Aiming at Sarah Palin--but Hitting her Two-Year Old

So infuriating.

I have been away awhile fighting the home fires on enough fronts to make my hair straight (seriously!) But the cultural bias about disability apparently continues...

It was Sarah Palin's son Trig's, birthday this week and Sarah Palin posted a cutesy poem about him on line. In response a political commentary blog posted a criticism--not of Sarah, but of Trig... calling him that ever-favorite R-word because he has Down syndrome...

Political commentary has devolved in this country to the point where namecalling and playground slurs really don't surprise anyone--it's cheap and easy and gets adrenalin flowing. It isn't cute, and it certainly isn't intellectual, but it is 'the way it's done' in 2011. (You might have noticed this...)

Usually though the target is at least an adult... and involved in politics....

 They have removed the post. The author says in his statement that he is just angry that Sarah Palin uses her son as a political pawn. And he might even have a point--children of politicians are always part of their 'package.' The ultimate example that comes to my mind are Caroline and John-John. People might have agreed with him--if only he had made that point.

And let's just say, again, that if Trig had been of any minority other than disability, said author probably would not have resorted to a slur to talk about him... 

H/T to Stephen Drake for bringing this article to my attention.

Blogging Against Disablism Day 2010: It's Everywhere

Well, it is still May 1st where I live!

When I was a kid my family read out loud together after supper (yes, we did have a TV, I am not THAT old!) At one point we read a Hardy Boys book that had peregrine falcons in it. We had never heard of them so we looked them up in the encyclopedia (Google for the 1970s.)  After that we all ran into peregrine falcons everywhere--in the newspaper, on TV, in stories and more. I can remember my mother saying, "And to think we had never even heard of them a month ago!"

Well, disablism--prejudice against people with disabilities--is like that.

Once you know what it is it's astounding how pervasive it is.

Today is Blogging Against Disablism Day. For 4 years now, all around the world, disability bloggists have been writing about disablism on May 1 and posting it with Goldfish. I was regretting that I had posted my disability rights "manifesto" earlier in the week thinking I should have saved it for today, but I should not have worried. In the past 2 days I have run across plenty of 'inspiration' without even looking.

Here is what I have seen:

Sometimes disablism is exploitive and screams at you in the check-out line. Today's headline of the National Enquirer blared, "Brad and Angelina: TWINS HEALTH SHOCKER! Tragic DOWN SYNDROME reports surrounding Vivienne and Knox.

The article was titled NEW FAMILY HEARTBREAK and the first paragraph went on to say blah, blah, blah, suffers with Down syndrome, blah, blah, blah.

The rest of the article mostly said Brad and Angie would be fine if their kids did have Down syndrome, but don't like all the attention...

Because, of course, Down syndrome isn't tragedy and suffering. But disablism is selling the papers...and selling those papers is reinforcing the disablism--the negative stereotypes about Down syndrome.

Sometimes disablism is utterly horrifying as in this article from a commenter's blog. I am having trouble with the statement that to be called a hate crime someone has to die... certainly this pervasive, perpetual terrorizing is not motivated by high esteem...

Sometimes disablism is unconscious. This video was showcased on another blog I enjoy. It is about what it takes to make an award-winning movie. The blogger who posted it wouldn't have if they had noticed. The video is lighthearted and not intended to offend. Yet it does. (The intro picture looks like the video will be sexual, it isn't.)

Sometimes disablism is institutional and even people within the disability world don't recognize it as this article illustrates.

So what's the answer? There are many of course, but here are a few of my favorites:

Presence: Be there. Part of the reason disablism is so common is because people with disabilities have lived lives separate from their communities until recently. The more people live together, the more relationships will be built.

Protest: Speak up and speak out. Assert the rights of people with disabilities, when you are hurt or treated disrespectfully find a way to say so.

Persist: Expect that you will confront disablism in some form many days and in many ways. Stick with it again and again and again...

Participate: None of us can--or should--join in every battle, but where you can, do. In the past year there have been many distressing disablism incidents and every one of them has led to increased awareness in our communities because people with disabilities and their allies have been there to identify the problem, shine light on it and ask for something else.

