View Full Version : Disability hate crime and scapegoating fears
With all the talk of the COL crisis, and also from experience of past economic crises (e.g, the GFC in the late 2000s-very early 2010s, and the early 90s recession), where reports of disability hate crimes and general mistreatment/ 'scapegoating' of persons with LDs increased significantly, I fear the same things happening once again, as it seems that we're often easy pickings for such scapegoating and for people to vent their anger and frustrations on. It also increased significantly soon after the Brexit vote won in 2016.
I do understand there are some very worried (and even desperate) people right now, and many things within the current climate can drive even the most otherwise down-to-earth individuals to distraction and become seemingly irrational (including turning to hard-Right and other 'extremist' political views and prejudices), but it's still no excuse for perpetual nastiness towards vulnerable individuals, who often don't have a voice, and also feel the pinch.
I was never a 'hate crime' victim per se during the last GFC, but back in the early 90s I was sometimes bullied (by other kids) and on the receiving end of adults (e.g, teachers, respite staff, and even my own parents) getting unduly arsy towards me, but that may have also been due to general prevailing attitudes towards people with ASD and chronic lack of understanding back then rather than specifically owing to the discontent over the financial climate of the time, though both were probably in the mix.
Please don't judge me as selfish and insensitive, plus I know my fears are only hypothetical scenarios ATM, but like I already said earlier in this post, persons with disabilities and vulnerable individuals in general often tend to be easy pickings when the going gets tough.
Twas ever thus it seems.
"Perpetual nastiness", Lenco?
"Perpetual nastiness", Lenco?
I feel as though I'm being misunderstood once again, though perhaps 'perpetual nastiness' might have been the wrong wording.
My autistic son was the victim of hate crime (by adults) at the mainstream school he was attending. There were four people directly involved but they were trying to get more parents involved. The word that the headteacher used was 'witchhunt'. My son was targeted by one particular woman for several years (and from the day I told her that he'd been diagnosed autistic). This culminated in a police caution for her (my son was 7 years old). The other three were this woman's husband, her friend and her husband. (this couple have since aplogised to us and explained that they were 'lied' to by this woman, and to my knowledge they no longer speak to one another)
I can usually squeeze some kind of compassion out for people but this person is the exception. She hurt my boy. She screamed at us (in the street) that he was 'unfit' to be around other children. One day my son said the words that no parent wants to hear, and he was seven years old - a little boy! There is no swear word strong enough to describe what this woman is. Even the most horrible swear word in the English language isn't strong enough! She's shown no remorse whatsoever, even when the police told her how distressed my son was. And people say we're (as in autistic) the ones who are incapable of empathy?
Thing is Lenco, there's always going to be the @rseholes in the world. People who take out their own inadequacies and issues out on vulnerable people. This is because they are cowardly b@stards.
My autistic son was the victim of hate crime (by adults) at the mainstream school he was attending. There were four people directly involved but they were trying to get more parents involved. The word that the headteacher used was 'witchhunt'. My son was targeted by one particular woman for several years (and from the day I told her that he'd been diagnosed autistic). This culminated in a police caution for her (my son was 7 years old). The other three were this woman's husband, her friend and her husband. (this couple have since aplogised to us and explained that they were 'lied' to by this woman, and to my knowledge they no longer speak to one another)
I can usually squeeze some kind of compassion out for people but this person is the exception. She hurt my boy. She screamed at us (in the street) that he was 'unfit' to be around other children. One day my son said the words that no parent wants to hear, and he was seven years old - a little boy! There is no swear word strong enough to describe what this woman is. Even the most horrible swear word in the English language isn't strong enough! She's shown no remorse whatsoever, even when the police told her how distressed my son was. And people say we're (as in autistic) the ones who are incapable of empathy?
Thing is Lenco, there's always going to be the @rseholes in the world. People who take out their own inadequacies and issues out on vulnerable people. This is because they are cowardly b@stards.
Well said Nora, and I'm sure I recall you mentioning your son's said ordeal once before in another thread.
