When People Think Disabilities Become Laughable, It Is Time To Act.

[underwhere]

Some people think that saying "Heil Hitler" is funny. There are some things which we, as a society, simply should not stand for. We all know what happened in Nazi Germany. We also know that people refused to stand up for what was right at that time which anybody in there right mind would have known that Hitler's vision for the future and his method for carrying it out was not right. They all gave reasons for doing what they did. At the end of the day, sad as it is, some of those had to be excusable as some people realized that if they didn't go along, they themselves would have been killed. That does not excuse Hitler's actions. It is, however, an acknowledgment that when we face life and death situations, our choices are much more limiting.

We don't live in a time of Hitler today, thank the Lord for that. However, we do live in a time where people can come together much faster than they ever could to take on a cause which they feel is abhorrent.

babykeiff, one way to become stronger, as those in Nazi Germany were too afraid to do publicly, is to stand together and point out any injustices which we witness, and then take action accordingly.

What have I done? Through my network of friends and relatives, I was given the name of a contact person down at The Today Show. I also CC'd one of the network executives with that letter. I have also come here and elsewhere to request additional support from others who are willing to take a stand against this type of behavior. Clearly, I came to the wrong place.

Skokie ( http://www.aclu.org/free-speech/aclu-history-taking-stand-free-speech-skokie ) was one of the most prominent Freedom of Speech cases in the USA. The outcome of that case boiled down to two points.

* We do not have to agree with the message or expression of a message for it to be legal and protected speech. (The US government has come up with a variety of counter-examples, so this argument is shaky at best.)

* We should use that same freedom of speech to speak out against messages we find to be problematic.

That is why I am here seeking allies from people who don't seem to give enough of a shit to actually do something. Raising awareness about an issue is the first step in taking action. I posted letters in the mail already. I wrote a blog entry about it. Several other people have also spoken out publicly against this specific television "episode" and have already taken some actions of their own. That is raising awareness. That is making me, and my overall point, stronger, if only people weren't so intent on telling me that I am a whiner. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, but a few more squeaky wheels would sure help. Clearly, I came to the wrong place to find squeaky wheels.

[Diapered Jason]

Some people think that saying "Heil Hitler" is funny. There are some things which we, as a society, simply should not stand for. We all know what happened in Nazi Germany. We also know that people refused to stand up for what was right at that time which anybody in there right mind would have known that Hitler's vision for the future and his method for carrying it out was not right. They all gave reasons for doing what they did. At the end of the day, sad as it is, some of those had to be excusable as some people realized that if they didn't go along, they themselves would have been killed. That does not excuse Hitler's actions. It is, however, an acknowledgment that when we face life and death situations, our choices are much more limiting.

We don't live in a time of Hitler today, thank the Lord for that. However, we do live in a time where people can come together much faster than they ever could to take on a cause which they feel is abhorrent.

babykeiff, one way to become stronger, as those in Nazi Germany were too afraid to do publicly, is to stand together and point out any injustices which we witness, and then take action accordingly.

What have I done? Through my network of friends and relatives, I was given the name of a contact person down at The Today Show. I also CC'd one of the network executives with that letter. I have also come here and elsewhere to request additional support from others who are willing to take a stand against this type of behavior. Clearly, I came to the wrong place.

Skokie ( http://www.aclu.org/free-speech/aclu-history-taking-stand-free-speech-skokie ) was one of the most prominent Freedom of Speech cases in the USA. The outcome of that case boiled down to two points.

* We do not have to agree with the message or expression of a message for it to be legal and protected speech. (The US government has come up with a variety of counter-examples, so this argument is shaky at best.)

* We should use that same freedom of speech to speak out against messages we find to be problematic.

That is why I am here seeking allies from people who don't seem to give enough of a shit to actually do something. Raising awareness about an issue is the first step in taking action. I posted letters in the mail already. I wrote a blog entry about it. Several other people have also spoken out publicly against this specific television "episode" and have already taken some actions of their own. That is raising awareness. That is making me, and my overall point, stronger, if only people weren't so intent on telling me that I am a whiner. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, but a few more squeaky wheels would sure help. Clearly, I came to the wrong place to find squeaky wheels.

[redneck diaper boy]

I remember brutal times in the 1960's for people with disabilities. I remember mentally challenged children saying " I can't do certain things because I am retarded"!

