MNHQ .. Can we talk about disability bashing?

[Brownsugarshortbread]

Over the years i have posted on and enjoyed MN.
Sadly there seems to be a growing culture of it being okay to have a go at disabilities, those who claim DLA and those who's children have 'invisable' disabilities such as ADHD and ADD.
The terms 'freak' and 'scrounger' have been batted around and comments from some posters IMO certainly boarder on harrassment and discrimination.

When certain posts or posters have been reported, some have been removed, yet a lot haven't.

And while I agree with free speech, these types of comment or reaction to these comments, are not an education for those bigoted posters. Nor do those whose lives are touched by disability wish to be used to educate those posters.

Disability Harassment

is unwanted behaviour based on disability,
impairment or additional need. Such behaviour may include comments that are patronising or objectionable to the recipient or which creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment for people with disabilities. Disability harassment includes inappropriate reference to disability, unwelcome discussion of the impact of disability, refusal to work with and exclusion of people with disabilities from social events or meetings.

What thread Shoesy?

I agree, some people really need to keep their comments to themselves.

Having a disability isn't nice, how would the people making rude comments feel if they had a disability? Free speech and abuse aren't the same thing. Abuse isn't acceptable and too little is done to sto it.

I would like to add my voice to the sadness and anger expressed on this thread with regards to the fact that offensive words and opinions concerning people with sn seem to be seen as acceptable or 'just a laugh'.

I also hate the way that when the offensive language/opinion is pointed out by a poster, they are referred to as something like 'the Professionally Offended', which is a phrase I have seen a lot recently on threads.

Nah, I'm not going to get bored. Not this time.

nor me

has anyone ever said 'mong about' on here and it's been left? i find that so hard to believe, Peachy. if MN are leaving that sort of language on here once their attention has been drawn to it, that would shake me to the core.

also, justa, i do agree with your rendering of the spastic thread, i wasn't talking about it in its entirety, more the OP, how she should have been dealt with, and how quickly. and i do think it took a while for her to get arsey, and believe that while she posted the word spastic in the title to get attention, of course, she wasn't necessarily doing it to offend. but of course i don't know, all i can do is read the thread and form my own conclusions, same as everyone else, including HQ.

I have seen mong about be deleted pretty pronto.

I've seen it appear, be challenged, and descend into the same old farcical re-hash of "professionally offended" "thought police" etc.

not seen it recently, to be fair, but it has happened.

whereas, of course, if it had been dealt with swiftly (removal, perhaps with a quick email to poster saying "your post was valid, but your language unacceptable. please re-phrase") the whole debate, which always turns into the same old repetition on free speech, would not have been able to play out once again.

removal of post, word, or thread, GS? this is what i think needs to be clarified. i'm not sure what is being asked for. agree totally that a 'your point is valid, your language, however, is totally unnacceptable' would be a good email. possibly even with a cc to the thread itself (assuming it hasn't been deleted) to put the shits up anyone coming in to play the 'oh it's nothing' card. it's not nothing. i do hope that despite my misgivings about how it should be handled, that you all don't think i am minimising the offence.

i actually CANNOT BELIEVE that anyone is using the term 'mong about' in this day and age. absolute fucking fuckers.

much as i love swearing, and i truly do, these are all words that i have never said. my parents would have Kicked My Arse from here to kingdom come had i used any of these terms.

I never said MNHQ left it in fairness, I just used it as examples of how simple it was to change wording without having to invoke the whole thought police crap.

Not sure your post is valid as i think ther are plenty who would think that meant MNHQ agree with them- but would support if it was whilst we support your right to post an opinion, we do not accept the language that you have chosen to use.

depends on the context, aitch.

a thread like the spastic one should, imo, be removed totally - it was pure attention seeking.

a thread about baking cupcakes with a random mention of mong in the middle - post removed with email to poster, and yes, a different "message deleted" message - left plain for all to see that X poster uses unacceptable language.

actually maybe it is time to start dividing up why messages are deleted.

instead of a generic, there could be "message deleted for personal abuse", "message deleted for trolling", "message deleted due to unacceptable language" etc.

And of course people use mong about; indeed I only came acroos the phrase in the last few eyars, wasn;t something that had appeared on my radar previously.

See that's what pisses me off BIG TIME. If you challange 'mong' 'spaz' 'retard' etc, you are told that it is the OP's God given right to have 'freedom of speech, it's only the internet, if you don't like it hide the thread.'

FFS.

There's just no need for it. Any of it. Yes, I personally may be uber prickly about disablist words/phrases being used be, due to having family members with SN, and indeed my own son.

But that's not the point is it? It shouldn't matter about my personal circumstances.

If something upsets and offends me, I have just as much right as the poster to complain about it, no?

So it's not about the word or thought police, is it.

Imagine if someone posted a thread - 'DP ran like a nigger to catch the bus'?

I don't think that would be around for long.

why 'of course'? i last heard mong in about 1979.

agree about your point is valid, actually. your wording better. disagree that the spastic thread was a wind-up from the beginning. however, it would certainly be dealt with by a 'message deleted for unnacceptably abusive language' or similar. agree a divvy up of reasons would be better, have never felt the blanket 'message deleted by mn' was good in any case. too open to misinterpretation. HQ must know why a post is deleted, which rule it has fallen foul of, can't be difficult to add that to their deletion form entry.

I'm sorry to disagree with you Aitch because I heart you but I think the spastic thread was nothing but a wind up.

Light the blue touch paper and stand well back.

but the poster wasn't saying that her DP caught like a spastic, she was expressing disgust that she had been described thusly. i think this is different. not saying it isn't time to draw a line in the sand and have none of it, but you are not making a fair comparison at all.

i heart you too, mousy, and i have no problem disagreeing with you. discussion is good, not everyone sees threads the same.

where do you stand on the freakshow thread, as a matter of interest? i think she was a snooty eejit, and should have backed down gracefully, but i do think that she was mobbed on here. likewise the natalie cassidy thread.

oh well if that's the case justa, get them zapped to fuck imo, because that is just utterly shit.

Wonderful thread, it's about time a line was drawn in the sand and some guidelines agreed on with MNHQ about what is acceptable and what isn't.

I wholeheartedly agree with the "monkey see, monkey do" train of thought. Ignorant parents lead to ignorant kids who grow up and perpetuate the problems.

Enough is enough. You have my full support.

I haven't seen it Aitch - I dread to think what's in that if is about a 'freakshow'

Please don't tell me it's about the different children, 10 years on or something that Channel 4 are showing?

Where's the freakshow thread Aitch? And what have I missed with Nat Cassidy? Let me guess, revealing all like Brittany?

I really wish I had that much time on my hands to give a fur rat's ass about slebs and their wonderful lives.

'furry'