 |
| Ozzie, the duck |
I have recently read numerous posts by fellow bloggers about the invisibility of the disabled and the continued stigmatization of people with handicaps. I wondered why. Various theories and models are spun in a genuine search for understanding and a thirst to educate the general populace. Today, I was struck by a bolt of something. Ozzie, the Westfield Park resident Muscovy duck, was murdered by some teen morons.
Don't get me wrong! I think that this was a totally detestable action which cannot be explained away by youth. These teens were neither endowed with intelligence, nor compassion, nor any other positive human quality. I believe they should be apprehended as quickly as possible and castrated so that their mutated genetic material cannot be passed on to anyone with whom they may unfortunately copulate and ultimately inseminate. Just cut their balls off!
Now do get me right! This story is three days old. It was in the Western Massachusetts papers, local and statewide television stations and New England Regional Newspapers (Boston Globe). Police are out in force looking to apprehend four idiot teens and now there is a reward being offered for information. People are aghast! The media blitz is ceaseless. Now people have established an Ozzie Fund.
The park ranger told us about how Ozzie took up residence three years ago and never migrated to Mexico, like he is supposed to. Everyone fed the fella! The teens are accused of venting "blood lust"; "taking advantage of the trust of an innocent animal"; and, "oh, my god, the poor baby!". I know that a Facebook page has been created for Ozzie to get the duck justice. And, on and on, new television shows, new articles in the media and wailing and crying continue daily.
Then I thought about some of the outrageous crimes directed at the disabled that I have both written about in this blog and continue to read about. Usually, one page hidden away, usually no follow-up, usually no outcry for justice! What the fuck! Something is wrong with the media and something is wrong with people in general.
- My post about abuse and rape of the disabled in New York group homes. Outcry, follow-up, sanctions, tv specials, etc? Nada.
- A guest post on my blog about parents who are out-raged because their precious kids have to take small precautions to save the life of a child with a severe peanut allergy.
- The disabled are the most likely population to be the target of serious crime
- An autistic boy is murdered by his care giver in a New York group home. No follow up stories or great sense of outrage!
- Or, if you like, 50 stories of abuse of the disabled from a single source.
- Or a 26 year old with CP who had multiple fractures from his care givers in a nursing home in Florida.
- And other references are available ad infinitum on the web. Just google "abuse of the disabled."
So why is the world in an outrage about a duck and not repeated instances of abuse of the disabled? The disabled are also innocent, trusting, responsive to kindness and susceptible to abuse by strangers. I am plagued by the indifference of the media and the general populace. I am plagued by this dis-ease of invisibility. I am plagued by the lack of rational explanation for this pervasive injustice.
This post is a partial purge, interrupted by a lack of explanation or model. I am hoping in the follow-up post to examine some principles of evolutionary psychology in an attempt to explain the unforgivable...the invisibility of the disabled and the indifference of the general populace.