While I appreciate that there should be a bit of 'give and take' between all sides in the current climate where we should all within reason be more tolerant of and forgiving towards each other, especially as people are people after all, I still can't accept tougher times simply giving certain individuals (especially those who are already a bit power-mad period) carte blanche to abuse and mistreat the less able and more powerless elements of our society.
Of course, we're all still reeling from the effects of the Covid pandemic that's already caused mass chaos the world over during the best part of the past 2 1/2 years, and is still obviously one of the many factors behind the current COL crisis worldwide, plus many of us are obviously still suffering from 'post-pandemic blues' ATM.
Also, unlike during much of the first year of the pandemic, during recessions we're still fully allowed out and not ordered to stay at home by the authorities.
Personally I think that there are some very unpleasant people around all the time, not just when there is a COL crisis. Some people don't need an excuse to be horrible to one another. I try and focus on the good people I have around me and try and ignore the rest.
But then perhaps because I have an NHS badge on is classed as asking for trouble.
Personally I think that there are some very unpleasant people around all the time, not just when there is a COL crisis. Some people don't need an excuse to be horrible to one another. I try and focus on the good people I have around me and try and ignore the rest.
But then perhaps because I have an NHS badge on is classed as asking for trouble.
Agreed wholeheartedly Catkins, as fundamentally there are certain factions of our society that are horrible (and/or irrational) period, even during more favourable times, but there are always far more good people of course, most of whom all too often don't get the credit they truly deserve IMO.
And as for NHS employees and the like, they have been undervalued and getting it in the neck for donkeys years now, plus of course there will always be the odd bad apple in pretty much every profession one can poke a stick at (with people like yourself inevitably being at risk of being tarred with the same brush), but thankfully they're by far in the minority, and I'm sure you do an impeccable job despite all the crap you probably have to put up with a lot of the time, which you would definitely never get from me.
Also it seems the Clap for Carers at 7 pm on certain days during the first Covid lockdown is sadly now pretty much forgotten about.
From experience, it was forgotten about pretty much by Friday morning by some people.
Hopefully this won't offend, Catkins, but I'd rather people were respectful towards NHS staff at all times rather than being self-congratulatory and performative about it.
It's the same with wearing poppies - I choose not to, because I'm a pacifist and I'm not a fan of the British Legion hassling the elderly - and I feel as though it's more about virtue signalling than remembrance.
Hopefully this won't offend, Catkins, but I'd rather people were respectful towards NHS staff at all times rather than being self-congratulatory and performative about it.
It's the same with wearing poppies - I choose not to, because I'm a pacifist and I'm not a fan of the British Legion hassling the elderly - and I feel as though it's more about virtue signalling than remembrance.
Yes, I remember certain people getting indignant about the CFC thing and lambasting it as the latest pointless 'fad'/'bandwagon'/'craze' sweeping the nation at the time.
But I definitely agree with you that people who work in the NHS and the like should be respected all the time, major crisis or not, especially as they often perform very thankless tasks day in day out, overworked and chronically underpaid and I also agree that the CFC (and the wearing of plastic poppies) did/does smack of virtue signalling on occasions.
There was also a similar thing during the recent Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (and other parts of the West Midlands) where many communities suddenly came together, which they should ultimately be doing all the time, not just for a temporary period of about 2-3 weeks.
I bet you a tenner that a lot of people have already forgotten about the (temporary) togetherness expressed during that fantastic couple of weeks and back to their usual same old same old habits once again.
I feel as though I'm being misunderstood once again, though perhaps 'perpetual nastiness' might have been the wrong wording.
No,you're not being misunderstood, Lenco..I do appreciate that you must have had very traumatic and damaging experiences when you were younger..but hopefully not now and not at your Day Centre.
Why do you dislike and despise people so much?
Hopefully this won't offend, Catkins, but I'd rather people were respectful towards NHS staff at all times rather than being self-congratulatory and performative about it.