Pay attention: learn from each other, read each others' ideas, adopt each others' strategies and enjoy each others' company.

Perhaps something like reading or writing for a blogswarm....

BADD is good! Check it out! (Thank you Goldfish!)

No Drive Through Life and Wrongful Birth

I have blogged before that many years ago when I was single, years before my daughter was born with Down syndrome, I believed--and told people--that I thought I would be fine if I ever had a child with a physical disability, but not a cognitive disability.

I have always pictured God hearing my little declaration and rubbing his metaphysical hands with glee. I picture God knowing that that that thing I dreaded would be one of the best gifts of my life. I picture the anticipation of my being surprised by joy I could not even imagine making Him smile the way I smile about the Christmas presents I have hidden for my loved ones...

When my daughter was born we had a few hours of shock and I was given a quick lesson on disability philosophy by a dear friend of mine who has CP, and another by the guy who answered the phone for our local DS group whose first word to me on hearing our news was, "Congratulations!"

Then we were on our way.

Having our third child meant all the joy and sleeplessness any new baby brings to a family.

That she has Down syndrome meant that and so much more. We were introduced to the parallel world of disability and all of the amazing folks who live there, we got to learn about and appreciate the hundreds of intricate steps involved in any piece of human development, we had to be resilient, we had to be creative, we had to learn new skills, we had to be intentional and 'attentional' about all manner of things we never even knew existed before.

Some things were easy and some have been very difficult. But I have indeed learned that things that are easy are often not as valuable as the things/relationships we must invest in.

We couldn't have a drive-thru life--we experienced the slow-food alternative. We have layers of complexity and relationship that have meant we must always engage with our life and as Robert Frost wrote, "That has made all the difference."

These opportunities for learning and growth have enhanced the lives of our whole family.

Beyond this, the things I have learned have given me the opportunity to give back--to share the things I am learning with others along the way. I have learned advocacy and public speaking and gained a sense of purpose that I never had before.

My husband and other children have benefitted as well. The common purpose of parenting a child with a disability has enhanced our family life on all fronts--the fact that Jenn is a great kid makes it fun too!

My older children have a sense of justice and an awareness of social issues and have had the opportunity to speak out in many forums that other kids their age have not. They have both taken an active role in helping Jenn learn and grow and the responsibility and maturity they have developed is already helping them at school and work as the begin to make their way in the world.

Last week a woman I met commented to me about my daughter with Down syndrome saying, "Well, sometimes we don't get the life we ask for so we just have to make the best of things..."

"Actually," I replied, "I have a much better life than the one I asked for--I wouldn't change a thing!"

She seemed very surprised.

I went home and told my kids about my conversation.

My daughter said, "How do people not get it?? I actually feel sorry for families who DON'T have a kid with Down syndrome!"

I laughed because, to tell the truth, so do I.

Now, I had this all written and that line was supposed to be the end until I read this article.

A family in Oregon is seeking big bucks from the doctors who did not diagnose their toddler's Down syndrome pre-birth. They state unequivocally that their daughter has changed their life and they would have aborted her if they'd known.

This article made me physically ill.

First of all I feel heartbroken for the family whose experience with their daughter has not been as positive as mine.

Secondly, it frustrates me that this story has made the news. My story about the positive impact disability has had on my life will never have the credibility with our ableist society as this family's story will because our society fears disability and WANTS excuses to opt out of dealing with disability and those who have them.

I know families whose experience with their typical children has been extremely unpleasant as well for various reasons, this isn't necessarily a disability issue, but disability will undoubtedly be blamed.

Thirdly, I am desperately saddened for that little girl and her siblings growing up in a town that knows that her family would have aborted her if they'd known her. Who will want to babysit her or be her friend? What will kids say to her and her siblings on the playground? And how will this stated need for perfection affect hers and her siblings' sense of security with their parents? I can't imagine any amount of money that would be worth the cost.

Picture from here.

Another Blogger Commenting on Susan Boyle

I can't resist, I just can't.

I loved listening to this woman sing. You could just swim in that music. It was wonderful. AND Les Miserables is my favorite show of all time.

