MNHQ .. Can we talk about disability bashing?

maybe i will have a little experiment.

start a thread with "i took one of DH's chips and he called me a theiving nigger"

let us see what response we get shall we?

HQ's unwillingness to respond responsibly to the disablist comments that are a frequent and obvious is disgraceful.
Such a lack or action would simply not be tolerated if it was homophobia/racism etc

Thanks Shoesy - you beat me to it!!!

I hve just reported that thread, can't believe it is still there, hopefully it is just cos mn hq wern't aware

but it has happened so many times - look back through site stuff. over the last year there have been 3 or 4 threads saying exactly the same thing (I htink they were in site stuff!) plus probably a couple more in AIBU etc.

lots of people agree, but the inconsistency stays.

Here, here Annie

Sorry Shoesy, I didn't mean to upset anyone. Just to point out that comments like that are all over the boards now, AIBU used to be the favourite haunt for SN/DLA bashers, SN, then chat.....

There's just no need. Imagine if I started a thread - 'my DH said I catch like a nigger' ?????? I'd be torn apart in seconds.

It's all discrimination, isn't it?

sadly some of us can't use the sn topic, so we have ot venture outside I am just glad I can go elsewhere as tbh I think this is now getting bad, having followed that thread and seeing the views on there I am shocked.

good grief I wish I hadn't followed that link,
why would anyone think that thread titile wasn't offensive?
wtf has mn become

As an aside and whilst I appreciate that it's bad form to talk about a thread on a thread IYSWIM..... I spotted this in relationships (of all places) HERE.

Why? To cause trouble is my guess, cynical old me. If you look through it, the responses pretty much say it all. The OP has only been around since April, or has had a new name since then but still, you'd like to think that she's be a bit more savvy about such topics......

MN is not a nice place to be some days.

Dilly I didn;t read the other thread; in fact before this happened I posted in chat (perfectly searchable) saying my adieux to MN, in part because of this.

It's not special treatment that is wanted; as someone else said, simply parity with the other fields of bigotry. I would no more wish to see a racist / homophobic / etc post stand than a disablist one and I have out in time over the eyars battling those views also.

Bigotry is abhorrent. And there's something remarkably awful about people willing to come out with comments on a website when they would not dare in RL, and if they did in RL at least I could front up to them and I would know who the person to be avoided was. Any of the nasties on MN could be my neighbour, fellow school parent, teacher. It's really quite scary.

And YY to thought police and not caring what people think as longa s they leave the boys alone and don;t try to peddle their nastiness, and to DLA being an out of work benefit.

I have been on threads that go on for tens of pages where posters defend their 'right' to use words like retard.

There is much use of the if people dare disagree.

dilly I think this thread is more complicated than that. I think its a build up of feeling caused by thread after thread using insulting language and pushing offensive ideas about disabilty.

It seems to me that the recent cuts have been used as an excuse to vent any ill thought out and ignorant view about how people with disabilities live their lives.

If I see one more post about DLA being an out of work benefit I shall bloody scream.

DillyDaydreamin I don't think this about one comment(yes the person said sorry but then re posted it on another thread!) this has been going on for a long time and will continue until mn hq do something.

I would also support a less tolerant attitude by MNHQ towards posts which bash those with disabilities and or their parents/carers. Poster who do this repeatedly should be banned - MN is supposed to be supportive forum and those of us with children with SN should not have to spend half our time 'educating' other posters when we have a hard enough time already and are more in need of support not less.

I tend to keep off most of the threads where I guess this stuff comes up most - the benefits and SN threads for example.

But I would say when offensive terms come up in random topics, usually by newbies who perhaps don't realise how unpleasant some of the words they remember from school actually are, then mumsnetters are pretty hot on pulling them up on their language. To the extent that the thread subject often takes a turn away from the original subject and on to disablist words, and the poster who used the word is then educated and usually apologises.

"Free speech", "get off your high horse"

So free speech means people are free to say what they like - be as racist and homophobic as they like?

Nope?

Why is it "free speech" to make comments with regard to the disabilities some of us deal with every day. Why is that acceptable as "a different viewpoint"?

I am used to idiots saying "ADHD doesn't exist" and while I may give my own viewpoint I can write these people off as ignorant and move on with my life. In fact if that is their view point so be it - I can point out research until I am blue in the face but they won't accept it.

In effect this thread is about a comment on another thread, where a badly worded post by an MNer upset many people. In actualy fact the poster didn't intend her comments to be interpreted as they were by people but it was worded badly and appeared to be a comment about people with severe disabilities.

I dont like the free speech card being pulled on these occassions.

Nor the 'thought police' crap.

I dont give a flying fuck what people think. I do care what they say and write.

If someone says something disabilist to me I make it very clear they shouldnt. If I see it written I will do the same. The can carry on thinking it till they die lonely and alone for all I care.

Its about parity. Why is it ok to fling about 'freak' , 'drain on society' etc when it applies to people with disabilities?
It seems that a lot of posters on MN are fine with disabilty if it fits. They like their disabled to be greatful and meek and, if at all possible, a bit tragic. Dont get in the way of normal people, dont expect rights, take what you are given and for Gods sake dont have a nice or even normal life.

Its utter bollocks.

I agree that Mumsnet should deal with discrimatory language about disabled people, perhaps more so than racist or homophobic comments, people will often answer back to those comments more than to stick up for disabled people. Disabled children can't speak for themselves and in 2011 there is still so much discrimination, it really saddens me.

fanjo, my dd is 16 and I can assure you my skin is no thicker, in fact I think I get angrier now than I did when she was small, I keep thinking surely things will change but they don't, in fact it seems worse.

Vicar - maybe your skin is thicker as your son is older. I am feeling delicate re my DDs very recent genetic DX and the post really upset me. And I couldn't avoid it as it didn't look like a.contentious thread, merely one about a programme I enjoy.