I hated the clapping, I was even more mortified in the early days of lockdown when I went to the early morning NHS shopping slot and the people waiting outside for the shop to open clapped when we came out. I was kind of moved by it but at the same time felt terrible because one of those waiting outside was a blind man and his guide dog and I felt he was more worthy of being clapped because he'd walked there on his own for 8 o'clock opening.
I'm not sure what good the clapping served and now the NHS is apparently "broken" but I do think people genuinely were very grateful for how NHS workers responded to covid, putting themselves at risk whilst providing brilliant care and saving many lives. You truly deserved your allocated shopping slot, Catkins and I'm sure the blind man would have agreed wholeheartedly with this.
But I definitely agree with you that people who work in the NHS and the like should be respected all the time, major crisis or not, especially as they often perform very thankless tasks day in day out, overworked and chronically underpaid and I also agree that the CFC (and the wearing of plastic poppies) did/does smack of virtue signalling on occasions.
I have to disagree.
I've been treated shabbily too many times by NHS staff to agree that respect should be a given just because somebody wears a badge. The NHS worker who roughly manhandled my legs into position because I didn't understand his verbal instruction? I don't respect him. I also don't respect the midwife who treated me like shit when I was 17 and having my first baby. All I did was ask for some pain relief and I was given a lecture on not being the only one in labour, and did I realise that there was staff shortage on? Or the GP who told me that there are people out there with real health problems whereas I 'only' had anxiety (I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a year later). Or the doctor who refused to stop when I was crying out in pain. (The nurse, who was lovely, had to tell her that I was about to pass out)
I clapped for the NHS workers, and I will always be humbled (and grateful) for everyone's efforts during the pandemic, not only NHS, but all those other people who helped to keep this country going during that terrible (I sent our milkman a letter of thanks)
But don't ask me to respect someone who is not showing me respect as a patient and as a human being, just because they have an NHS badge.
As far as I'm concerned. when you sign up for the NHS you sign up to care. You should not be adding extra burden to people who are their most vulnerable, as people generally are when they're ill and/or afraid.
That said, I've also experienced some truly lovely NHS workers like the bloke who sorted my cut finger out a few months ago. He was awesome. So lovely and funny and he made me feel safe. Isn't that how it should feel every time?
And there was that bloke who did one of my MRI's and I impressed him with how I was able to remove my bra from under my tunic ha ha. He even walked me back to where Mr Batty was waiting because I told him I always get myself lost...
@Catkins, I have no doubt that you're one of the very best, given how lovely you are on here. I'm just being honest about my experiences and that's why I don't agree with Lenco (or anybody else that thinks this) that respect 'should' be a given. :shrug:
I have to disagree.
I've been treated shabbily too many times by NHS staff to agree that respect should be a given just because somebody wears a badge. The NHS worker who roughly manhandled my legs into position because I didn't understand his verbal instruction? I don't respect him. I also don't respect the midwife who treated me like shit when I was 17 and having my first baby. All I did was ask for some pain relief and I was given a lecture on not being the only one in labour, and did I realise that there was staff shortage on? Or the GP who told me that there are people out there with real health problems whereas I 'only' had anxiety (I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a year later). Or the doctor who refused to stop when I was crying out in pain. (The nurse, who was lovely, had to tell her that I was about to pass out)
I clapped for the NHS workers, and I will always be humbled (and grateful) for everyone's efforts during the pandemic, not only NHS, but all those other people who helped to keep this country going during that terrible (I sent our milkman a letter of thanks)
But don't ask me to respect someone who is not showing me respect as a patient and as a human being, just because they have an NHS badge.
As far as I'm concerned. when you sign up for the NHS you sign up to care. You should not be adding extra burden to people who are their most vulnerable, as people generally are when they're ill and/or afraid.
That said, I've also experienced some truly lovely NHS workers like the bloke who sorted my cut finger out a few months ago. He was awesome. So lovely and funny and he made me feel safe. Isn't that how it should feel every time?
