…. The people that I value and feel honoured to have become friends with over the years and who I would like to read this hopefully will because they lurk down here. I'm not bothered about anyone else. Gotta admit was tempted to chuck it up there at the top of the New Model Army board but that would have just been for self gratification and for the sake of sticking my finger up – neither of which are emotions or actions that add any value to our lives.
Anyone can chuck insults at ME all day long, till the cows come home, till Kingdom Come or any other way of expressing a ******* long time. Those insults will not even scuff the armour I wear. I deal with PROPER insults on pretty much a daily basis. I've heard it all. Mostly it's at the level of the drivel round here lately but there's also, once in a blue moon the quality, clever and funny shit thrown at me that literally makes me laugh out of loud and when that does happen it's such a wonderful ice-breaker and never fails to defuse. Being honest (and despite what else I might have been during my time here I've always been that so I see no reason to change now at the last post) nothing any fucker on this planet or any other could throw at me would compare to what I've thrown at myself. Point being stuff thrown at ME is fine, I'm old enough and bad enough to bat it around for ever and a day.
But a line was crossed and hard as I've tried I can't get past that.
MY SONS DISABILTY WAS USED AS AN EXPRESSION OF STUPIDITY.
Even worse it was used as an attempt to insult me for my opinions. I've read nothing that even acknowledges that let alone hints an apology. I know I've taken this personally, I know it's the love and protection of a parent to her child. I won't apologise for that. I'm proud of it and proud to stand up for him like he does for me.
Other than the odd comment on The Guardian this board has been the only form of social media that for whatever it's worth I've joined in with. For me, “this golden age of communication” just means that everyone spouts off without any thought or consideration to what the **** they are typing or what those words might mean to someone else (And yes – at times I've been guilty, but I've tried to temper it and if I haven't I always tried to make it good) . Again I know this is my personal weirdness, I grew up when people took time to communicate and now the world doesn't work like that. I'm not trying to change the world and certainly don't expect it to change for me.
The reason I did come here is because naively I thought that if people liked NMA ,were prepared to register on a board and chat then surely their starting point has to be everyone on this planet is of equal value – regardless. How we conduct ourselves after that is up to us and we should rightly be judged on that but stupidly I thought everyone who came here would consider everyone as equals. But I was wrong. Even here there are people who post comments pushing the vile discrimantory stereotype that:
THE DISABLED ARE STUPID
This is not a place I want to be. If I was in a Pub and this started off I would have my say then leave keeping my fingers crossed I didn't cop a kick in on the way out – although it would be satisfying to do some damage on the way down.
To be utterly clear about 2 things:
1 This is **** all to do with NMA or anyone connected to that organisation. Social media relies on the self moderation of those who contribute. Just because they provide this place does NOT mean what happens in here is anything to do with them. To see it any other way would be like saying a pub landlord is responsible for every prick that kicks off in the street outside his pub after closing time.
2 No-one's driving me away from here. I posted enough of my usual waffle at the weekend to show that. And nothing anyone can say to me will make me walk away unless I choose to. I could have fired off any of the arrows I had if I'd chosen. I didn't because I really will always try to be the bigger “man”
But I have chosen to walk away. I don't look forward to coming here anymore.
I CAN'T BE IN A PLACE WHERE OTHERS THINK TAKING THE PISS OUT OF THE DISABLED IS OK - IT'S NOT, IT'S DESPICABLE.
