A disturbing
trend inspired me to write this blog. Please note: This blog
may offend some of my disabled community, but that is not my goal!
The goal is to express the idea that we are a minority that claims to be
treated equally, but we cut corners more often than not. Because we cut corners,
two things have occurred. People view us with unnecessary sympathy, and people
end up taking advantage of disabilities.
Let me first explain how this blog idea came to mind. I watched The
Tonight Show earlier this week. Jay Leno mentioned the following in
this monologue; Recently, out of Florida, black market disabled people have been
hired to help people skip lines. Initially, I thought it was a story that Jay
was making up for a good laugh because it got one. However, upon further
research, I found it to be true. Several articles have been written about the
issue. Two of which are going to be footnoted below. This blog will address
that, but it will also address much more critical issues.
First off, I think it is rather funny that people are such in a rush to hear,
“It’s a small world after all...” sung to you over and over again that they
would be willing to give up more of their hard owned money to a disabled person
to use the sympathy that society offers them. I mean, really?! How much would
it hurt to learn some patience? I mean, yes, these lines are pretty long...but
the ride’s not going anywhere! All they are losing out on is their hard-earned
money. If you don’t spend enough money at Disney world or places like that in
general, why must you need a reason to shove unnecessary money?
Enough about that, and now down to the nitty-gritty of this blog. I am a
disabled individual. I have Cerebral Palsy, and I use a motorized wheelchair.
So I am privileged enough to skip the lines at amusement parks, airports, and
other places. For a while, most of my life, I thought nothing of it. After this
recent scandal, I got to thinking. Was Carlos Mencia, right? Carlos is a
Mexican American Comedian who makes fun of every individual shamelessly for
those who don't know. I am a huge, standup comedy fan. People sometimes tell me
I should be a sit-down comedian.
I try, but
my speech issues often get in the way. I still make people laugh hysterically
with my lobster jokes, etc. Anyway, back to my point. In one of Mencia’s bits
(please see the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQawDUmcdCQ it
is hilarious and politically incorrect but it is fantastic, listen to the
disabled kids' response to him), he comments about being behind a handicapped
individual as he called them, and thinking to himself but not having the guts
to say, why do handicapped people get to skip the lines? He was specifically
referring to those who were in motorized wheelchairs or scooters. He did not
have any beef with those on sticks or crutches. I thought it was hilarious at
the time. I laughed my ass off, and people around me didn’t understand why. Let
me explain.
Mencia may have a point. Just because we are disabled, do we deserve special
treatment? I mean, to be honest, we are sitting on a chair. Our feet do not
hurt from standing in line for hours. Do you know who should get to skip the
lines? The 80-year-old grandparents with their grandchildren who can barely
stand but do it anyway. Not I who has never stood without help a day in my
life. Because oh my goodness, what if my finger gets tired from sitting in a
45-minute line? Now some may argue that they are doing it to make it easier for
our caregivers and us. To this point, it might be easier to give caregivers
more space on and off rides, but what does this have to do with skipping ahead
of the 45 other people that paid the same price I did to get in? This principle
can also be seen in other places.
Just the other day at Wal-Mart, I saw an individual, no lie, steal one of those
in-store scooters because they did not feel like walking. To put it politely,
this person was significantly overweight. I know they were not disabled because
I followed them and watched them get out of the scooter to reach on the top
shelf to grab a large container of...wait for it...wait for it...OREOS! ...OREOS! This
situation got me thinking also. No one ever calls disabled people out on
anything because they are afraid to offend them. Like we are some fragile human
being that cannot be told off or corrected. Our non-disabled people, and this
is an honest question, so afraid of our difference that they fear being shunned
by the rest of their peers if they call us out? For being obnoxious or
inappropriate behavior? Let me give you an example. I go to college, as I’ve
said before, with a large population of disabled people. A majority of these
disabled people do not walk around with chips on their shoulders. However, a
large portion does and walk around as if they own the university. They will run
non-disabled people off the sidewalk. It’s probably happened to you, and none
of the non-disabled people say anything to the disabled person. They can be
heard muttering to their friends, though.
What do all these examples have in common? Disabled people come in two
varieties, so I’ve found it. Those individuals that are okay with their
individuals and those who are bitter about them and use their disabilities to
their advantage, i.e., they will skip the line in Disney World. Still, they
will complain if not treated equally in the next minute. If we want to be
treated equally and taken seriously as a group, we cannot pick and choose what
areas of life we are treated equally. You may see skipping the line at Disney
World not as a big issue but in places like this that we forcibly set ourselves
apart from others. Either we want to step in line with the rest of society or have
no problem outside the community, along with having our impressive entrance to
the ride. We can’t have it both ways. It is almost like we cannot reach exceptionally
far, but it’s almost like we enjoy the special seating we get in life. If you
ask any minority, who has fought for equal rights, they will all tell you they
never want special seating. They fought t sit among everyone else. Not apart
from them.
Footnotes:
1.) http://b1027.com/wealthy-hiring-disabled-to-cut-lines-at-disney/
2.)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/14/skipping-lines-at-disney_n_3275836.html