Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Other "R" Word

The following column appeared in the Freeport Focus the week of August 19, 2008 about the time of the release of the movie, Tropic Thunder. It is being reprinted here as today is the Day of Acceptance for people of all abilities. Please click the title link above for more information from the Special Olympics. In light of the condescending remarks of our President on the Jay Leno Show recently, this is indeed a teachable moment for America and the world. Remember to be kind to all you meet.

The Other “R” Word
By
Roland Tolliver

“As we grow as unique persons, we learn to respect the uniqueness of others.”
--Robert Schuller

“The best comedy of the Summer,” scream the headlines in the entertainment industry.

“Film critics stand firm against “Tropic Thunder” protests by advocates for the disabled,” states another in The Los Angeles Times.

There are no protests scheduled outside of the Lindo Theater. At least not that I have heard and there doesn’t need to be one. People have every right to view a movie, just like they have the right to sending in there letters to the editor or saying what they want to in the privacy of their own homes. It apparently doesn’t matter that large groups of people are offended or that a derogatory word has become so pervasive in our society that it is regularly used by students and teachers in our school district to refer to anyone who may be a “little slow.”

Just don’t say it in front of me, please. I’m not sure what it is in our society, but people have a tendency to marginalize those that are different from them. There have been endless struggles in our country to excise the cancerous language of prejudice in our society. The Chinese and others of Asian descent were not allowed to marry a Caucasian until well into the 1940’s, when we allied with China during World War II, even though thousands of Chinese died helping to build the Transcontinental Railroad. The Irish were thought to be here only for their brawn during the same time period.

The Japanese were forced into internment camps during WW II, even if they were born in our country. Polish jokes were commonly told to indicate that they were stupid. The African-Americans in this country suffered years of indignity, which is why I cannot comprehend their wanton use of the “N” word in rap songs. I was incredibly surprised by the use of the word “uppity” when a letter to the editor in The Journal-Standard was used to describe Senator Barack Obama. It has such a disparaging connotation that I expected a much more vigorous protest to that particular letter.

That brings us back to the people that have become the most marginalized in our society and the ones that are least able to defend themselves. The assault on people who are mentally challenged in our society is reaching epic proportions. When school-aged students regularly call people “retards” it shows a total lack of understanding. They can, perhaps, claim ignorance. When teachers use the same word in like fashion, it shows a lack of compassion. When Hollywood perpetuates this negative stereotype without regard to the consequences, it shows a level of mean-spiritedness that will only exaggerate the problem. This is where “Tropic Thunder” has crossed the line.

Much of the early press about the movie was for the Robert Downey, Jr. character, who undergoes a “pigmentation process” in order to portray a Black actor in the movie. While this certainly sets another low standard for the industry, it pales in comparison with the discriminatory social commentary in regards to people that are mentally challenged.

The most disturbing aspect the producers and director, Ben Stiller, make with their movie, is that they know it will appeal to young adults and teens, who themselves are still impressionable, and their “Don’t Go Full Retard” mantra will likely become this summer’s movie catchphrase. How does a parent or a sibling or a relative of someone who has brain damage, epilepsy, Down’s Syndrome, autism, or a variety of injuries, illnesses or hereditary conditions that affect the brain explain the rude comments made by the insensitive about them?

Have any of these people ever lived with a child or an adult who “doesn’t fit in”? Have the insensitive people ever been in a store when someone’s brain-damaged child or teen is throwing a temper-tantrum in the middle of an aisle? Do people think that seeing a T-shirt with the above slogan helps the situation? Or are people that unconcerned with the feelings of others these days? It truly makes me sad that people can be so unkind.

I know from which I speak… I’m not a prude. I don’t go around pretending to be the captain of the politically correct police. I have enjoyed some of the movies of Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and the other actors in this movie. I have even seen the mentally challenged in some of their movies portrayed in a positive, sensitive light. What I don’t get, and I admit that I am refusing to see the movie, is how or why their portrayal has gone astray. Are producers and directors that hard up for material that it is now acceptable to denigrate the people in our society who are least able to stand up for their own rights?

Decide for yourselves what to do when it comes to the movie, everyone is in their rights to do so, but think about the implications of encouraging this prejudicial movie to be a financial success. Think about how its message seeps into the brains of the most impressionable segment of our society and how that venom then spews forth in our schools and our community. Think about all of the people that have fought for generations to eliminate social prejudice in our society and how much still exists. Then think hard about giving your hard-earned money to people who still “don’t get it.” Maybe, just maybe, they will get the message we are sending. And then maybe our children, family members, friends and acquaintances will know compassion, understanding and respect in their schools and communities. Maybe!?