But the articles about it are really begging me to comment.

The first one I read was from a Toronto paper and it said that Susan Boyle sang karaoke all the time in a neighborhood pub and the whole town knew she could sing...

I hope this was not a case of people saying "she can sing, too bad she will never be able to do any thing with it."

I have met many parents over the years who say things like, "My son is really a genius at _________, but he has _______ diagnosis and he can't butter bread (direct quote!) so he is moving into ________ group home and working at _______ sheltered workshop assembling ___________... It's too bad he could never do anything with math... sigh."

This conversation always discourages me because in at least a few of the cases that I know of those kids truly did have genius (and a disability) and with accommodations could make some real contributions but fear of their needs, difficulty fitting into the accreditation systems (one guy couldn't get a college to work with him because he had a disability--aargh!!!) and failure of imagination ("But HOW could he work for _______ company? He can't even drive a car!" This about a kid who had worked successfully at a local electronics shop all through high school--because he got a ride.)

My dad was an electrical engineer whose secretary used to pin a note to his jacket to remind him to pick me up after school and the company security guard would tell my dad that he was closing up and it was time to leave many nights. He was an inventor. He was allowed to invent--encouraged to invent, paid even--even though he had a few absentminded tendencies.

Why? Because he doesn't have a disability. If he had a disability diagnosis his life would have been turned sideways and his same brilliance would have been written off as a "scatter skill" in an otherwise disabled life.

It's called accommodation and actually it is a natural part of everyone's life--all of our doctors call us to remind us of appointments, all of our churches and theaters use programs or bulletins to let us know what is going on, tons of organizations use shared calendars and alarms to keep folks on track, etc, etc, etc. But when we add the word disability to the mix, suddenly people start thinking in terms of impossibility.... Whassupwiddat???

This lack of imagination or will to apply ingenuity to situations because they seem difficult forces people with disabilities to live from their weaknesses, where they could and should be living from their strengths. (To read more about accommodations see here and here.)

Miss Boyle is a singer. And there were people in her life who knew it. Why did it take an extraordinary feat to give anyone the idea that she should pursue it?

And then there's the New York Times article... and the debate about whether or not Miss Boyle should have a makeover.

As part of the 47 and frumpy crowd (though you will be happier if you don't ask me to sing,) I hear the anti-feminist and ageist as well as the ableist undercurrent of this discussion... And I think it is up to her. I don't think she should feel she HAS to have a makeover, but I think if she wants one she should go for it-- and I do think whether she does or not will have an impact on what kind of carreer she will have.

I object to the judge's assertion that a makeover would spoil Susan Boyle's specialness. The surprise of the beauty contained inside of an unsophisticated package was a valuable lesson (that honestly, no one really learned.) But that ship has sailed, the world was surprised once and will never be surprised by her again.

I really don't like the talk of packaging her always as the unsophisticated woman who sings rather than as a singer... reminds me of the freakshow mentality that always packaged 'the cripple who can.... count toothpicks... play Vivaldi or whatever. (There is debate about whether this was such a bad thing which you can read a bit about here, but it turns my stomach.)

If she wants a more mainstream singing carreer she will need to do the things to make herself successful in that realm... it may well require a new look. I see this stuff as external and it doesn't bother me--if you want to play for the Yankees you will have to wear pinstripes... And she can go as far as she wants with that, I think. If she wants to sing jingles for local advertisers she can probably choose a different look than if she wants to consort with famous contraltos.

And can she do all this and maintain her individuality? Of course she can--she's a woman, isn't she?

As for myself, I am glad for the beauty her singing brought to my living room.

Obama and Accessibility: A Disturbing Trend

While the Obama campaign was the first to articulate a disability platform (Obama had one from April, the McCain campaign added theirs in October) when it comes to accessibility, the welcome mat for the disability community has not been out...

The Obama campaign stated to Bad Cripple way back in the spring that "they were doing the best they could on accessibility." Sadly, this did not mean they were ensuring that campaign sites were accessible--it meant that sites might or might not be accessible, and that was ok with the campaign.

