The blue boxes and hearts on our avatars

[Nagishkaw 510]

Bless Chad

[~Chad~ 0]

Naggi, good morning!

[Nagishkaw 510]

good afternoon Commander

[Nagishkaw 510]

I know we are not to speak of these things (by a certain member who's name will not be mentioned who forbade us from saying this) , but I am on my way out the door to clean DOG POOP. Catch ya in a few.

[Mags 112]

Neither do i man. It kind of hurts me that some people think that i am some sort of heartless animal for showing this in my siggy. I may need to put a pic up of me mowing an old ladys lawn, to show my good will.

Matt ~ I'm not offended by your signature picture. However, my whole point is that you are exploiting this individual (albeit intentional or unintentional), calling him your "mascot" and also renaming him "Hank" is completely degrading to people with physical and mental disabilities.

I worked for ten years in Genetics, all of it consisted of diagnosing, treating and counselling individuals with genetic handicaps. I also worked very hard to change peoples' perception of physical/mental disabilities. Educating people to realise that these members of society are not to be ridiculed, not to be laughed at, are not to be used as "mascots"...they are people with REAL feelings.

You may think that what you are doing is fun and that it is harmless. It isn't harmless, in fact you are no better than the circus sideshow of the turn of the century. You are displaying Schleize because of his disabilities, regardless of whether you find his laughter "contagious". In your own way, you are contributing to the setting back of any progress that has been made for people with disabilities by continuing to have this in your signature.

THIS is my issue. The actual condition that Schleitze has does not upset me, I have seen people afflicted with far worse than microcephaly. My issue is that your signature is exploiting him, plain and simple.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Edited May 12, 2007 by mags

[Ta Ta 1]

anybody here ?

[Nagishkaw 510]

Neither do i man. It kind of hurts me that some people think that i am some sort of heartless animal for showing this in my siggy. I may need to put a pic up of me mowing an old ladys lawn, to show my good will.

Matt ~ I'm not offended by your signature picture. However, my whole point is that you are exploiting this individual (albeit intentional or unintentional), calling him your "mascot" and also renaming him "Hank" is completely degrading to people with physical and mental disabilities.

I worked for ten years in Genetics, all of it consisted of diagnosing, treating and counselling individuals with genetic handicaps. I also worked very hard to change peoples' perception of physical/mental disabilities. Educating people to realise that these members of society are not to be ridiculed, not to be laughed at, are not to be used as "mascots"...they are people with REAL feelings.

You may think that what you are doing is fun and that it is harmless. It isn't harmless, in fact you are no better than the circus sideshow of the turn of the century. You are displaying Schleize because of his disabilities, regardless of whether you find his laughter "contagious". In your own way, you are contributing to the setting back of any progress that has been made for people with disabilities by continuing to have this in your signature.

THIS is my issue. The actual condition that Schleitze has does not upset me, I have seen people afflicted with far worse than microcephaly. My issue is that your signature is exploiting him, plain and simple.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

The man is dead, he is not being exploited here. Couldn't you show some tact and put your post in a PM, or was it your attempt to "exploit"Matt in front of every member who comes across this thread ? MY ISSUE , plain and simple.

[~Chad~ 0]

Mags, saying that matt is exploiting him is just a matter of opinion. I think you are reading way too much into this. Matt's sole purpose for his signature is to make people smile. I can understand that you worked in genetics for ten years and this may be a sensitive issue with you. I've been a cop for nine years but I'm not going to complain to Luckstrike because of his avatar or complain to the ones who voted pot should be legal. What's the point? Just because I feel a certain way about something doesn't mean I expect everyone else to feel that way, whether I'm right or not.

The fact of the matter is that Matt and Luckystrike and the ones who voted for pot aren't breaking any laws. If you don't like matt because of his signature or his sense of humor than the mature thing to do is just ignore him.

[Ta Ta 1]

I will be back later guys, planting some flowers.

[Nagishkaw 510]

ok. Im going to babe nap outside. I will check in and out to see how you guys are doing this afternoon.

[JoeMama 0]

Neither do i man. It kind of hurts me that some people think that i am some sort of heartless animal for showing this in my siggy. I may need to put a pic up of me mowing an old ladys lawn, to show my good will.

Matt ~ I'm not offended by your signature picture. However, my whole point is that you are exploiting this individual (albeit intentional or unintentional), calling him your "mascot" and also renaming him "Hank" is completely degrading to people with physical and mental disabilities.

I worked for ten years in Genetics, all of it consisted of diagnosing, treating and counselling individuals with genetic handicaps. I also worked very hard to change peoples' perception of physical/mental disabilities. Educating people to realise that these members of society are not to be ridiculed, not to be laughed at, are not to be used as "mascots"...they are people with REAL feelings.

You may think that what you are doing is fun and that it is harmless. It isn't harmless, in fact you are no better than the circus sideshow of the turn of the century. You are displaying Schleize because of his disabilities, regardless of whether you find his laughter "contagious". In your own way, you are contributing to the setting back of any progress that has been made for people with disabilities by continuing to have this in your signature.

