Do Your Homework
I originally heard about the furor from the NRA and CBS’s reference to people with mental illness being referred to as “mental defectives” through the disability grapevine and then went and viewed the broadcasts for myself before writing my little blog post. HOWEVER, (and let this be a reminder to all of us) that isn’t the end of the story. I decided to dig a little deeper and those of you who actually clicked on the link for HR2640 know what I am talking about.
Wayne LaPierre of the NRA wasn’t being derogatory or condescending towards people with disabilities when he used the term “mental defectives.” Really! He was quoting the language of the BILL!
Yes ladies and gentleman, there is legislation out there that uses the term “mental defectives.” This is why it is important for all of us, before we respond, before we take action, before we do anything, to DO OUR HOMEWORK. Instead of taking other people’s words (and opinions), we should try and find the time to at least do some preliminary research of our own.
The disability community is sometimes a bit lazy about that. Someone says a program is going to lose funding and everyone gets mad; someone says a certain store discriminates and everyone gets mad. We need to be smarter and make sure we have all the facts, otherwise our credibility is compromised. This is especially important with any issue that involves the media.
