Until reading Ellen Barton's "Textual practices of erasure" I had not thought critically enough about how America deals with people with disabilities. I had not thought critically enough about the discourse surrounding the progress of these individuals and their culture and what different challenges they must face being constructed as a minority constantly asked to compare their "progress" in terms of a normalcy the majority were born with. In discussing the widespread effects of polio on the american psyche Fred Davis was quoted in Barton's article as saying "in short, it was un-American" (172).
What does this quote imply? That physical or mental strength are all-American ideals? That for our society being diagnosed with a disability automatically sets you outside of our culture? If this is to be the case, how then are we justified in asking those persons with disabilities to mark their progress by our standards of normalcy? Are they not considered a faction of our society until we deem them capable of contributing to our society? Are we truly that self righteous?
I think what irks me most in the United Way campaigns, is not their discourse of fear and pity concerning the disabled (although that alone is totally screwed up) but their presentation of giving to United Way as the agent helping America become better people. For far too long our country has run on this ideology; Do not hold the door for the old women because her hands are full, but because you want to make a good impression. "The ads also represent able-bodied readers as compassionate donors, ones who are eager to help the progress of others toward normalcy. More subtly, however, the ads allow- even encourage, a binary opposition identifying a separate group in society-the less than human Others-diseased, disfigured, or disabled-subject to "our" voyeuristic gaze" (175). This quote won't stop haunting me. It is such an accurate summarization of our society's insecurity. Must we have minority groups, such as people with disabilities, in order to give ourselves agency? To feel we are accomplished? Has our incentive for giving to charities morphed into rewarding ourselves for being good people?
1 comment:
I like how you said that the United Way presents themselves as "the agent helping America become better people". Every year at work, my boss passes around the United Way pamphlets, and he echoes this sentiment that this is how we can be better people. I always get so annoyed that my employment would assume that I'm not a good person, and that I don't give anywhere else.
I wish I had saved the pamphlet to reread its current message. There's something to be said for the fact that I'm not sure what the infomation said. All I know was that they wanted to take money from my paycheck, and it was for a good cause. I admit that I chose not to give, but in order to do so I still had to fill out the paperwork.
So, here I am a product of society, unhappy about filling out paperwork, and who was getting this information? And would my employer judge me as an employee based on what I give? And would they take from my check anyway? And why do I feel forced into giving any part of my hard earned check? Is this the message that United Way wanted?
The United Way is extrememly successful at raising funds for those in need, but at what cost? It seems that United Way has stuck to their one goal of raising money, and they have achieved it time and time again. It is hard to be upset with them for doing something so wonderful. However, they have also enforced stereotypes. I don't know which the lesser evil is: enforcing stereotypes or no funds for people with disabilites. I wonder if there'd be an even more effective way of raising funds through showing accurate portrayals of people with disabilities.
We don't have to know who the money is for, and we don't have to see who the money is for. Just deduct from my paycheck and I'll selfishly feel good about myself and don't bother me for another year... Throwing money at a problem in order to "fix" it is truly a practice of erasure.
-Alessandra M
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