Dr. Roland Tolliver is a freelance writer in Freeport. He has been fighting the good fight with his wife and family for their daughter, Claire, and others with mental and intellectual disabilities for more than a decade. He may be reached at rtolliver@kastlepublishing.com or through the blog “Pretzel City Logic.”

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Special Olympians Deserve Better

Our President's off-handed attempt at a joke about his bowling has turned into a minor firestorm. I understand that his bowling is pretty weak, but then again so is his recent attempt at being humorous. For those of us with children who have participated in Special Olympics, the comment was another example of how people with special needs are viewed as less worthy of respect. There is a good chance that this is not how he really feels, but oftentimes the true colors of one's opinions come out in the unscripted moments. Grandma used to say that someone can be book smart, but dumb as a piece of coal when it comes to common sense. Looks like this is one of those moments. We can hope that some good comes out of the Presidents' gaffe.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Where Have All the Children Gone?

It doesn't seem possible, but the children do move on. Our friends, Steve and Petra, let us know recently that their son, Jason, has moved to California. He has been interested in writing screenplays and found some people to live with in the L.A. area and has taken the chance to follow his dream. I wouldn't be surprised to see our daughter, Veronica, do the same thing in a few years (once she graduates from college, please!).

When our oldest daughter, Mary, went off to college, it happened so soon after her high school graduation, that in some ways it didn't fully register. She came back with her degree and her fiance, David. They will be married two years in June. Yes, they do grow up much quicker than we imagine. Sometimes, they come home. Sometimes, they move on. I have now lived in Illinois for almost 28 years, though I still feel that Michigan in many ways that it it is still my home state. One of the recent reminders for me was when I went to see the movie, "Gran Torino". The movie was filmed primarily in the Detroit area with the closing scene taking place along Lake Shore Drive/Jefferson Avenue along Lake St. Clair. There were so many memories brought back from that one scene alone. Driving along the lake. Biking along the lake. Running along the lake. Going north toward the last town where I lived, St. Clair Shores, before moving to Chicago in 1981.

The landscape of Detroit has changed so much in the past two decades. Most of these changes began in the 1960's and 1970's after the riots of 1967. The great "White Flight" took homeowners and longtime residents out of the city and to the ever-developing suburbs that were taking shape. The migratory patterns have continued over the years with movement continuing farther north into Oakland and Macomb counties. The farm land of our youth is now the next mall or subdivision. The areas around Lincoln High School and the Van Dyke School District are now lower income housing areas in many cases and the once middle-class is now the lower middle-class or even lower income areas. The school district is now much more integrated than when I left the area in 1981.

We don't get back "home" much anymore. Travel is more difficult with a special-needs daughter and an active family. When I do go home, the old haunting grounds look so different, but the streets remain about the same. I go on auto-pilot and get around just fine, but the landscape is very different, especially the farther out I go. The tract of land where we used to ride our motorcycles has been developed and the woods are mostly gone. The "corner store" is long gone and the mega-stores are taking over the area. What has changed more recently is the vast number of homes for sale, foreclosed or being auctioned off. It was recently announced that approximately an additional 17,000 jobs will be lost in Warren, where I grew up, due to the closing of automotive plants and cost-cutting measures by GM and Chrysler. There will be more than that, though, as the ancillary companies that are related to the auto industry.

Rolling Stone Magazine recently profiled Detroit and the ghost town that it is becoming. Large tracts of land, where even coyotes are now seen roaming, loom desolately between abandoned or run-down houses. Large factories and warehouses sit idly by with broken windows and grafitti-filled walls.

So, where have all the children gone. Whether it is in Northwest Illinois where jobs are becoming more scarce or in my hometown, Detroit, area, the children are moving to where they can make a decent living. We have two younger children still at home. One day they will have to make a decision. Where will the children go?

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Even More Photos from No Exit




More Photos from No Exit at North Central College





No Exit






Veronica was in her first major performance at North Central College this past weekend at the new Madden Theatre. The play was No Exit by Jean-Paul Satre and was directed by third year student, Abby Stark. The cast of four performed with zeal for this psychological drama about three people stuck in hell, which is defined as "other people." The following photos were taken after the play and identifies the major characters: Sean Driscoll as Garcin; Veronica Tolliver as Inez; Kathryn Bauer as Estelle; and Kati Riess as the Valet. They should all be proud of the show and their performances.