Freedom is a word I hear a lot of people screaming about. Folks are always screaming about how their rights are being violated (mostly gun and religious nuts, at least). Well, unfortunately for people with disabilities in America, that 'freedom' people talk about has never been there.
Anytime I hear someone talking about their freedom being taken away, it usually has to do with their ability to oppress someone they just don't like, from people with a different skin color to someone like me. Anytime people have tried to secure their rights as human beings, these same people who bitch about losing their freedom fight this every step of the way.
You see, it's not freedom these individuals are worried about, but privilege. Many of us with disabilities have never had that level of privilege because we're almost always at the mercy of others for our continued survival. On top of that, many of us are denied opportunities for real economic mobility because employers don't want to have to accommodate the needs of someone with a disability.
It is true that the Americans With Disabilities Act improved this situation somewhat, but it does not completely prevent workplace abuse. And for those of us who are STEM educated, we're bypassed for or treated no better than H1 Visa workers. Many of us are relegated to temporary work for bottom of the barrel pay.
In my personal opinion, words like freedom and liberty ought to be removed from our lexicon. They are often little more than propaganda that is often used to divide us and to persuade us into going against our own best interests for the sake of 'keeping the faith' that the wealthy and privileged of this country will eventually have a change of heart and do the right thing. As has been shown in our own history, that's just not true. The wealthy and privileged won't do what's right until they're forced to either by government action or public outcry.
Another phrase I'd like to see removed from our lexicon is 'You can be whatever you want.' The sad fact for most people is that this was never true either. Most people don't have the resources or the time to nurture a particular interest or talent because they're too busy slaving away at a job they hate to support their families, young or old while their communities are robbed blind by those behind the curtain.
To make a long story short, for most of us, freedom is just a pipe dream. Sure, it's a nice thought, but it's something most of us will never truly have. I just wonder what it will take to help society as a whole understand this.
See you around,
Homer