Dr Phil

I got the chance to watch the Dr. Phil show today.  I wanted to watch it because the show had on someone who claimed to be a bully.  Pretty much everyone was a target of her bullying.  But she claimed to bully people with disabilities because they made her feel "uncomfortable".  some of this bullying got physical when it was brought out that she hit her cousin who has a developmental disability. 

Abuse of people with disabilities is quite common.  An article on disaboom.com says that women with disabilities are twice as likely to experience domestic abuse than women without disabilities.  Articles about abuse of disabled are all over the Internet.  The general reaction when people hear about these issues is shock and horror.

So why is it so common?  I think the Dr. Phil show touched on this a bit.  In this lady's case the fact that people with disabilities made her uncomfortable caused her to hit them, avoid them and do such things as always parking in spaces for the disabled.  This way she could avoid dealing with them.  In the end of course, this lady had other things going on in her life that made her fight and avoid pretty much everyone.  After the end of the show I was both angry with this person and felt sorry for her.  To fight or avoid everyone is both impossible and exhausting. 

The scary part is I am beginning to think more of society is like her than we think.  At least with people with disabilities they are.  If hiring you for a job makes someone feel uncomfortable don't do it.  If you don't want to date someone with a disability, don't do it.  If you are uncomfortable and afraid than avoid us.  Can't we find a happy medium?  I don't want to make anyone feel like they should avoid me, but if you really don't want to be around me don't be.  Except we all live in a society.  ALL OF US. Disabled and non, White Black Hispanic Asian men and women and so on.  I'd like to get to a place where everybody can try to be happy and productive regardless of these issues.  Wouldn't that be a win win situation for all of us?