There's always next year

My cat didn't submit a post to BADD yesterday, but this one did.

And if that cat lived in Switzerland, she would have even more rights, as do goldfish and other social animals, who now are entitled to companions.

Social animals. Humans are social beings, but how odd that a goldfish who doesn't have a companion now has a right to , but we're still working so that people with disabilities can get out of institutions and out of their homes to have a chance of being around companions, to have a social life.

How about this one? Mercator writes that "decapitation of wild flowers at the roadside without rational reason" is essentially a crime. In fact, the committee was unanimous in its agreement that any "arbitrary harm caused to plants[is] morally impermissible."

Decapitating a flower is hard to get upset about , even though I like flowers, when I consider the waste of the talents of so many people with disabilities. I see potential lopped off every day and it's no different than taking a machete to hopes and dreams.

Arbitrary harm caused to plants is morally impermissible? Maybe we need a far-reaching law like that for humans so we realize causing arbitrary harm to each other is wrong too, not just the crimes we have written in our law books, but the kinds of arbitrary harm that result from racism, sexism and, yes, ableism.

Switzerland allows assisted suicide in a place ironically named Dignitas . And now to kill a goldfish you have to use special chemicals because flushing them down the toilet is undignified. As the article points out, there's about as much bureaucracy involved to kill a human being. Dignity.

We have to be very careful about doling out dignity when it comes to human beings. If we put ourselves in the position of playing God, who gets to be treated with dignity? Look at history. Look at our social policies. How do we treat the most vulnerable among us? In ways that cause us the least amount of resources, time and energy? Or do we consider their needs and treat them the way we would want to be treated? Do we institutionalize people with disabilities because it's easier? It's not more cost efficient. It costs less to have people living in the community. But that requires change: access to housing, transportation, jobs, inclusion in our churches for those who want to attend. It means seeing disability. And seeing disability is part of inclusion.

Yesterday when I participated in Blogging Against Disablism Day 2008 , I was struck by the small number of people who participated in BADD 2008 who are not disabled or the parent of a child with a disability. I know it might feel uncomfortable for people to submit a post on the issue. You might not know what to say. Perhaps you think you don't belong.

I assure you, you couldn't go to a group who more knows how that feels. After I first acquired my disability, I felt like that whenever I was in a group of people where I was the only one with a disability. Gradually it became easier, although other people didn't always create situations that made it easier. I learned not to count on that so I could have a life.

But it doesn't become easier by just not doing it. And, as I write this, I console myself with the thought that there's always next year. Perhaps more people will take that risk and join us in BADD.

Everyone's welcome, even cats.