And there was that bloke who did one of my MRI's and I impressed him with how I was able to remove my bra from under my tunic ha ha. He even walked me back to where Mr Batty was waiting because I told him I always get myself lost...
@Catkins, I have no doubt that you're one of the very best, given how lovely you are on here. I'm just being honest about my experiences and that's why I don't agree with Lenco (or anybody else that thinks this) that respect 'should' be a given. :shrug:
Nora, I did actually point out that as in pretty much every profession there are always going to be the odd bad apples who all too often slip through the net and just seem to be tolerated in order to 'keep the peace', especially the so-called 'untouchables' who all too often seem to think they know it all, when in many of such instances, it's often the complete opposite.
Plus I'm sorry to hear of your bad experiences in the past involving NHS personnel, and of course many others in other professions over the years.
Of course, I would have (probably rightly) been shot down in flames and dubbed 'insensitive' had I been blatantly slagging off all NHS (and likewise) workers on here.
Grey area, and all that.
Why do you dislike and despise people so much?
I'm sorry BI, but that comes across as a bit of a sweeping generalisation.
Nora, I did actually point out that as in pretty much every profession there are always going to be the odd bad apples who all too often slip through the net and just seem to be tolerated in order to 'keep the peace', especially the so-called 'untouchables' who all too often seem to think they know it all, when in many of such instances, it's often the complete opposite.
It might be the case that they joined these services with good intention, Lenco, but somewhere along the way they lost sight of their 'vocation' and forgot that they are dealing with human beings, not an NHS number.
In the case of that midwife, it might well have been her trillionth delivery, but it was my first and I was young and scared. Everything was a first for me. I was in a lot of pain (obviously) and left on my own for hours on end and made to wait for pain relief (even when it was hours overdue). I've never forgotten how she spoke to me. I still have the photograph of her scowling face as she weighed my son. I think people doctors/nurses/midwives etc forget how important their attitude is to patients and how experiences like this are never forgotten.
No need to apologise, but I stand by my words. You very rarely seem to show any sort of positive attitude towards the rest of humanity.
It might be the case that they joined these services with good intention, Lenco, but somewhere along the way they lost sight of their 'vocation' and forgot that they are dealing with human beings, not an NHS number.
In the case of that midwife, it might well have been her trillionth delivery, but it was my first and I was young and scared. Everything was a first for me. I was in a lot of pain (obviously) and left on my own for hours on end and made to wait for pain relief (even when it was hours overdue). I've never forgotten how she spoke to me. I still have the photograph of her scowling face as she weighed my son. I think people doctors/nurses/midwives etc forget how important their attitude is to patients and how experiences like this are never forgotten.
I do agree that there are a lot of so-called 'jobsworths' who are only really in certain professions for the money (and sometimes even on a bit of a power trip), and seem to forget about 'tact' and general dignity, then have the nerve to play the 'zero tolerance' card when any patient, client (or whoever) dares to stand their ground and question the attitudes of those 'professionals' concerned.
But like I said upthread, it's always going to be a grey area.
@Catkins, I have no doubt that you're one of the very best, given how lovely you are on here. I'm just being honest about my experiences and that's why I don't agree with Lenco (or anybody else that thinks this) that respect 'should' be a given. :shrug:
I think most of us in the NHS do our best, but like any profession and in the human race in general there are good and bad people. I don't want special respect, I just want the respect and acceptance that everyone deserves. Maybe it's twenty plus years of equality and diversity training, who knows.
There were a lot of people who put themselves out there during the pandemic and a lot of them suffered (in all kinds of ways), I mean the wagon drivers couldn't even get a hot meal a lot of the time because service stations were closed.
To be honest, everyone suffered during the pandemic, we all deserve a gold star for getting through it (except maybe the partying politicians).
Nora, I had a bad experience with a midwife too. I was trying to breastfeed and was bleeding so much my son was sick my blood, the midwife tried to tell me to squeeze milk out on rub it in. Because I was in so much pain and bleeding I couldn't do it, so she grabbed my nipped and squeezed. I gave up breastfeeding after that.
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