[babykeiff]

Some people think that saying "Heil Hitler" is funny. There are some things which we, as a society, simply should not stand for. We all know what happened in Nazi Germany. We also know that people refused to stand up for what was right at that time which anybody in there right mind would have known that Hitler's vision for the future and his method for carrying it out was not right. They all gave reasons for doing what they did. At the end of the day, sad as it is, some of those had to be excusable as some people realized that if they didn't go along, they themselves would have been killed. That does not excuse Hitler's actions. It is, however, an acknowledgment that when we face life and death situations, our choices are much more limiting.

We don't live in a time of Hitler today, thank the Lord for that. However, we do live in a time where people can come together much faster than they ever could to take on a cause which they feel is abhorrent.

babykeiff, one way to become stronger, as those in Nazi Germany were too afraid to do publicly, is to stand together and point out any injustices which we witness, and then take action accordingly.

What have I done? Through my network of friends and relatives, I was given the name of a contact person down at The Today Show. I also CC'd one of the network executives with that letter. I have also come here and elsewhere to request additional support from others who are willing to take a stand against this type of behavior. Clearly, I came to the wrong place.

Skokie ( http://www.aclu.org/free-speech/aclu-history-taking-stand-free-speech-skokie ) was one of the most prominent Freedom of Speech cases in the USA. The outcome of that case boiled down to two points.

* We do not have to agree with the message or expression of a message for it to be legal and protected speech. (The US government has come up with a variety of counter-examples, so this argument is shaky at best.)

* We should use that same freedom of speech to speak out against messages we find to be problematic.

That is why I am here seeking allies from people who don't seem to give enough of a shit to actually do something. Raising awareness about an issue is the first step in taking action. I posted letters in the mail already. I wrote a blog entry about it. Several other people have also spoken out publicly against this specific television "episode" and have already taken some actions of their own. That is raising awareness. That is making me, and my overall point, stronger, if only people weren't so intent on telling me that I am a whiner. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, but a few more squeaky wheels would sure help. Clearly, I came to the wrong place to find squeaky wheels.

[ErinM]

The term "thick skin" would be good to use right about now, OP.

[babyscoot]

Grow a pair by bitching you ARE letting it define you because your whining about it. LET IT GO.

[Billiardnut]

Bill Maher joined the ranks of complete dirt bag June 13th when he called Sarah Palin's daughter a "retard". He made several other rude complements and made fun of her daughter.

[Diapered Jason]

Bill Maher joined the ranks of complete dirt bag June 13th when he called Sarah Palin's daughter a "retard". He made several other rude complements and made fun of her daughter.

Just another reason Bill Maher deserves to be punched

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/13/sarah-palin-bill-maher_n_3432221.html

Lol, this is how stupid this really is. You don't even know what Bill Maher even said. That article is a recap of what Sarah Palin said, which is so funny by the way. Before you get too billigerent, find the clip of Bill Maher that is being referenced and watch it. Also realize Sarah Palin used her mentally challenged son as a political football, so who really deserves that punch? Couple that with the fact that Sarah Palin had a bad habit of not disclosing critical information about herself and her family to McCain's campaign and you can see shit was going to happen, because the media was the first to put the real Sarah Palin out there.

[Jennifer Funshine]

I am firmly in the camp of developing a "thick skin" as well. I believe that psychological disabilites

(ones that solely affect the mind) are truly difficult to deal with and made harder when people

are treated unfairly based on their condition alone. This is a practical viewpoint and I am in agreement.

However, if the OP had opened this thread underlining a physical disability it would have carried

much more weight with me. A physically disability is not something that can be corrected or fixed

at the drop of a hat, I myself was born with a severe heart defect and underdeveloped lungs.

Now I'm not posting here to curry anyone's favor but I can certainly understand some

of the more negative comments in this thread. As someone whose lived over half of his life

in a hospital bed those of us with disabilities must stand strong, both for ourselves and others.

[sarah_ab]

haha you said no one would tell a person in a wheelchair to chuck their chair in the garbage.. my mother in law needs a wheelchair and has MS she is unable to stand or even sit up on her own, she will often say "i have to use the bathroom" when she needs soeone to take her... and our response is oftern "great.. have fun".... or when she asks if someone will get her a drink of water we will say "get up and get it yourself"....