Missing in 'action'
See anything missing in this list from Orlando Patterson?
Identity politics took its modern form during the second half of the last century. It emerged as an emancipatory mode of political action and thinking based on the shared experience of injustice by particular groups - notably blacks, women, gays, Latinos and American Indians. It is a movement born in a double negation: the rejection of rejection, through the proud, self-conscious union of those who have been defined as belonging to an excluded group. (From "Being and Blackness," a review of 'We Who Are Dark,' by Tommie Shelby and 'Creating Black Americans,' by Nell Irvin Painter in the Jan. 8, 2006 New York Times Book Review.)
Patterson is identified in his bio line as the John Cowles professor of sociology at Harvard University.
Perhaps Prof. Patterson doesn't think disabled people are any kind of a group at all. Or perhaps he didn't think about them at all.
Sadly we get this from all the not so informed media types who can not tell a bull from a ox.
I personally believe that since we are all interconnected via computer that Prof. Orlando Patterson needs to wake up,look around, and smell the coffee.
As we have with NH ADAPT and NOT DEAD YET protested at Harvard and at and against HEMLOCK SOCIETY teachings.
Posted by: William Charles Tinker | January 9, 2006 08:49 AM
A recurring theme in your entries is that PWD are excluded from the "excluded", particularly among lefties and academics/intellectuals.
It is at the root of the problem addressed by the May Media Meeting in Louisville and although there is a bit of change in the situation, it's still the reality of "where it's at."
So the question which that gathering was intended to begin answering remains "how can we become less invisible?"
To that end we must encourage wide participation by DRMers in becoming increasingly connected - with one another as well as with TABs, etc.
We must BECOME the media we rightly malign.
Love.
Posted by: William Loughborough | January 9, 2006 09:23 AM
""Sadly we get this from all the not so informed media......"
It is my contention that the media "choses" not to see or report these issues rather than being "unknowledgeable" about them. Truly there is big 'bigotry' in the media as it is in any other part of society.
""To that end we must encourage wide participation by DRMers in becoming increasingly connected - with one another as well as with TABs, etc.
We must BECOME the media we rightly malign.""
Here! Here! Now, a question on my end, how to go about this. Through email format to begin with? Especially for those of us who have no available support group near us or that we know of yet.
Also, what is TABs? Do you mean, keeping tabs on a particular issue with respect to how often it transpires? This "TABs" --is this an acronym?
The people who live around me, who are disabled, love to complain, however when it comes to taking action of some sort--they shy away. Fearful of 'rocking the boat.'
This makes it hard when they expect and even leave notes in my door to get this or that taken care of due to violations of the ADA or the Acts of Degradation they experience. Somehow they think I must be "She-Ra!" Queen of the Jungle!
Little do they know....
Posted by: Denise | January 10, 2006 01:40 AM
Sorry about the unexpanded acronym.
TAB (Temporarily Able Bodied) is a fairly mild pejorative often used by PWD (People With Disabilities) in sort of the same sense as feminists use(d) MCP (Male Chauvinist Pig) or African-Americans used "honky".
Love.
Posted by: William Loughborough | January 17, 2006 12:08 AM