My faith in fellow mankind is diminishing!

[lumabean]

Okay, I may just be too emotional and thin-skinned but I saw a clip online today that left me in tears - not just a tear or two, but deep sobbing. Just when I think I can find a balance between the beauty of the world to counter all of the negative, something like this throws me for a loop and I wonder how people can truly be the way they are at times. Again, I know it's wrong to pass judgement and I am not trying to play morality police, just stating how it makes me feel.

 

There's a little 10 year old girl with cerebral palsy in Ohio, who is being harassed and mocked by her neighbor and the boy's FATHER. The grandma finally got video proof of them mocking how she walks, dragging one leg behind, and my word, I just broke down, it was horrible! I have a nephew with CP and he walks a similar way (will be having surgery soon to try to help correct that to a degree) and his arm is also an issue. Kids his age have already made fun of him, but kids will be kids and usually their parents say something to them to help them understand, and then things are okay. But to see a FATHER leading his son in the torment, it just makes me lose hope. truly, it does. What in the world is wrong with people?

 

I don't get it, what benefit does anyone get from belittling or mocking another for anything, no less a disability that the person has no control over. It's heartbreaking.

 

Didn't mean to get on a soapbox or anything, I was just really quite struck by the clip, and it sort of set off my emotions. I've been slowly having my doubts about society with some of the stuff I've been seeing both online and 'in real life' locally and on the news (my word, the news leaves me reeling at times!) -- and this was the tipping point.

 

Edited to add:

 

Also adding Arby's situation in to this -- we're in 2012 for goodness sake, yet the medical field cannot manage to help her, this is just wrong. Where is the compassion, the care for fellow man/woman. It's also quite scary that someone can have severe, obvious symptoms indicating that SOMETHING is wrong, yet ... nothing is done.

 

I keep thinking, we have a rover on Mars ... MARS. Yet, poor Arby cannot get the medical treatment she needs (and deserves) ... I cannot make the connection there. We're making huge strides as a society in some areas, and major, major steps backward in others (and to me, the one's we're going backward on are the ones that really matter).

 

Eh, okay, I will be quiet now

 

 

 

 

Edited October 5, 2012 by lumabean

[Annarchy]

(((((((lumabean)))))))

[Andrea]

(((lumabean))) I have no answers for you. All I can do is offer hugs and empathy. I know exactly how you feel but I am at a loss on how to fix either of these situations.

[lumabean]

 

Thanks for listening and understanding

 

[Jeepers]

Rant away Lumabean. That 'man' is despicable. When I see behavior like that coming from an adult I wonder what they will do when it happens in their family. Sooner or later it will. It happens to all families. Maybe not in their generation but soon.

 

There are a lot of mean people. I don't get it either.

[lumabean]

[Mt_Rider]

Those that are mocking and revel in the misfortune of others have a deep black hole where their heart [or...sometimes their brain] should be. Something has happened to make them that way. Or something has NOT happened.

 

Some of those type, MIGHT be restored into human beings with sense and sensibilities for others. Some are pathologically gone already. Those without ANY moral settings except IT'S ALL ABOUT ME, are getting quite numerous and THEY ARE DANGEROUS.

 

Those types will think that girl was born just for their entertainment. ...It is with great horror that we observe that.

 

One thing that defines 'evil' for me is reveling in the misfortune of others. I step away slowly and STAY away from ones like that. Except in the days that I was paid to work with such folks. As I said, some might be salvageable, especially if they're young. But not necessarily.

 

MtRider [ God help us all as their numbers increase.... ]

[lumabean]

It had to be scary (and heartbreaking) having to face that regularly for work, MtRider. I agree, that does define evil. There sure are some scary, heartless people out there

 

 

 

[kathy003]

Lumabean - I am sorry you had to have that experience. I have a child with a cognitive impairment, so i know the hurt and anguish that comes with a child, in this case my own child, treated unfairly. It used to make me mad when people would pick on my daughter. I found that it was the adults who are the cruelest, and those people's children are the ones to pick up on that negative behavior. The parents that took the time to explain what was going on to their children, those children tended to be the kindest, most compassionate kids.

 

That being said, I no longer get angry when people do that. In fact, I pray (most of the time) that The Lord softens their hearts and puts compassion in there. I do this because those people need it. When you have a child with a disability, the child ends up teaching you the most important things in life. Unconditional love, forgiveness, and how not to judge someone. I think the world would be a much kinder place if people learned from people who have disabilities. I have been to college and I have had 21 years of raising a child that has a disability. My daughter has taught me more about how to live than college ever did, or ever could.

 

Things like the behavior you saw will never completely stop. We just need to condition ourselves to pray for those people. Because they need it.

Edited October 21, 2012 by kathy003