The parking where Diana works can be minimal sometimes so she occasionally parks a couple blocks away and walks.
Today she was met by a young man about 18 who asked her if she was the one driving the van with the Down Syndrome Awareness ribbon on it. She told him yes and he said he was interested in talking about those people.
She told him she had a sister who has Ds and he said he thought they were a drain on society.
Wait, what?!?
He asked her if she could 'do anything'?
Seriously?!?
Diana told him that yes, she does things and even has a job, which she noticed he didn't seem to as it was the middle of the day and he was just hanging around on the sidewalk.
He walked with her the two blocks to her work and then had the gall to ask for her number. She obviously declined.
He then walked away.
There's a lot of things I could type here. Some are not nice and may shock my friends and family, so I'll refrain. But I wonder where he learned that mindset, that idea that people with Down Syndrome can't do anything. Does he live under a rock? Has he never seen anyone who has Down Syndrome? He really thinks they can't do anything??? It's sad and it's false and it's heartbreaking.
I know we've come a long way with awareness and acceptance since Beth was born, but obviously we haven't come far enough.
6 comments:
Unfortunately there are people who still think that way and they come in all ages, shapes, and sizes. I know there's a segment of the blogging community that thinks we've done enough awareness and we should move to advocacy, but you can see from that exchange that people still aren't aware. We have to continue with awareness for as long as it takes; eventually that becomes our advocacy!
That is certainly disheartening but sadly, not surprising. I hope that man walked away with a different mindset though.
Wow. Just...wow...
On the plus side, he *did* engage her in conversation (and *must* have known that she would certainly have different thoughts on the matter than he does), leading to her ability to provide him with some new info. I hope he got something from it.
Uhhhh...I hate to say it, but I woukd have probably not been very Christ like in my response!!!! Grrrrr!! Just basic decency please?!?!
Thanks so much for the encouraging words that you left on my blog! I am amazed at how God is working in the Clothes closet and in me!!! I pray that He shines through!
It almost sounds like he might have a mental health problem? It just seems strange that he would insult her family member and then ask for her phone number. People like that have probably been fed that kind of opinion their whole life. It is so sad and frustrating that people have such an offensive opinion on something they know nothing about.
Thankful Diana could set him straight about ds! And about dating creeps LOL!
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