Wednesday 8 August 2012

Just What Do I Stand For?

I'm confused.

At this moment in time I hold in my head 2 opposing views.

The 1st is a long held view that British Paralympians will be betraying the UK's disabled by performing like monkeys for the genocidal ConDem Government at the forthcoming Paralympics. This government is killing disabled people by design. It is not OK.
Someone pushing a wheelchair round a track, whilst impressive on a personal level, does not make this OK.

The 2nd one is, it is discriminatory, against the laws of natural justice and quite possibility the Equality Act (although, as this Act WAS NOT drafted to protect the people who risk being treated in an unfair way I doubt it!!), for the Royal Mail to issue stamps for each and every Olympic Gold Medal Winner but only offer Group stamps to the Gold medal winning Paralympians.

I spoke to the British Paralympic Association this morning to ask them if the Press Release I had seen suggesting that the BPA supports this decision was true. Eventually, having had trouble making myself understood to the telephone receptionists (word of advice - when you are likely to be called by people with speech impediments try to staff your telephone front line with people who can speak English like a first language! (Unless the British Paralympic Association does not want to talk to the disabled - I could be on to something there!)) I spoke to a Press Officer who explained to me that the BPA had agreed this with the Royal Mail as it was not possible to issue stamps for each individual Gold medallist as we would be winning too many.

We're too successful to celebrate it properly?

As I could see a glimmer of their side of the argument but was also worried that by depersonalising the Paralympian Gold Medallists this decision could dehumanise the disabled I asked what Charities they had consulted in making this decision.


None, Zip, Nada.

There we have it, the British Paralympic Association speaks for all disabled people.

What a message that would have been. Gold Medal winning Paralympian's treated identically to gold medal winning Olympians. Instead, like all Disabled Charities The British Paralympic Association appears to be staffed by people paying lip-service to the disabled and waiting for their honours. How patronising this must be to the Paralympians - forget what you have had to overcome to be here (including betraying the wider disabled community) but your achievements are secondary to the proper Olympians who get their own stamps.


More evidence that the Paralympic's is a side show not being taken seriously.

Stamps don't matter.
Sport doesn't matter.
International Aid (Which opens up business opportunities for the very rich) doesn't matter.

Looking after people that can't look after themselves in a humane manner and giving them an opportunity to live a fulfilling life matters.

That's all.