd imagine its something like that, only to a greater degree.

It's NOT a poor analogy!!! Seriously! I talked about this with a friend of mine and she said the same thing. Women are given these impossible standards to live up to and when they don't because they're real human beings, they're criticized for it! I'm not a 'real' man anymore because I don't live up to masculine standards. Smart, powerful women can't be pretty and that message is everywhere! How many movies have this middle aged guy romantically involved with a woman half his age? Like every one!

For some reason, society has these narrow roles for people. When you don't fit, like my wheelchair or a brilliant woman, you're shut out and put down. Pay attention to the shit on tv, in movies and books. It's everywhere.