"We're not terrorists"...ffs

[cosmolinguist]

Some of my well-meaning friends say stuff like "hit them with your white cane!" as a response when I mention that some fine upstanding citizen has done, like run into the cane and then yell at me, or sneaking ahead of me in queues seems to be a popular one at the moment...).

I appreciate my friends mean well, they're trying to indicate that they think bad things should happen to people who behave in a disgracefully ableist way.

But from my perspective, "Hit them!" is not only impractical as a serious suggestion of course -- for reasons ranging from "it's only made of aluminum" to "I'd be the one who got in trouble" -- but also there are people who genuinely think disabled people who use canes for mobility will also use them as weapons.

No, really.

An eight-year-old had his cane taken from him at school because 'they thought he was getting violent' and the worst of it is, the school gave him a fucking "pool noodle," one of those foam tubes kids use to help them float when they're splashing around in the water, to use instead.

Claiming the kid "posed a danger to himself and others," the school not only took away what the kid's mother calls "his eyes" as punishment, but seemed to think a silly toy was a suitable replacement, clearly intending only to humiliate him (which, if my experience in elementary school is anything to go by, he probably didn't need the help with) and neither knowing or caring that a white cane is a tool and all its ability to convey information -- about where people and objects are, about what kind of surface is being traveled over, so many things -- is in the rigidity that made it seem so threatening in the hands of this eight-year-old.

Also, some blind people had a harrowing time trying to get into Six Flags because security thought their white canes were "sticks" that could start a fight if they ran into someone with one.

After about another half hour, we finally spoke to the man we were waiting for. He brought out paramedics to try to determine if we were blind.

He then asked us if he could give us a sighted guide so we could leave our canes at the gate. We told him no.

He then told us he didn’t want us to have the canes because we might hit people’s legs by accident with them, and it could start a fight. Zach then gave the gentleman his very first travel class. He instructed him and showed him how a blind person would only tap another person’s ankle.

After that, he made us give our solemn word that we would not use our canes as weapons. He then said that "after 9/11, you could never be too careful because terrorists are everywhere."

I replied, “We’re not terrorists.”

I know my friends mean well and I'm not upset at any single example of being told "hit them!" because I know my friends mean nothing more than cheerful solidarity. But I just wanted to say that such comments make me uneasy, and yes it's ridiculous that people do have these reactions -- when disabled people are much more likely to be victims than perpetrators of assault -- but since they do, forgive me for not having much of a sense of humor on the subject.

Comments

[davidgillon]

Mixed feelings on this as I have actually hit people with my crutches. They all fall under the general heading of self-defence, but break down into two. There's the passive self-defence of making sure someone about to walk into me hits crutch, not shin, and sometimes that's a very deliberate decision, not simply protecting yourself instinctually. And then there's the active self-defence of the time someone decided it would be funny to throw me to the ground. I saw him coming, realised what was about to happen (from the way he was whispering to his friend and shooting glances at me) and so I deliberately turned away to tempt him into a move at my back. The instant he grabbed my rucksack and tried to tug, I spun around and hit him with my crutch. That was all it took to intimidate him into backing away, but if his ribs hurt every time he sees a disabled person, then I can't say I'm upset over it.

[cosmolinguist]

I have absolutely no problem with people using mobility aids as self-defense; I know that does happen to anyone who uses them, and I think while we still live in a society that ignores and mistreats disabled people that's inevitable and should be taught as part of how to use the crutches/walking stick/whatever.

(Though I still think on a practical level it wouldn't work as well with a white cane because they're too flimsy. ;) )

But I think a lot of education needs to be done on things like how much more likely disabled people are to be victims than perpetrators of assault before I could start thinking my friends' "hit them!" advice stopped rubbing me up the wrong way.

[davidgillon]

Can't disagree with that, unfortunately.

[silveradept]

That's awful behavior. It would be nice if someone getting tapped would fix their behavior, but it won't, I'm sure.

[mother_bones]

My sincere apologies lovely, I know I've been guilty of this. Thank you for the heads up *hugs*

[cosmolinguist]

I really didn't mean to make people feel bad with this; as I said I understand the desire to show support. And no one instance of this has particularly bothered me, to the extent that I don't remember you saying such things. I hope you don't feel too bad on my account.

I don't expect anyone to know that there are really people out there who think canes are weapons or that terrorists might pretend to be blind or whatever, but that was why I wrote this. There really are people out there who believe things dumber than we can possibly imagine, and it's just useful to know how these things might impact people's lives. Especially the lives of those already marginalized and misunderstood, as disabled people are.

[bunnypip.livejournal.com]

Reading this made me even more glad that Bah's bf T (who is 10) is getting help and support from the school in using his cane and has an assistant who is helping him learn and taking him out and about around the village to practice :)

[doctorstewie.livejournal.com]

It's comments like this that help restore some of my faith in humanity. Of course if large sections of humanity were to stop making itself lose faith in it that would be better, but bearing that in mind this is the next best thing - and wonderfully so.

[barakta]

We had a blind student whose cane was taken off them in the playground cos they "might" use it as a weapon. Parents were teachers and STILL couldn't get the discriminatory rule rescinded (it's in the guidance that this constitutes direct discrimination but only the parents can sue, not the child).

Seems to be a common assumption. So yes absolutely you're in this awful position of having to excessively not even remotely ever be seen to do this because otherwise you could have your mobility aid removed from you :(

My hearing aid was taken off me once, my mum went APE and explained in very small words why it was a wicked and cruel thing to do a child...

Interesting Links for 10-04-2015

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User andrewducker referenced to your post from Interesting Links for 10-04-2015 (http://andrewducker.livejournal.com/3265852.html) saying: [...] people are being asked to testify that they aren't terrorists if they want to keep their canes... [...]