With that attitude it is little wonder that my friend Roving Activist had this experience back on December 30. An Obama Transition Team meeting on Healthcare Reform that is NOT accessible??? How can this be? Now the building should certainly be compliant with the ADA (and apparently has changes underway to rectify that), but checking to see that venues are accessible should also be the responsibility of Obama's people...

And now Planet of the Blind shares that ABC in VA is reporting that people with disabilities are actively being discouraged from attending the innauguration.

What if this were happening to any other minority?? Of course, it has in the past, but I mean now, in 2009?

I understand that they feel that this is a safety issue, but this is a safety issue because they have a lack-of-planning issue.

And they feel it is fine that they haven't planned proactively to for the inclusion of people with disabilities. After all, they aren't turning people away because they don't LIKE them... Some of their best friends have disabilities, I'm sure....

Psssst,note to Obama and team: Failing to plan is planning to fail--and when you're not including, you're excluding. (And don't tell me it's too hard, we KNOW you can overcome obstacles!)

Wheelie Catholic also has some things to say about this issue.

I sincerely hope that this is not what we can expect for the next 4 years.

Picture from here.

We Have a Problem: SNL and David Paterson

(Updated to correct errors!

The disability community has an image problem.

The narratives BY people who have disabilities does not match the overriding cultural narrative ABOUT disability in society today.

For example:

In this article Michael J. Fox tells how he feels about his Parkinson’s disease.

In this article author, Gary Presley (who has also been featured on my blog—yes, I am bragging!) tells how he feels about his disability.

The blogosphere is full of such examples.

Now what is presented about disability?

In this article kids with disabilities are taught about disability using simulation exercises. This is a fairly common—and controversial—way of teaching about disability.

Want to know why the controversy? Read the reactions of the kids when the exercise is over. Are they positive or negative about disability when the program is over? Are they saying the things Michael and Gary are saying about their disability? Do they now feel that they have more in common with folks with disabilities? Or is it more like they now realize just how different ‘those people’ are??

The kids are saying “thank goodness this was only a game!!!” Does that sound like they got a positive picture of disability from the program?

(Do you want to know why they didn’t? The exercise gave them a vision of struggle without any context that showed that the value of doing it and no relationship to make it connective. People rarely need help figuring out what is different about other people. They need help finding or building COMMON ground! But I digress!)

As I say the disability community has a crisis of image in our society.

The world believes that people with disabilities have inherently less competence, that they are needier, contribute less and don’t matter as much as everyone else, and that their lives automatically have less happiness than other people’s. Though the research does not agree and individual stories vary widely, this message is sent in large and small ways, day in day out and is virtually unchallenged. It just grows and grows.

These poisonous perspectives on disability pervade every arena:

Medicine: Did you see this report from the March of Dimes last week? In light of this report, why is the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology spending any time or energy reducing Down syndrome? Lives of people with Down syndrome are improving. While other babies need their help.

Media: Read this article about a series from the New York Times. It is trying to showcase an important issue, but what does it say about disability? I think it engenders pity (a looking-down-on emotion) and I think disability is almost blamed for the circumstances in some of the articles. This is ridiculous, disability does not create lack of access. In fact, the opposite is true. Lack of access is what’s disabling.

Public Policy: It has required separate laws to include people with disabilities in schools (IDEA), public life in their communities and workplaces (ADA), and access to healthcare, assets and more. Society can be so unaware and/or unwelcoming of folks with disabilities that the government has to tell us to include our neighbors. No wonder the rate of unemployment for people with disabilities has been at or around 70% since the 1980s—and since healthcare is linked to employment (and the lack of prior diagnoses) healthcare coverage for adults with disabilities is nearly non-existent as well. All because of society's beliefs about disability.

And Entertainment: In August we had Tropic Thunder where Dreamworks Studio checked in with people of every minority group they lampooned to be sure they did not cross the line from entertaining to degrading—except people with disabilities. There was another movie this fall that gave a degrading view of blindness. What, do you suppose, is this industry's belief about disability?

