The Paralympic Games

[scottycelt]

An interesting discussion on heroics being associated with the paralympics came up on Toady this morning, and it confused me.

A spokesperson for paraplegic sports stated that heroics are being wrongly attributed, especially by the media, to those taking part in the Paralympics. Now, some of those competing are disabled by way of genetic inheritance, illness or accidents in the normal course of life, others as a consequence of wounding in action.

We commonly and rightly attribute bravery to those rebuilding their lives after losing limbs, when we wonder how we would cope or even go on, regardless of the rights and wrongs of war. One justification for removing bravery from our thoughts when considering paralympics could therefore be to cease distinguishing cases of bravery from one-another which divide the disabled community fighting for recognition and imroving facilities and access in all walks of life; yet the case putter for this on the programme was adamant in seeing disabled athletes as no different from the rest of the population in individual eagerness to succeed at the expense of all others, which seemed in contradiction with common cause.

I'm sure someone can reconcile this apparent ethical contradiction better than I can, for me!

I'm not sure anyone can but I totally agree with you, S_A!

I heard the programme this morning and was just as confused. Yesterday there was a TV feature on an American Paralympian who plays 'wheelchair rugby' without both arms and legs after losing his limbs in an accident when he was just 14 years of age. The guy was interviewed and said he had been determined not to let this horrific blow affect his desire to be active in sport and make the most of his life. Rather than feeling sorrow for him, I felt nothing but admiration and became terribly aware of my own inferiority in mental attitude in invariably not accepting comparatively trivial blows in life. I suspect I was far from being the only viewer to experience a similarly richly humbling sensation.

As for disability itself, I've always taken the view that we are all mentally and physically disabled in some way, it's merely a question of degree, and those who rise above the greatest disabilities are worthy of the greatest admiration.

Of course such people, by their very attitude and actions, are undoubtedly 'brave' whether they are relatively 'able-bodied' or classed as 'disabled', and whether any of them particularly like to hear it or not!

[amateur51]

I'm not sure anyone can but I totally agree with you, S_A!

I heard the programme this morning and was just as confused. Yesterday there was a TV feature on an American Paralympian who plays 'wheelchair rugby' without both arms and legs after losing his limbs in an accident when he was just 14 years of age. The guy was interviewed and said he had been determined not to let this horrific blow affect his desire to be active in sport and make the most of his life. Rather than feeling sorrow for him, I felt nothing but admiration and became terribly aware of my own inferiority in mental attitude in invariably not accepting comparatively trivial blows in life. I suspect I was far from being the only viewer to experience a similarly richly humbling sensation.

As for disability itself, I've always taken the view that we are all mentally and physically disabled in some way, it's merely a question of degree, and those who rise above the greatest disabilities are worthy of the greatest admiration.

Of course such people, by their very attitude and actions, are undoubtedly 'brave' whether they are relatively 'able-bodied' or classed as 'disabled', and whether any of them particularly like to hear it or not!

The other side of the coin is situation when someone sees a young person with cerebral palsy with a shuffling gait and a 'wobbly' head and the someone (always non-disabled) whispers "how awful - I do feel so sorry for them - they're brave".

In reality of course people with cerebral palsy do not think of themselves as being particularly brave because for them it's 'normal' and their families don't see them as brave because they know just how manipulative and 'naughty' their relative can be - just like everyone else in fact

Years ago I used to visit groups of young disabled people from all over UK who were seeking funding for their activities & independence & advocacy groups. I grew to realise that whatever they said they wanted to do in these groups, 'going down the pub and getting smashed' was a common factor, as was hopefully making friends and even meeting someone for sex! Sound familiar? Yes I thought so

[Serial_Apologist]

It's happened again. Politics has hijacked a thread that should be about sport.

Can the mods please move all the political postings to a thread entitled 'the politics of the disabled' or something that Lat dreams up?

Only if you bracket out interlinked factors in any consideration, and put only what you want in an airtight container for safe keeping.

Asked how he composed music, Debussy replied that he took all the notes he wanted, and left out the rest.

[MrGongGong]

It's happened again. Politics has hijacked a thread that should be about sport.

Sport (and music) is about politics ( and lots of other things as well)
to pretend that somehow it's not is daft
the whole Olympic thing is pure theatre and politics with a bit of running about thrown in

[amateur51]

Sport (and music) is about politics ( and lots of other things as well)
to pretend that somehow it's not is daft
the whole Olympic thing is pure theatre and politics with a bit of running about thrown in

[MrGongGong]

It's also important (IMV) to remember that most of us are only temporarily "able bodied" .............

[Resurrection Man]

Unlike all those spongers you see taking up valuable space with their fraudulently acquired blue badges and wheelchairs , not to mention those with so called "cognitive disabilities" who are simply to lazy or stupid to hold down a proper job !



The use of phrases like "state handouts" shows exactly how many view people with disabilities (see post #15)

How on earth can you draw that conclusion? Bizarre.

[Flosshilde]

the whole Olympic thing is pure theatre and politics with a bit of running about thrown in

and a bit of throwing about




The rage felt by the UK cyclist who was disqualified http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012...lympic-cycling would be felt by anyone, disabled or not.

[Flosshilde]

Why is asking a logical question deemed an exclusivity of the Right?

It isn't, of course - in fact it's unusual But I wasn't commenting on your 'logical question', but on your (& the Right's) assumption that such questions can be answered in simple, or simplistic, terms.

[John Wright]

Sport (and music) is about politics ( and lots of other things as well) to pretend that somehow it's not is daft the whole Olympic thing is pure theatre and politics with a bit of running about thrown in

Yes I agree, I am not pretending anything, but can't we have a thread about the sport and the media coverage and quotes/clangers from media (titled Paralympic Games), and another thread for all the political interpretations which seem to be in the main posted by members who are a) not into sport b) not disabled ?

This forum had separate threads for the Olympic Games so why not for the Paralympic Games?

[amateur51]

Yes I agree, I am not pretending anything, but can't we have a thread about the sport and the media coverage and quotes/clangers from media (titled Paralympic Games), and another thread for all the political interpretations which seem to be in the main posted by members who are a) not into sport b) not disabled ?

This forum had separate threads for the Olympic Games so why not for the Paralympic Games?

Over to you, John Wright

[Flosshilde]

b) not disabled ?

How do you know?

[amateur51]

How do you know?

Good point, Flossie

[John Wright]

I said 'seem to be' because they haven't said so, not that they would need to but they eagerly say they don't like games and competition.

[Lateralthinking1]

There is quite a lot of comment today. I don't know how to respond to it. I could do a "this is my thread and it can be whatever I want it to be" but that isn't my style. If people want two separate threads that is absolutely fine by me. How though will we know what the majority wants? There is also a political difference between the two competitions. "Olympinonsense" was opposed to the Olympics and, in many cases by implication, the Paralympics. In contrast, there is dialogue here about disability issues which probably would not have arisen had the Paralympics not taken place. Some see it as a bad thing. I see it as good - and inevitable.

So perhaps it is best to say, John W, that you are welcome to start a thread focussing exclusively on the sport. I think I spotted yesterday that the United States are nowhere in the medal table. That is quite interesting in itself. Similarly India won't do well with such a small number of competitors. But whether politics can be wholly removed from the sports stories is up to you. I note that NBC have been heavily criticised for their coverage, the main part of which will be a summary programme as late as 16 September. It is being pointed out that it got record audiences for the Olympics programmes. However, history is now rewritten rapidly. One month ago, there were howls of protest from sports fans that the Olympics coverage was paltry and also delayed.