Mocking Those With Mental and Physical Challenges Is Poor Leadership
Patty has advanced degrees in preventive medicine and health psychology, with 35 years of work in allergy and other autoimmune treatment.
Problems in a society can be illuminated and solved.
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A Country Over Two Centuries Old Can Eliminate Bullying
As an advocate since high school for preventing and eliminating bullying, I particularly denounce verbal and physical mocking of individuals that endure developmental disabilities and genetic mutations that make life more difficult. They did not choose these conditions and, in my professional experience, cannot simply "get over it" as many bullies insist. Burdened with physical or bring-based issues to overcome, they should not be further burdened with maltreatment.
One of a mass of potential candidates for POTUS 2016 showed that he was an abuser when he was filmed at a public podium as he denigrated a reporter who had a challenging joint-and-muscle condition, but still holds a responsible and visible full-time job instead of accepting assistance in the form of SSI, SSDI, or similar.
Such bullying should not be tolerated in a potential American leader, any leader, or any person..
A Little Thing Can Destroy Everything
Some observers claim that the filmed taunting was a "little thing." This is the same term used by William Shatner after filming Leonard Nimoy without permission during a convention after Leonard, who suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and wheezing, clearly said he did not want to be filmed (Leonard Nimoy, My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man. William Shatner; 2016).
Making fun of a disability, diminishing such a person publicly, or filming a person for profit when he is visibly ill and stating he does not want to be filmed are all abusive behaviors that hurt the target of bullying.
Mocking disabled people, whether as a public figure or not, gives other people permission to do the same.
— Elizabeth Wright, Columnist for Startup; November 22, 2019.
Leadership is Different From Bullying
The potential 2016 electoral candidate in question did not repent and went on to denigrate several other people.
An opposite example is Jerry Lewis (1926 - 2017). At the start of his comedy career, begun when he was just 19 years old, Lewis developed his well known goofy persona for the stage, but sometimes went too far with it, mimicking the mannerisms of people who suffer muscle spasticity. In just a few years, he dropped those mannerisms and began working as a volunteer year-round for 59 years to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
The comedian may have become involved with MDA in part because of an error in judgement that resulting in his mimicry of patients with muscle problems. I think it is likely that this us true and thus, the basis for changing a short-lived hurtful mimicry over to long term public service. Stopping harmful and making amends is good leadership in action,
Hate Groups Rising?
Some abusiveness and bigotry associated with the history of the Ku Klux Klan rose in America after the 2016 election. The rise of activity among hate groups in general, and an increase in the number of hate groups in America became more evident after the 2016 election, spurred on by abusive actions of elected officials. This culminated in a riot called The Storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 before the inauguration of a new president and administration later that month.
I’m overjoyed to see ... most Americans embrace most of the issues that I’ve championed for years.
— David Duke, former KKK Grand Wizard; TheWrap.com. 7/22/2016
White sheets.
By Dahliyani Briedis (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia
David Duke, former KKK leader, says Americans are coming into his KKK-way of thinking.
Jerry Lewis or a even cat might make a better elected official that the abuser who ran in 2016. At least two American towns elected a cat as mayor, there being no adequate human for the job. Mayor cat Stubbs served in Talkeetna, Alaska for 20 years from 1997 to 2017. Stubbs's brother Denali then took over the office.
Leadership: A cat can be a lion.
Read More From Soapboxie
Should a Corporation or a CEO Be POTUS?
Corporate Money Handling Not Always Good
When MDA eliminated Jerry Lewis, light shone on the incredibly inordinate yearly salaries of the cadre of several MDA vice presidents.
MDA leadership became immediately unable to collect a fraction of the donations pledged, in comparison with Lewis's yearly haul.
Very soon, the short yearly MDA event pledge monies became hidden within other financial document line items and the public became unable to learn either the total yearly pledge amounts or annual percentages of collections.
What other corporations may have hidden aspects of their businesses?
Bad Behavior in Adults
Bad behavior! This is all bad behavior by MDA Leadership, who are severely criticized on Glassdoor.com by employees and some of their own executives, bad behavior by adults who shunned the opportunity to teach children at a picnic about understanding developmental disabilities from a compassionate viewpoint, and bad behavior from a potential President of the United States of America.
Jerry Lewis is a hero compared to all of them, to the extent that he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Mockery of disability, exploiting people who are different for laughs, should be an extinct phenomena these days. With social media and global connection, everyone can be held accountable for actions that are mean and degrading.
— Elizabeth Wright, Columnist for Startup; November 22, 2019.
Mocked for Illness, He Fought For Others' Health
Mocked and denigrated himself for "playing sick" until his 30s, Jerry Lewis was finally diagnosed with Type I Diabetes and no mocker apologized to him.
Lewis could have died any one of several times, having no insulin in his body, unable to produce it, and not knowing he was diabetic. As of 2016, the award-winning comedian had outlived all of the mockers as well as the entire Rat Pack that included Dean Martin (Dean and Me, A Love Story. Jerry Lewis; 2005).
People who are mocked for disabilities can sometimes prove to be stronger that the bullies who attack them.
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Your Opinions Please!
A Japanese citizen killed 19 handicapped patients in a long-term care facility and wounded 26 others, because he felt all handicapped people should disappear. He first used words - written correspondence - that he would do this, but was ignored. Let this not happen in America (Letter foretold Japan rampage that killed 19 disabled people. Chicago Tribune, 7/28/2016)
We Cannot Wait for the Law
All possible bad behaviors cannot be eliminated or punished by legislating and enforcing new laws. Individuals in communities can take the responsibility to address these behaviors at the local level in daily life, to teach children which behaviors are unacceptable, and to vote for candidates in all elections who do not exude bad behaviors.
Which is America?
| Issue | Sounds like a Human Rights Violation | Sounds like Reasonable Action |
|---|---|---|
Special Needs Children | Cut educational funding and send the kids to home school, the attic, or institutions. | Improve educational funding, personnel, and resources to provide the best lives for special needs children. |
The Elderly Sick | Cut Social Security Retirement, push Medication Expenses up for maximum profits, and warehouse Seniors in substandard housing. | Respect and protect these living history resources and eliminate unnecesary economic threats to their lives and well being. |
People with Physical Handicaps | Bully them into obscurity. | Everyone deserves respect. |
How Do You Feel?
How do you feel, yourself, about being mocked, spit on, called horrible names, or discriminated against for your gender, race, ethnicity, income (any level), religious belief or non-belief, political affiliation or none, your age, your intelligence (high or low), your weight, or some other temporary or long-term condition?
Sources
- Barry, D.; McIntire, M.; Rosenberg, M. "'Our President Wants Us Here': The Mob That Stormed the Capitol". The New York Times; January 9, 2021.
- Hesson, T.; Parker, N.; Cooke, K.; Harte, J. "U.S. Capitol siege emboldens motley crew of extremists." Reuters; January 8, 2021.
- Wright, E. Why is Mockery of Disability Still a Thing? The Startup; November 33, 2019.
- Zaru, D. "The symbols of hate and far-right extremism on display in pro-Trump Capitol siege". ABC News; January 14, 2021.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2016 Patty Inglish MS