Then this past weekend on Saturday Night Live Governor David Paterson was satirized. Now I love political humor—Letterman, Leno, Stewart, Colbert, and many more all entertain while they deflate political personalities that usually NEED deflating—it’s practically a public service. And everyone has traits to make fun of.

Unfortunately SNL decided not to lampoon David Paterson this weekend. They ridiculed blindness instead, equating it with bumbling lostness, vagueness and incompetence. There was no irony and no connection at all to the way Gov. Paterson actually is. Just stale stereotyping.

People with disabilities are not defined, nor are they confined by their diagnoses. Disability is the largest minority in our country and the last to be accepted and respected as such. People with disabilities deserve access, opportunity, choices and inclusion in their communities.

And. Respect.

Picture from here.

A Vocabulary Problem: Eugenics and Down Syndrome

Apparently there is a newspaper columnist in the world, whose platform is to advocate vehemently and persistently for people with disabilities in general—and Down syndrome specifically—to die.

Well, apparently this person does not like the word eugenics to be associated with her point of view. She thinks the term eugenics has too many negative connotations. She believes, apparently, that ridding society of a class of people—if you have a “really good reason"—should have a happier sounding title.

And this person KNOWS they have a “really good reason" because they have observed dysfunctional families which include this class of people and it was…. bad….

There were struggles. And hardship.

Clearly this means that…..

ALL families who include this class of person are dysfunctional…. and bad….

So, she can’t help but conclude that…..

This class of people should be eliminated.

It isn’t exactly scientific, or even logical.

Life without disability is also fraught with difficulties and struggles—in fact, there is dignity and valor that cannot be achieved without struggling.

Apparently this authority has never observed that.

Supports for people with disabilities (like access to education, healthcare, employment, and life in the community) greatly reduces hardships for people with disabilities. (I have written about improvements in life with Down syndrome here.)

Support for dysfunctional families often improves that family's functioning.

But our friend has never observed these things either--which means they don't exist, naturally. Also.

Honestly, the first time I heard this person spew their drivel I thought it was a satire.

But no. She is serious.

Or, I should say, Serious (with a capital S.)

I will NOT link to this person, or even name them, because if they get even one blog-visit because of me I will not be able to live with myself. (But I read about her on this website!)

But I do hate to ignore a person in need.

And situations where one group of people deem themselves superior and decide that the folks they deem as “less” should be eliminated is hardly a new event. There must be lots of vocabulary available.

Eugenics according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary is defined as “a science that deals with the improvement (as by control of human mating) of hereditary qualities of a race or breed.”

Oh my, that is an UGLY phrase…. With so much BAGGAGE...

Fortunately, bigotry is an OLD problem. I am sure we can come up with something else.

Let’s see, when a ‘superior’ group eliminates others based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or some other difference are there other words used to describe the situation?

Try these: holocaust, pogrom, ethnic cleansing, persecution, genocide, extermination, hate crimes, abuse…. What did Idi Amin call it? What do they call it in Rwanda?

Help yourself to any of those words!

You're welcome.

Photo from here.

Katie Couric on Down Syndrome: I Demand a Re-Write

So, what do we know about Down syndrome?

Down syndrome. It used to be a heartbreaking diagnosis for any parent, but in 2008, the picture is not as grim as society once believed.

Years ago people receiving this diagnosis often felt that their hopes and dreams were shattered, today, the outlook is quite different. The future is wide open.

While a diagnosis of Down syndrome means the child may have a cognitive disability (usually in the mild to moderate range), with advances in medicine and education people are learning more and living better lives than anyone thought possible even just a few years ago.

Congenital heart defects that require surgery are experienced by less than half of all children born with Down syndrome and modern surgery has improved outcomes for these kids so much that most will go on to have a normal life expectancy.

In the past, few people with Down syndrome were able live independently—this is no longer the assumption. There have been so many advances in healthcare, education, assistive technology, accessibility of public life and increasing employment opportunities that many people with Down syndrome are living lives quite similar to their non-disabled peers, and there is no reason to believe improvements will not continue.

Advances in medicine and technology, increasingly individualized care options and active advocacy have combined to create a future of possibility for people with all disabilities—whether from birth or acquired through illness, injury or age.

