Interesting facebook incident

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

 

I was leaving a comment on my ex-cousin-in-law's facebook wall, it was in reply

to her being upset about something two of her ex boyfriends did.  Many people

had replied before so I read them and then replied.  One of the comments however

was just plain ignorant.  A guy, in his 30's, posted " were there midgets and

lesbians there " ?

 

I clicked on his profile and replied to him, I posted that I am related to

and I happen to have a dwarfism, I also said that midget is an offensive term,

and that it's basically not cool to make fun of people with disabilities.

 

He replied back how he has friends, supposedly, who have a dwarfism, and they

don't care what they are refered to and they don't consider themselves

disabled.  He does not see anything wrong with what he said and he was trying to

make light of the situation for his friend.  He then basically said I was the

one who had the problem.

 

I was shocked by his reply and realized he was never going to get it.  I told

him that since he had friends with dwarfism he should know better. I also said I

did not understand the thinking that your friend is sad so why not throw in a

group of people to make fun of and somehow that would make your friend feel

better. I also said there is nothing wrong with joking with people, however, I

personally feel it is not okay to joke or make fun of something someone cannot

help.  I then said why not substitute midget for blind or deaf?

 

I then blocked him because I had no desire to debate this with him. From his

pictures and profile he seemed like a school bully that grew up and turned into

a dufus.

 

It was not necessarily the term midget that bothered me, it was the point that

making jokes or putting in " funny " groups of people were okay to do for humor. 

That is what bothers me the most. 

 

No where do you ever really find anyone making fun of blind or deaf people. 

Why? because that would be heartless right?  Why is it okay to do to people with

a dwarfism?  Dwarfism is a disability just like blindness, deafness, etc.  Yet,

our disability is one of the few it is still okay to make fun of.  That is what

bothers me the most.

 

It just really gets old and shows we have not reached social equallity yet,

almost there, but not yet. 

 

In terms of someone's post about Pit Boss and the LP jobs, honestly, it does

bother me a bit, and the posts about leprechaun jobs on here I find to be

annoying, I didn't realize there was a vote and I would have voted against it. 

I'll say it. 

I am a big girl, someone dressing as a lobster does not effect my personal life,

however, when all of the acting jobs LP's can only get are mini me's, crazy

whimsical characters, etc, there to have people laugh at them, I have a problem

with that.  It perpetuates the stereotype that " midgets are funny " . I honestly

fear for the ones that dress as leprechauns and go to crazy parties at bars or

where there is a lot of alcohol. It's purposefully putting one's self in a

situation to be laughed at, as well as a chance one of the drunk people could

physically hurt, whether on purpose or not, someone with a dwarfism. The whole

thing is just sickening.

 

Hopefully my future child's generation will face less social hassel than I have

and my mother before me.

 

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