Xposted in xanga
This is positively amazing, and not in a good way.
Let's say you're watching a movie, and there's a character (not a main character, just a mini-role) who laughs at a handicapped person. Most likely, since we know nothing else about this person, we're going to have a negative reaction towards him or her. I mean really, who laughs at someone who's disabled?
Today, I was walking home from class, feeling pretty good, since it was at least 20 degrees out, and there's these 3 people (2 girls and a guy) walking in front of me. One girl says "everytime I walk by Uris, I remember this kid on crutches who fell on the ice last week." The guy says, "hahahah loser" (or something worse, I really don't remember anything besides the seething rage inside me). What the #$&%*!! I remember thinking that the last thing I'd want to do is to be on crutches, because I couldn't imagine navigating the slushy iciness of Ithaca on crutches, since I can barely do it with boots.
Then I remembered how back in high school, there was a girl in a wheelchair named Claire, who was always really sweet and helpful. And one day, she was forcibly pushed down a ramp by the P.E. hallway, the wheelchair turned sideways and tipped over, causing her to fall out of it. She couldn't get back in herself, and the boys just ran away laughing.
Is the world really this callous? I know this isn't everybody, but it just shocks me how inhumane some people can be.
Let's say you're watching a movie, and there's a character (not a main character, just a mini-role) who laughs at a handicapped person. Most likely, since we know nothing else about this person, we're going to have a negative reaction towards him or her. I mean really, who laughs at someone who's disabled?
Today, I was walking home from class, feeling pretty good, since it was at least 20 degrees out, and there's these 3 people (2 girls and a guy) walking in front of me. One girl says "everytime I walk by Uris, I remember this kid on crutches who fell on the ice last week." The guy says, "hahahah loser" (or something worse, I really don't remember anything besides the seething rage inside me). What the #$&%*!! I remember thinking that the last thing I'd want to do is to be on crutches, because I couldn't imagine navigating the slushy iciness of Ithaca on crutches, since I can barely do it with boots.
Then I remembered how back in high school, there was a girl in a wheelchair named Claire, who was always really sweet and helpful. And one day, she was forcibly pushed down a ramp by the P.E. hallway, the wheelchair turned sideways and tipped over, causing her to fall out of it. She couldn't get back in herself, and the boys just ran away laughing.
Is the world really this callous? I know this isn't everybody, but it just shocks me how inhumane some people can be.