Now let's see what Katie Couric has to say:


Watch CBS Videos Online

Well folks, this would be an accurate picture of Down syndrome if this were 1968.

In 2008 this negative portrayal is appalling. This inaccurate story told by a grim-faced Katie Couric is unconscionable.

Also, I am not a Down syndrome parent. I am a parent. One of my children has Down syndrome. (Clearly the press needs many repititions to grasp respectful disability language--it's OK, I can accommodate that!)

I demand a re-write.

People with Down syndrome and their families deserve better.

[Edit: Several people have mentioned that they saw the piece on the news which included interviews with families, physicians and more and thought it was good. I agree with them. Then the person who wants to know more goes on line and finds this video where Katie Couric alone, intones grim, outdated portrayal. I do think re-writing of this piece is in order.]

Transition and Tom & Jerry

This has been a post that has been partially written for a long time, and then John Franklin Stephens essay which was published this week—this is what I call synchronicity.

The other day my family came home from grocery shopping and while my kids were getting out of the car and arguing over who was carrying what bags, and who had a key to the house handy and who got to use the computer first when we got inside I noticed that our neighbor was outside and I waved and said hello. We tumbled into the house and started putting the groceries away. About 5 minutes into this process my daughter raised her hand into the air and waved.

“Whatcha doing??” I asked.

“Silly me, I’ve gotta wave at Mrs. N,” she said, and she ran outside to say hello.

Later that night she was telling me about something that she heard at church from Mrs. Cheeseburger.

“Mrs. Cheeseburger?” I asked.

“No, not Mrs. Cheeseburger. Mrs. Foxglove.”

Why did she start with cheeseburger? Because it’s a compound word… It seems a lot of her compound words are filed under cheeseburger or butterfly. Because she knows they’re compound words.

At home we take these glitches in stride—we believe that my daughter is bright and witty and we live here—we have time for her to try things again, time for practice, for retrieving the right information.

It is often difficult to watch my daughter interact with folks that don’t know her. They ask her questions that she doesn’t answer—or answers with something totally silly and after a couple of tries they conclude that she just isn’t a very deep thinker.

Based on this people decide what they will talk with her about, what classes they think she should take and what types of activities are appropriate for her… and they are wrong.

They think they are right, of course. They say, “I have spoken to her myself…” so they think they know. And yet, they don’t.

See, they aren’t in the car with her after the baseball game, or at the dinner table with our family after school. They don’t know that she refers to conversations from church, or chorus, or last week’s party or today’s test for days to come. They don’t know that her gestures when you don’t understand her speech are signs that she learned as a baby and has rarely used since.

Because she doesn’t always engage the way people expect, they believe she hasn’t engaged at all.

Rather than giving her time to figure things out they pile on other questions or other pieces of information and expectations and by then she is totally mired and doesn’t respond at all.

They say “what do you expect, she has Down syndrome?”

This kills me.

She is a great kid with a killer sense of humor and some really astute observations which are lost on most folks. If she didn’t have Down syndrome I wouldn’t care that people underestimate her. I would think I was one of the lucky people with a key to a wonderful secret place and just enjoy it.

But she does have Down syndrome and when people see what they believe are her limitations they rarely even consider that they might not have the whole picture.

And these people have power.

People who misunderstand my daughter can determine her life.

They can decide and create a life for her that matches THEIR assessment of her. They can push her into situations that they believe are at “her level.”

They can feel totally justified in creating a life for her that is devoid of the abstract, they think teaching background information is a waste of time and literacy is a pipedream. They evaluate what they see as her functional level—believe their assessment to be truly reflective of her abilities, make decisions accordingly and THEY ARE WRONG.

They categorize what they see of her skills and then determine what they are willing to invest in her. They try to squeeze a kid who is truly 3 dimensional into their 2dimensional image of her—and they will blame her when she does not fit.

And then when I object to the steamrolling of my daughter like she’s something from a Tom and Jerry cartoon, they tell each other that I think she’s “going to be a brain surgeon.”

This misapprehension appears to be common in disability and it’s terrifically upsetting.

