To think that people really don't give a shit?

[MissQue]

It was the day of protest against the government cuts to disability benefits and services today. When I googled this today, it came up with a couple of disability specific websites and a couple of local news articles on the subject. Nothing from the BBC, Sky or ITN, not one newspaper has bothered.

It has dawned on me that people really just don't give a flying fuck as long as they're not affected by disability. Most people are vaguely sympathetic, but wouldn't even bother to sign a petition or add their voice to these protests because they just don't care.

I know that we only tend to focus on things which affect us, but one day, we will all be affected in some way, whether it's personal experience, or someone we know who becomes ill or disabled. So why don't you care? Why is it that threads on forums like this include the same few names?

I feel so angry, upset and depressed by it, I just want to cry

While you are right kitty, it's the lack of publicity that means that those who do care simply don't know what is going on. The publicity gained by the students will have been invaluable to their cause, even though they also invited negative opinion due to their actions, and that is what I'm pissed off about.

I think one of the biggest problems is that any protests like the one yesterday are so difficult to reach for the people involved. There are all kinds of difficulties that need to be overcome for a disabled person to get through their every day lives, so a trip to London is beyond their means, both financially and from a health POV. I wish I had the answers of an alternative way of whipping up a storm in the media, because although they seem keen on the odd case, like the injustice that Riven has suffered, they're not willing to carry that on into covering the bigger issue. Many more families are suffering without help, and these cuts mean that even more will suffer quite soon.

I'm just feeling so disillusioned and fed up of being made to feel like I'm nothing, when carers are saving the government a fortune and all that disabled people want is the means to live the sort of normal life that non-disabled people take for granted.

YANBU and I agree this protest wasn't given any airtime by the front line media. It is really disappointing that it wasn't picked up at all.

I'm amazed that organisations like Scope aren't more vocal about the changes to disability benefits and the cuts in general. It may be harder for disabled people to have a voice so we need organisations like this to shout louder IMO.

There did seem to be a lot of media concern about Riven's case though - maybe its the personal stories that people need to hear in order to sit up and listen.