I think Daniel Day Lewis’s non fictional Christy Brown and Dustin Hoffman’s semi fictional “Raymond” were portrayed with dignity and respect. So that leaves Tom Hank’s and his “Forrest Gump” whose disability had nothing to do with the plot line or characterization …

or did it?

Unfortunately, DreamWorks is no longer the class production outfit that it once was. It has lost its glory in the making of a picture that ridicules the least able in this society.

Is it a noble thing just to make money by using words that have been offensive ? Do we sell our souls, intellect and decency just to make a buck?

What is the mission of DreamWorks: to sell or to expand the minds of moviegoers ?

Steven Spielberg, you should be ashamed of yourself. You were once a great Producer-director-writer, who reached out and made us feel sad for a creature named ET. Now you are part of the dregs of society who can only make a buck appealing to those in society who lack compassion and vision.

It’s my opinion that those who have power should use it for a greater good. There is no greater good in using demeaning gutter language for a profit or a laugh.

The word might be heard on the children’s playground but I have also heard parents tell their children not to use it.

The method and tactic for a lesson about the word’s use and the meaning behind it — is to let the consumer feel his feelings when he hears or sees it.

The immediate knee-jerk response to any attempt at PCing about a film or book or comment must be a shared experience. Until the consumer has the ability to react to blatant racism, sexism, disability (phobia?), homophobia and the culture bashing that Hollywood thinks will sell, he will not listen to our voices.

But they have heard their echo the process of understanding (explained in too much detail below) and acceptance is growing and taking root in our culture.

This doesn’t happen overnight. We have gonged the bell and flown the flag – our victories in the ADA and our visibility in public is showing that we are not going away. A process must happen in social change: A loud thunder about the injustice, to be followed with education and awareness. “Say it loud and wake ‘em up”. Then comes the softer approach (ADA appreciation awards, for instance) and the gift of actual dialog and discovery.

We are here at that point. The tone and content of this offensive movie (the bashing line-up) is simply too obviously wrong. To some it will be uncomfortable. Good. For some it will be a question in their minds. Good. For some there will be the sensing of the reaction of the people around them (peer pressure or group response) and THEY LEARN. They aren’t told, preached to, warned, or even aware that this film is going to be educational in the debate it will bring later and the response we see after it sinks into our pop culture.

I have been in many many social change movements, this is the most important and the one that is probably most difficult for people to deal with. In truth, they are a doctor visit or a car accident away from changing their “temporarily-able-bodied” status; while some will respond to returning vets with clearer recognition and motivation for accessible public places. They see a soldier and don’t think about their fear.

However, there is also a Puritan lesson that is permeated into our society and that has recently been shown by a celebrity, who was quoted as saying that the earthquake in China might have been karma for China’s murderous uprising in Tibet – and was lambasted for it.

We use the word Karma without understanding. Before this word, we heard about “burdens”… and the the depth of our socialization mentions the “sins of the fathers” in a whisper over the centuries of silence.

No, lets begin to trust the public a bit more and see what level of moral outrage they will meet when they see this movie. We would only cause better ticket sales among the target audience if we give them a word of dissent.

The public’s discomfort soon moves to self-censorship and group pressure to find a different way to describe our movement. Historically the word or phrases become a taboo — media responds, the public “outcry” is heard and celebrity careers are damaged or over.

Finally (which hasn’t happened and probably won’t until we quit putting ourselves into labels and generalities and stereotypes and groups, but that’s a later topic) sociologically-speaking, we should move from Taboo to a More (pronounced moray). That is when the awareness and sensitivity to a judgment or action is, well, just a deeply rooted as the fears that we see now in “temporarily able bodied” persons. One of our social mores is cannibalism. As you can imagine, it changes through cultures.

I my soapbox on wheels under the desk, so I can bring it out whenever I need it and can roll it back under when it is time to listen. It’s back under the desk. (Sometimes my hubby hides it… ; )

So I shall remain your friend and comrade in the most important social change movement of them all!

disabled and proud
lisbeth west

join me on Facebook to keep educating and influencing thousand of people!!! http://profile.to/westgallery (or search my name)

Even when my sister and I went to elementary school together, I was called retarded. And I did not know how to express how I felt. So my sister and her friends stood by me and were there to support me 100 percent.

When I reached high school and I was playing volleyball I heard some people say, Hey, Retard. And I said nothing. The next thing I heard them say was, You can’t do anything right. You are a retarded fool. By then I said, You have a problem.

After that I walked away and I got new friends.