Tomorrow I am going to be posting an interview with my friend Kathy Z. who shares what she has learned going through the transition (to adult) process with her son. This is a terrifying time for our family. We want our daughter to have a life with interest and choice and room to breathe…

So how do we get there from here?????

Picture from here.

Tropic Thunder: Start With a Boycott, but Don't Stop There

If all the guys between the ages of 17 and 37 stayed away from the movie Tropic Thunder everyone would notice. Dreamworks would choose new executives. Actors and writers would be concerned about their next job. Word of the 'flop' would be all over the tabloids and the internet.

If all the people with disabilities and their families stay away from the movie the world will not blink. Not only will they not miss our money, but they won't notice that we are not there.

There is nothing different about people with disabilities staying home. Just another day in segregated America.

Do not invest one cent in this movie--but don't stay home either.

Be present.

We want to develop credence: Do something valuable, something the public can relate to, develop some snappy comebacks, write a good letter, show up at a theater and give witness to your existence. Handle hatefulness with such dignity and grace--and perhaps with such humor--that everyone watching sees you as the good guy.

We want to have influence in our own communities, in the entertainment industry, in society.

You must be sure that Tropic Thunder is not the only image of disability that your community sees over next couple of weeks.

You must be sure that the hateful phrases in Tropic Thunder are not the only voice your community hears.

This week is the fulcrum point: the efforts we make will have greater impact because we make them now.

Take action, start today--sleep next month!

Picture from here.

Tropic Thunder: And So It Begins

Well, the movie Tropic Thunder premieres tomorrow and Dreamworks will ramp up their own efforts to have presence and credence in order to influence everyone to buy tickets and merchandise and videos....

There will be a red carpet event with all the stars in California tomorrow. Jack Black is appearing on Sesame Street this week. There will be lots and lots of magazine covers, spots on Leno, Letterman and every other latenight and early morning show they can get time on. There will be magazine covers and articles in the entertainment section of newspapers all across the country.

And advertising--in the paper, on TV, all over the net... Is there more? I am sure there must be more...

According to Media Dis&Dat there was already an article in the LA times where Stiller explained his efforts to portray the racial issues in the movie as important.

(If only he had made the same efforts with the disability issues.)

Every advertisement and interview and event is an instant of 'presence' which will lend 'credence' which will expand 'influence' which will lead to more presence......etc, etc, etc

The agreed on movie screenings for disability advocates were switched from last week to this week--some think that this is because there is so much wrong with the movie. I expect it was to push our response to this week--adding to their presence.

Will the disability community be there to say that we want the words that are spewed on the silver screen in this movie to stay in the theater?

That we don't want to hear hate language in our communities, from our neighbors, or in our schools?

Will we be there to build our own presence and credence and influence in favor of a safe, accepting community where people with cognitive disabilities are considered people that matter?

Here is an idea sent to me by my friend Jan Fitzgerald--you may remember that she was a guest-blogger here in March:

1. Brad Grey – Chairman and CEO of Paramount serves on the Board of Directors for Project A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig disease)

Somehow I would find it difficult to see Paramount making a sick humor movie about A.L.S., do you? Maybe Project A.L.S. would consider asking Brad Grey to step down, considering the lack of sensitivity this movie shows. Is it a reflection of his leadership?

Contact Project A.L.S. at info@projectals.org

2. Want a career at Paramount? If not, then let them know by send an e-mail to: Paramount_careers@paramount.com

Post a comment at this spot: http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/06/faux-tropic-thunder-promo-offends-lots/

3. Paramount, the maker of Tropic Thunder is owned by Viacom. From the investment section of their website it states:

Viacom's goal is to be the world’s leading, branded entertainment company across television, motion pictures and digital media platforms.

If you go to this link: http://www.viacom.com/contact/Pages/default.aspx

From there you are able to send an email.

If it is indeed Viacom's goal is to be the world’s leading, branded entertainment company across television, motion pictures and digital media platforms, then maybe they should stop investing in Paramount and their poor choice of movies including Tropic Thunder.

Thank you, Jan.

Keep those cards and letters coming! (Who used to say that???)

EDIT: Boycott Planned

Read more here.