Thanks, Betty, but you're crediting me with more savior-faire than I
actually had at the time; if I recall rightly, I was 13 or so. I was too
astounded and dumbfounded to respond coherently.  My parents had never told
me I was "special," and since I went to school with physically-disabled kids
in elementary school, I never thought I was "special," and no one certainly
told me I was.  When I started junior high, I went to a parochial school,
but since these all were kids I knew in church, we were all used to each
other, and I never felt like I stuck out there, either.  At least not until
this little old lady made me feel conspicuous.

But that all changed when we moved to North Carolina after I graduated from
junior high and attended the local senior high school.  My high school years
were full of angst and anguish.  My college years were spent in re-defining
myself and then since then it's been a lot easier.


        Kat

----- Original Message -----
From: "Betty B" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2002 1:55 PM
Subject: Re: David Ring


> The Lord loves everyone, even you huh?  You're diplomatic exit would have
> been more than I would have been able to muster.  That's where I would
> have...um...probably done the same darned thing.  That's the thing about
> being a kid.
>
> I'm sorry that happened to you.  Unfortunately Kat, you probably have a
> thousand or more stories similar to that, even if not from the religious
> front.  The mighty arm of ableism has enjoyed a long and diverse reach,
and
> has wounded many a soul.
>
> It will fall.  The empire of ableism will fall because we are CAUSING it
to
> fall.
>
> Dan has rather a frightening story about being pursued by a fanatic.  The
> encounter was much more aggressive.
>
> I am wanting to tell them that if I am made in God's image, than God must
> have a disability.  I said something of this nature right in a church
class
> one Sunday not too long ago.  We were going around the table talking about
> our issues with God or something; when had we been angry with God, I think
> the topic was.  When it came to be my turn, I started by saying "Well, in
the
> first place, my God has a disability."  Nobody said anything.  What were
they
> gonna do?  They were all within punching distance, and my minister was
> sitting right there.  They can't beat me up in front of our minister ;-)
>
> You think I don't push disability rights to the max there?  Oh please, do
let
> me find out that someone from my own church used scripture as a platform
to
> advertise their able body supremacist views.
>
> Do let me find out that someone from my own church HAS able body
supremacist
> views.  Probably some do, you know how it is with all people.  We're human
> beings, you know.  I'll tell you though, junk thinking doesn't get a
thriving
> environment where I worship.
>
> When you walk away from a Christian, and feel bad about your encounter --
as
> though you had been condemned -- whatever was done or said to you that
made
> you feel bad was not ordained by G-d.  The bad thing was initiated in the
> mind of your assailant.  Additionally, if somebody attacks you for your
> beliefs in the name of Christianity, they are not acting in accordance
with
> scripture.  We are not instructed to injure our neighbors, but to love
them.
>
>
> This is often a difficult task.  Some are taking instruction from
Christian
> "leadership" that should not be.  Not everyone who has taken a place in
the
> pulpit has done so by a calling from the Almighty.
>
> There are a number of people here who have shared tales of lousy
encounters
> such as this, and I am very sorry.  I've heard that garbage myself as an
> adult and it makes me feel bad.  I'm sorry, and I'm terribly sorry for
those
> of you who were subjected to that kind of oppressive junk when you were
> children.
>
> That's where it always gets me and holds my attention.  When I think of
the
> crap that has been said and done to me being said and done to children
with
> disabilities, I feel ballistic inside.  Totally ballistic.
>
> I'm not your standard Christian, but you could probably tell that right
off.
>
>
> Betty
>
> In a message dated 1/20/2002 10:05:14 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
>
> > Ugh.  You're all reminding me of the time I was walking down the street
in
> > my old home town of North Hollywood, Calif. as a kid when this sweet,
sweet
> > dumpling of an old lady stopped me.  She was in a flowery dress, with a
> > flowery hat and a Bible clutched in her hands, with a white handbag
hanging
> > in the crook of her arm.
> >
> > "You are SO special." She boomed into my face.
> >
> > I gaped at her. "Huh?"
> >
> > "You are SO special!  The Lord must have seen something in you to make
you
> > SO special."
> >
> > "I-" I sputtered.
> >
> > "Oh YES. The world is so beautiful, the sky is SO blue, the sun is
shining,
> > the birds are singing, the Lord love everyone, even YOU."
> >
> > By this time I was edging away.  "Ah... Ma'am..."
> >
> > And I got out of there as fast as I could...!
> >
> > She still haunts me in my nightmares.
> >