THIS is my issue. The actual condition that Schleitze has does not upset me, I have seen people afflicted with far worse than microcephaly. My issue is that your signature is exploiting him, plain and simple.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

The man is dead, he is not being exploited here. Couldn't you show some tact and put your post in a PM, or was it your attempt to "exploit"Matt in front of every member who comes across this thread ? MY ISSUE , plain and simple.

Cheerio!

[fozzie 41]

Mags, saying that matt is exploiting him is just a matter of opinion. I think you are reading way too much into this. Matt's sole purpose for his signature is to make people smile. I can understand that you worked in genetics for ten years and this may be a sensitive issue with you. I've been a cop for nine years but I'm not going to complain to Luckstrike because of his avatar or complain to the ones who voted pot should be legal. What's the point? Just because I feel a certain way about something doesn't mean I expect everyone else to feel that way, whether I'm right or not.

The fact of the matter is that Matt and Luckystrike and the ones who voted for pot aren't breaking any laws. If you don't like matt because of his signature or his sense of humor than the mature thing to do is just ignore him.

{Sarcastic tone}Do you laugh at people who are fat too? What about blind people? They are hilarious, watching them fumble around, ha ha ha! Ooooh and don't get me started on black people, too funny! {Sarcasm Ends}

{Furrowed brow}Plain fact is that it is morally questionable to laugh at anyone because of a physical or mental characteristic, especially one they have no control over. Except women with facial hair.

[~Chad~ 0]

Mags, saying that matt is exploiting him is just a matter of opinion. I think you are reading way too much into this. Matt's sole purpose for his signature is to make people smile. I can understand that you worked in genetics for ten years and this may be a sensitive issue with you. I've been a cop for nine years but I'm not going to complain to Luckstrike because of his avatar or complain to the ones who voted pot should be legal. What's the point? Just because I feel a certain way about something doesn't mean I expect everyone else to feel that way, whether I'm right or not.

The fact of the matter is that Matt and Luckystrike and the ones who voted for pot aren't breaking any laws. If you don't like matt because of his signature or his sense of humor than the mature thing to do is just ignore him.

{Sarcastic tone}Do you laugh at people who are fat too? What about blind people? They are hilarious, watching them fumble around, ha ha ha! Ooooh and don't get me started on black people, too funny! {Sarcasm Ends}

{Furrowed brow}Plain fact is that it is morally questionable to laugh at anyone because of a physical or mental characteristic, especially one they have no control over. Except women with facial hair.

Who says I -or anyone else for that matter- is laughing at his disability? I laugh when other people laugh. Matter of fact I love to see poeple laugh.

[Mags 112]

The man is dead, he is not being exploited here. Couldn't you show some tact and put your post in a PM, or was it your attempt to "exploit"Matt in front of every member who comes across this thread ? MY ISSUE , plain and simple.

Just because the man is dead it is all right to post pics of him, call him "Hank" and parade him about as a "mascot"? You can be degraded even when you are dead; you are degrading the memory of him.

Additionally, there are people alive today with microcephaly, the EXACT same condition that Schleitze has. By continuing to post that picture in the signature you are simply just continuing with the facade that it is all right to laugh at people who are less fortunate that we all are.

Intentional or not.

The main reason for posting regarding this issue is not to "exploit" Matt, but to raise awareness of the very issue I mentioned in my first post.

Mags, saying that matt is exploiting him is just a matter of opinion. I think you are reading way too much into this. Matt's sole purpose for his signature is to make people smile. I can understand that you worked in genetics for ten years and this may be a sensitive issue with you. I've been a cop for nine years but I'm not going to complain to Luckstrike because of his avatar or complain to the ones who voted pot should be legal. What's the point? Just because I feel a certain way about something doesn't mean I expect everyone else to feel that way, whether I'm right or not.

The fact of the matter is that Matt and Luckystrike and the ones who voted for pot aren't breaking any laws. If you don't like matt because of his signature or his sense of humor than the mature thing to do is just ignore him.

I don't think I AM being overly sensitive. Cigarette smoking is a choice, as is smoking pot. The people who choose to partake in these past-times are (for the most part) able to voice their opinions and stand up for themselves.

Someone with a condition like Schleitze can not stand up for themselves or voice an opinion. Voting for pot and arguing your point across is one thing, having a picture of a microcephaly sufferer who cannot stick up for themselves is something totally different.

I am actually saddened by this whole thing, to be honest. I had hoped that the days of laughing at (and everyone who laughs at that photo is laughing AT it, not laughing WITH it) people with physical and mental disabilities had passed. I was very, very wrong.

Edited May 12, 2007 by mags

[LaL 418]

The man is dead, he is not being exploited here. Couldn't you show some tact and put your post in a PM, or was it your attempt to "exploit"Matt in front of every member who comes across this thread ? MY ISSUE , plain and simple.

/sigh.

with all due respect Nag, i did PM matt about the siggy, only to see afterward that it was being discussed here open in the forum as well, albeit thinly veiled as persecution venting. damned if you do, damned if you don't. As for disrupting the "safe little haven" - sorry I cannot remember who stated that - I am not going to bother hanging around this chat thread, so carry on.

<< well said mags >>