NY Governer Patterson SNL skit

[elliemom]

As the mother of 2 legally blind children, I was so angry to see the SNL skit about the Governer and how he was portrayed.
My email was full this afternoon from our support groups and The NJ Commission for the Blind that provides services to my children.

And we wonder why our children are bullied and treat other's with disabilities with such disrespect. I'm all for humor and I can joke with own children but this was outright nasty. And cruel.

Yeah, the Gov. of Illinois has some serious hair, but he can cut it or shave it etc. My children don't have any options. It's time we all put a stop to the humiliating way that disabled people are portrayed. Please teach your children tolerance and acceptance. It goes a long way.

I'm sooooo glad the Gov. defended himself and that the Assoc for the Blind stood up and said something. As for me, a little part of my heart was broken today but I WILL NOT let it affect my boys lives in any way

ellie

 

[LaughingWater]

I didn't see the skit, but yeah...I wouldn't have touched that subject. That's a little too over-the-line for me.

*Edited to add: Just watched it. I just want to say, Ellie, that I can empathize. My daughter had a form of epilepsy that was very benign and something she appears to have outgrown *fingers crossed*, but she had pretty ugly seizures (I know that sounds weird, but yes, some are uglier and more involved than others) starting at the age of 1. Prior to experiencing this, I never gave the words "seizure," "fit," or "epilepsy" a second thought. However, after her first one, any joke or lighthearted comment about seizing or having a "fit" cut pretty deeply. I remember being quite angry on more than one occasion, thinking, "You should know what this is like."

People often don't understand what they don't experience. I think that's why some jokes don't immediately register as cruel with many people, and they throw their hands up in defense with, "What? It's just a joke!" They just don't get it because it hasn't affected them.

I would guess most don't mean to be hurtful. It's usually ignorance ~ something we all suffer from ~ and nothing more.

((hug))