That word...

Personal matters have kept me from posting. This is not about AoA, but, nonetheless, it expands on some ignorance.

There was an event this week that annoyed me, and Sullivan at LeftBrain/RightBrain posted which triggers this response from me:


Good post. However, it is not just a word, but an institutionalized attitude that needs to be addressed.

Most people think that handicapped sports is merely “cute.” Far from it.

My son was the pen-ultimate torch bearer in the USA for the 2000 Sydney Paraolympics. Was there any media coverage? Heck no.

One may ask when and where the Paraolympics are held? Most people do not know. The answer is simple, immediately following the Olympics on the same venue. Paraolympians have it easier, though. Smaller non-crowds, and those pesky cameras and media types just do not clutter up the landscape.

Every marathon in the US has three divisions, male, female and wheelchair. Do the winners of all three get invited to the Monday morning talk shows?

New York State sponsors The empire State Parks Games for the Physically Challenged at a world class facility (thank you Ted Turner for the now defunct Friendship Games). Come on down! No pesky media types to get in your way. Just 1500 athletes from around the region and Ireland competing. We used to have athletes come from Alabama, Boston, Philadelphia and other locales, but, the benign neglect under former governor George Pataki ended that.

As for Obama’s remark, it is merely an example of non-thinking. It is nothing new.

BTW my son’s bowling average is higher than Obama’s.

What annoyed me most is the fact that Obama was criticized by just those in the media who perpetuate ignoring the Special Athlete.

Hypocrites All.