I wrote this letter a year and a half ago. And I throught I share my view on this topic!
Dear The Ladies of The View,
I am writing this letter to express my disappointment in the quality of the View this season. My main complaint about Rosie is she has used the word "cripple" on the show. She said the word on air when she was interviewing a mother of an American soldier who got injured in the war. The same show had Bob Woodworth on it discussing TBI because of the war. The meaning of this word is so offensive to such a large group of people. The definition state: 1 a sometimes offensive : a lame or partly disabled person or animal b : one that is disabled or deficient in a specified manner 2 : something flawed or imperfect. Why is she allowed to say this insulting word to describe an individual? I think that because American looks to the View as a guide, the show's responsibility is to show people with differences in a positive light. The program should focus on one's hopes and dreams, instead of concentrating on a negative viewpoint all the time. We as a world community need to change our mentality about being different then one another. We act like it is such a terrible thing, but not one of us on the plant is perfect. I think Rosie is a hypocrite. I got to meet her on her show in March of 2001, when she was known as "the queen of nice." She was so mean. I was so excited and when I get nervous my speech can become a little harder to understand. I was trying to tell her I was in college and how I wanted to help special needs students, she did not even pretend to care. She asked me if I was deaf and I thought that was very uncalled for.
I know the View loves teachers and people that can make a difference. I am a teacher that truly believes I can make I difference if someone would merely give me a chance. All I want is to be a role model within my community. This is why I am so up-set that the media including this show keeps using this negative term. This season there has been a number of TV shows using this word including Big Day, The O.C., Friday Night Lights, House, Lost, and many others. For example, just this morning on Regis and Kelly actress Katie Walsh from Grey's Anatomy made an offensive statement. She said, "I was waiting tables and my hands would not work right, it was like I had some type of palsy. I know this statement will not be head line news and nothing will be said about her comment. Why is that ok? Is it because the disabilities community does not have a political leader and the money to back them. If someone does not speak up and taken a stand against this issue, then people are going to think it is ok to use such a word in their every day vocabulary and it is not. What is this a throwback to the 1930 and 1940's, when people with challenges were all institutions? Why this bothers me so much is cripple means broken and there is nothing wrong with me, nor do I need to be fixed. If I sat on her stage and used the "N" word to describe an African American or the "D" word to describe a lesbian, Rosie and other groups would be outrage the same way people are outraged by the recent comments Imus has made. I would and never use those terms so why is it OK for her to use an insulting remark to talk about people just like me?
I am a 33 year old college grad, with a degree in special education. I am the first in my family to graduate. I also was born with a light case of cerebral palsy. C.P. is not a genetic disorder; it was cause due to environmental factors when I was being born. C.P. affects my movements and the way I speak. I have had years of therapy to help with these issues. I have a full and regular life, I can be fully understood, and have been married to a wonderful man for over seven years. I also have a 2 1/2 year old son. I am a full time mother who dreaming of her child growing up in a world that does not look down on my disabilities but praises my abilities. My son will simply grow up knowing me as his "perfect" mom, the only mom he will ever know. We are all different in our own beautiful way. Love knows no race, disabilities, or social norms. I think I am a better parent then half our population. Why should I be judged as a mom because of the way I walk? When I was born the doctors told my parents I would never walk, talk or live a "normal" live, but they were wrong. What one person might see as a struggle for me, I just find my own way to complete it and move on to the next task. I have learned to modify for myself in my life, without giving something a second thought. All my life I was raise by my mother and the belief, I could accomplish anything with hard work and determination. I decided to become a teacher, because I wanted to give children the same encouragement and love that I experienced in school. All though college I had mentors and professors tell me, "You will never teach because of your disability." This did cause me to doubt myself at times but I would keep my head held high and believe my good grades and degree would help me show the education world how capable I really am. After graduation in 2001, I did get a job. I was blessed to teach a life skills class for a year. I had a wonderful class of students and loved my job. Unfortunately due to a certification problem cause by my university, I was let go from my teaching position. My district could not hold my job. By the time my certification issue was resolved, they had found a replacement. For years I have applied to over twenty-five district. Each time I go to an interview I am fully prepared. I have a well put together portfolio, recommendation letters, and other qualifications to help me prove myself. I can see their faces when I walk in. I know they are thinking "Oh, NO," I think it is very sad that our school districts are so hypocritical. Especially special education teachers. You would think they would love to have a teacher like me teaching the students. My presents would help students learn that they can reach they own dream no matter what their struggles are. I have also applied for non-teaching positions, but have had no luck. I have called many local and state agencies asking for help and guidance. They tell me, "Oh, we can help you get a job at Wal-Mart or Mc Donald's." I did not work my butt in college, get my teaching certification, and have great job evolutions to flip hamburgers.
I am not the social norm that people think of when their think of a person with a disability. I am lucky to have had great opportunities, but those opportunities still did not prepare me enough to be treated unfairly by our world in this day and age Only about 10% of students with any type of disabilities go to college and only around 20% are in the workforce. That to me is just outrageous. I do not know where to go from here. I am a bright, caring, and positive person who wants to teach. Our culture looks at people with disabilities as outcasts. Our society can not separate physical and mental disabilities; they look at them as one in the same. I do not think the world owns me anything. I do not expect anything other then a fair chance. My dream is simple. I want to be a wonderful wife, mother, and an active member of my community who as something to give. I want to help enrich the lives of children through education. I also want the media to take and stand and stop creating stereotypes were there should be none. I think the View should be the first to promote understanding and awareness and help the media to take a stand and stop using negative words such as "cripple," to describe individuals with disabilities. If the View can help break down the walls of racism in our country then why can't the show also help the American pubic see individuals with disabilities in a positive light?
Thank you,
Kathryn
0 comments:
Post a Comment