Comments on: Recommended Reading for December 10

By: Meg Thornton

Meg Thornton — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:48:25 +0000

I find myself wondering what the good Mr Waring would refer to as “high-end bullying”, to be honest. Hitting someone with a stick, and kicking them in the kneecaps doesn’t exactly sound like anyone’s definition of acceptable behaviour, whether the person being hit is sighted or not. Neither does aggressive and assaulting behaviour carried out presumably within sight of the teaching staff. Yes, I’ll accept the kid doing the bullying probably has issues of his own, but when a school is bringing in an additional teacher to act as a bodyguard for the rest of the kids in a class, it’s time to admit maybe things have got even a little out of hand.

Then again, I do have a dog in this particular fight, since I spent twelve years as a target for school bullying, and didn’t receive much support from either teachers or peers in dealing with the problem.

By: Glenda Watson Hyatt

Glenda Watson Hyatt — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:25:50 +0000

Point well taken, codeman38! Thank you.

By: Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:58:43 +0000

Re: strapping kids to chairs – my mom works in the AFS class, where they babysit for 7 hours and make sure the kids don’t die. Some of the kids need restraints, because they have no control over their muscles. Though they’d never cut off someone’s air!

My mom is a underpaid, overworked assistant. She’s a good one, always has been. But some are not – the autistic elementary aged kid who doesn’t want to be touched, well, he’s just being difficult!

I can see underpaid overworked undervalued workers doing this – not excusing it at all. Something that would raise my mother’s pay and help the children/adults is what Amanda said – they have to be considered human, as valuable as every other person in that school. If they’re working with other human beings, maybe their pay would go up and maybe they would get better people working with them, people not likely to use a flyswatter on “unruly” “special ed” kids. (Hint, don’t do it around the kids that can talk and are actually listened to…)

My main issue with holiday shopping is something they can’t control – crowds. But something that can be controlled is the temperature? Do I need to feel faint to shop at your store?

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:20:06 +0000

It’s legal because those of us who supposedly “need(ed)” restraint aren’t human enough.

By: Shiyiya

Shiyiya — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:09:10 +0000

From the NPR link:

“The law would outlaw some current practices, such as strapping kids to chairs or the use of restraints that restrict breathing. ”

Zuh? I just… how is that even legal in the first place? Isn’t CUTTING OFF SOMEONE’S AIR a bad thing? Wtf?
.-= Shiyiya´s last blog ..I hurt. =-.

By: codeman38

codeman38 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:46:12 +0000

Also from the second link:

Keep sidewalks, curbcuts and ramps clear. Even a bit of snow can impede customers using wheelchairs, walkers and crutches.

It isn’t just snow. I’ve seen quite a few shops that actively put display items in the sidewalk leading from the bus stop to the store entrance, blocking the path even for those of us who can walk (and of course, making it completely impossible to get from the bus stop to the entrance via any other means).