Tourette’s/BAFTAs offensive language

[Lochroy]

I wasn’t watching, I’ve just read the article on BBC news. I will admit I know little of Tourette’s and therefore posting to understand.

The tics agree involuntary, and often use offensive language. But what I’m struggling to get my head around is excusing use of the N word because it was caused by the disability when it was (seemingly) only directed at black people?

Also presumably it’s learned vocab so children don’t have swear words as tics? How does this develop?

Of course it is offensive - why would that be questioned? It's like, if I hit someone in the face accidentally, it doesn't stop it hurting in the same way it would if I'd done it deliberately.

It should have been redacted.

Some people on this thread actually understand disability and don’t expect disabled people to continually apologise for being disabled. Which is what you’re expecting here. There is no intent. And intent is the thing that matters. Any decent, mature and understanding person would absolutely give someone a ‘free pass’ (disgusting term as you’re using it here) once they realised that there was a disability involved and no offence was meant.

We’re way past that.

Yeah, we see you too.

Of course your feelings matter but you surely have to understand that they can’t help it.

callmeLoretta1

By "community" do you mean all black people?
Because from the various sources that I have read and watched not all black people agree with you.

I really don’t think it’s that deep.

It’s a disability that attracts a high level of stigmatisation. One glance at some of the disgusting ableist attitudes here tells you why.

I’m sorry that any black person had to hear this slur being said, but I would hope that we live in a world where we are all capable of showing compassion, love and understanding. You know he didn’t have any control over the word being said, but yet you won’t move on unless he apologises. Why is it so important for you to hold a disabled, disadvantaged and vulnerable individual to account for actions that they have no control over. Actions that are purely due to their disability. Why can’t you see the bigger picture here?

"victim parade"

Charming. My ancestors include a few that were hanged for being black. So this is absolutely personal to me.

Yeah, great, 'victim parade'. Funny how the other side is able to have a 'victim parade', but we're not. Your posts are getting more hateful and clearly racist by the post. But it's made a nice screenshot to show the levels of hateful racist bigotry by posters on this site.

Also this.

Did your parents never tell you to only apologise if you mean it and actions speak louder than words?

I got it drilled into me that if I apologised for something the best thing I could do was never do that thing again.

I've actually posted some links that verify but, but it's been ignored and claims of speaking for everyone have continued.

No I wouldn't be happy if a kind man living with an awful disability became a recluse. I think there are things we can control and things we can't. JA can't control what he says but he must have know as 2 black men where being introduced to the stage that there was a good chance he would shout out something racist. He could have removed himself from that situation before this happened.

I also think the organisers should have e anticipated this.

As a student I worked in a care respite home with disabled people, some of whom had Tourette’s and other conditions which made them say “offensive” things, some were young people with early onset dementia.

I can assure everyone that being called bitch, white, ugly, slag etc had a MUCH lower impact than if a non-disabled person said it.

There are some studies on how people are only sympathetic to the most visibly disabled people, and that those who present as able bodied are overrepresented when it comes to discrimination. This thread has been a depressing reminder of that. Almost like John can’t be “properly” disabled if he’s attending a fancy award show and had a film made about him

My empathy lies with JD.

I completely understand why his tic last night would have been hurtful, but the man has Tourette’s. His life has been ruined by his disability. He has attempted suicide.

The way he is being vilified and spoken about is disgraceful.

He needs to be left alone - he has enough to deal with.

I think he needs to be left alone. I can’t imagine what having Tourette’s is like, it must be truly awful and full of shame as it is, they don’t need further criticism and condemnation.

But if it wasn’t them then it would be someone else and something else potentially said.

An announcement was made at the start about his tics.

@FrippEnos

I'm saying this should have been anticipated and he should have left the room before 2 black men walked into the stage. Perhaps a fault with the organisers.

What a ridiculous statement. If he has no control over what he says, how can he possibly have control over where and when he says it ? You clearly have no idea how Tourette’s works so why comment ?

It’s not a race to the bottom. Using examples from a totally different country and implying disabled people today should STFU about their own experiences and trauma because people in the US experienced terrible racism decades ago…who do you think you’re helping? What is even your point? Other than to “win” the argument? You don’t even know what Tourette’s is FFS

If he comes into contact with a small black child and has no control over his racist remarks and so yells it at them-maybe causing them lasting harm- would that be OK?

I'm as white as snow but if he yelled that at my mixed race child, I wouldn't be excusing him.

What would all his defenders say in that situation?

Why ? He couldn’t anticipate what he was going to say - that’s the point. It’s random. He could just as easily have said nothing.

The point is that he cannot anticipate what he will say.
But it is still worthy of notr that once he realised that it was going to be a problem he removed himself from the situation.

And I do agree that the organisers of the BAFTAs should have anticipated something like this happening and shoulod have been more risk averse.

I’m afraid you being a self imposed representative speaking on behalf of black people on here is not helping at all. You’re coming across as very angry, aggressive and irrational. No-one is saying that it wasn’t uncomfortable for many black people watching, or on stage. But you can still have a little empathy for someone with a disability which affects them so negatively every minute of every day. Try to see both perspectives here and not just run with your own agenda.