Quote:
Originally Posted by nondy2
I need some clarification to go on on the board. Is prejudice allowed here? I feel that there have been very prejudicial things about people with disabilities said here....
|
In your opinion.
A friend of mine from high school, a fabulous professional musician, has lost his hearing through part of the range of human capability. Anything pitched higher than a middle C is lost to him, as his ears just don't respond.
Is it prejudicial against deaf people for musicians to posit that among their worst nightmares are scenarios that involve going deaf? I suspect it would be difficult for anybody to maintain that is the case.
Likewise, visual artists can (and many do) posit that a loss of vision is among their worst nightmares. Does that indicate a prejudice against blind people? No.
I am both a trained musician and visual artist. Numbered among my worst nightmares are scenarios wherein I go blind or deaf. Can anybody reasonably say I'm prejudiced against blind or deaf folk? No.
As I'm a drummer, I also have nightmare scenarios that involve losing the use of my hands. Somehow, I'm supposed to be prejudiced against physically disabled folks because I find the thought nightmarish that I might lose my physical capabilities to play my drums? I think not.
On the flip side of this coin, I also have a disability. I'm not the slightest bit bothered on those occasions where it comes up in a discussion and somebody says they'd absolutely hate to have to deal with it. Given a choice, I wouldn't deal with it and I can certainly understand why others are happy they don't have to.
And I certainly don't think they're prejudiced against me because they're happy they don't have it. There's not a scrap of evidence to support that notion.