General Chat

I have many years experience working with young and older severely disabled people... not *handicapped*, incidentally, it is an expression which disabled people themselves find distasteful and discriminatory.. and I would say that the most obnoxious, rude, derogatory, spiteful and downright nasty comments came, not from young people, although that did happen sometimes... but older people.... people in the 60's and 70's who should actually know better. Or so one would have thought.

SOME youngsters are unkind... that is true, but I do hate it when an entire generation bar one or two isolated good 'uns, is denigrated because of the actions of a few.

Last year, when I had no hair... it wasn't youngsters who commented, but older people... you would be amazed at how many older people found my bald head offensive...... Most didn't, of course... so I wouldn't say that compassion was lost... but of those who commented, muttered under their breaths, gave the sign of the cross (yep!!) and said hurtful things within my earshot.... well, most of them were older, except one boy of about 13, .... and his granny started it, lol And my own 12 year old nephew.

Love

Daff xxx

Lost in the night again! Poor thread, or is it me?

Lizx

Annina, that's awful, your poor hubby and to be reviled when he goes out is scandalous. Don't people think, there but for the grace of God go I?

I am sure this lack of compassion is becoming more common and surely it must be down to some parents who don't encourage their kids to care about others, and aren't leading by example. I feel so angry that those kids will grow up having more kids who are all self self self, and so it will go on.

If I had ever heard a whisper or hint of my son doing anything like that or behaving so badly, I would have been so angry with him and told him in no uncertain terms that it's not the way to behave, but I bet those parents of the yobs don't give a damn, or have discussed things with the children or in their hearing so they grow up with the jealousy and greed in their lives.

One of my son's friends is a little bit odd, a lovely lad in many ways but not the brightest one in his crowd, they have known each other since they were three and if I was bringing T. home from school, and he saw someone in a wheelchair or disabled etc, he would make an unpleasant comment, it was ignorance and lack of teaching by his rather inadequate mother. My son would immediately tell him to think how he would feel if he was in a wheelchair or whatever and so would I, and gradually he was less confrontational or more discreet. He is still a bit outspoken at times and my son has to keep an eye on him sometimes but he is also a sterling pal to my son, and always pleasant and polite to me, he's a hard worker and does a doorman's job as well as a full time job so has had to learn to keep a lid on his comments.

His mother meanwhile has swanned off miles away with her latest conquest, and because he has no transport T. can't get to see her often. All her children, three sons and a daughter are 'different' in one way or another altho luckily the daughter has a very caring father who is guiding her as best he can.

Lizx

It isn't confined to the younger people.

My husband suffered 40% burns while on leave from the Army, back in the 60's. He now looks a lot like Simon Westen who was injured in the Falklands.

You would be surprised at how many people walk up to him,and say that he shouldn't be allowed out, and worse. He takes it into his stride,but it makes my blood boil.

How dare they,he's the salt of the earth, and could have rested on his laurels for the rest of his life and sponged of the state, Instead he has worked his balls off all his life, never claiming a penny.

Let me at "em !!!

Just watched that program. and like you I was disgusted that one person could talk or treat another human being like that.

Sadly I think in a lot of cases it was a case of too much drink and too much ignorance :O(
What appalled me also, was watching that poor woman's disability car damaged by those morons....... and when they are caught what will they get s** all !

i often find it unbelieveable that people dont have compassion,
when i find it easiest thing in world
even our 2 year old grandaughter has compasion for people, or animals, or stuff,
i think some are either just made that way or not,

Why they should be jealous of a motability car I don't know, obviously they are so ignorant the don't know that the disabled person pays monthly finance for the hire of the car they use.

As for being compassionate I don't think many of them know what the word means.

Just watched Panorama - it was about handicapped, disabled people being targeted by yobs and abused by people on the streets and out and about in pubs.

It makes me realise that some young people are showing no compassion and some of the people abusing the chap in the pub, in his wheelchair, aren't kids either, people in their late twenties or thirties I thought.

Are families not teaching compassion to their youngsters now?
Is it all me, me, me and greed? Do those youngsters targeting a car of a disabled person (in one case disabled since birth) hear their parents saying jealously that the car might be a mobility one from the DSS so they are jealous?

It is saddening and frightening to think of the world getting less and less compassionate to those less able or fortunate than themselves.

Lizx