Comments on: Why are they so angry at her?

By: abby jean

abby jean — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:35:30 +0000

@napalmnacey – i’m sorry that happened.

By: Napalmnacey

Napalmnacey — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:30:16 +0000

I had a huge argument with an ex-boyfriend over this. He was saying that he understood if someone wanted to commit suicide after losing body functionality. It really upset me and I got really heated and passionate about it, and then he got all withdrawn and angry at me for getting upset and shutting down his argument. I was making the point that death is the last resort, and that life can continue on with reduced mobility.

I guess, some part of me was frightened because I am not fully mobile. That anger you speak of in regards to this woman is the same thread as what I saw in this man that I dated. “I’d rather be dead” makes my heart run cold.

Cause life is so precious, and if we’re happy to live it, then why belittle our existence?

By: Vassilissa

Vassilissa — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:38:50 +0000

When someone says “I’d rather be dead than be like you,” I interpret that as their telling that person “I wish you were dead.” That’s probably not what they consciously mean, but it definitely has that effect.

By: abby jean

abby jean — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:29:44 +0000

@uzza – i suppose that is possible, but i don’t think that reading is any less horrible than the reading i discussed in the original post. what you describe views people with disabilities as So Strong and Brave for enduring the HORROR that is disability, the view of PWD as a saintly martyr that provides inspiration for the TAB. i find that characterization and assumption just as dismissive and patronizing as the one i discussed – it assumes that being a PWD is inherently worse or more difficult or awful than being a TAB, which is ableist and … pretty rude.

so i guess they could be saying this horrible thing instead of that horrible thing, but that doesn’t change my assessment that what they are saying is horrible.

By: Matthew Smith

Matthew Smith — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:38:42 +0000

P.S. Telling her that she’s not a candidate for a hand transplant because she can’t see is incredibly ableist!

It’s not merely ableist; surely a blind woman needs her hands more, making her a more urgent candidate.

By: Renee

Renee — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:32:18 +0000

People say that they would rather be dead because they don’t value the life/lives of the differently abled. This means they can continue to support structures that make access impossible. You are not less than because your body is different.

By: lauren

lauren — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:16:40 +0000

There is, amoung other things, a serious lack of logic behind ablesit thoughts like the ones discussed here. These people seem to believe that, when they can not see, hear, feel, touch or otherwise experience something, this means it is not there. So because they have never experienced live as a person with a disability, there can not be a life lived as a person with a disability. Therefore, those people would obviously be better of dead.

It is frustrating that so many people fail to get from to and instead go on believing that know everything there is to know about the situation, because they are unaware of how limited their experiences and the perception they built on them really are.

By: K

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:49:55 +0000

Knitting:

I agree with you. I’m assuming she has aides who would be able to tell if the organ was being rejected by chances in skin ton e or color or things like that.

By: Knitting Clio

Knitting Clio — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:23:02 +0000

P.S. Telling her that she’s not a candidate for a hand transplant because she can’t see is incredibly ableist!

By: Knitting Clio

Knitting Clio — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:20:05 +0000

Thanks for this excellent post. @Kaitlyn — Charla Nash lost her eyes so she is blind.