October 15, 2008
posted 10/15/2008 9:07 PM

Fostering Respect for those with Differences
I was recently disturbed by two incidents, one national, and one local. The national incident involved comments by a radio talk host around autism. I felt his comments were inaccurate and disrespectful. Whether he believes these comments or was just using his typical harsh talk to profit from advertising revenue, they certainly were hurtful for families and professionals living with autism spectrum disorders. The worst outcome is that a subset of his broad base of listeners walked away with inaccurate information that may bring prejudice in place of understanding.

The local incident occurred at girl’s soccer tournament in the greater Rochester area this summer. A parent observed a female coach imitating the adaptive style of running exhibited by one the young female players with a physical disability. I felt her actions in front of her players on the sideline were also disrespectful. As with the radio talk show host, she has a unique leadership opportunity and this action may bring prejudice in place of understanding.

If you polled a random population of students, parents, or staff at VCS, I’m comfortable most would agree with my comments about these two incidents. If you asked the same group on what should be done to confront these two individuals, you’d hear a range of comments from nothing to removing them from their roles. The problem is that we probably cannot change the underlying values that lead to this behavior in either of these individuals. More than likely, it would lead to unresolved arguments. My advice is to think about these incidents and how they clash or compare with your own values. I recently attended an event and heard Melinda Gates speak about how she believes that all lives have equal value. I believe that all lives have equal value. I hope that I can use my voice to offset the negative feelings caused by the incidents described above. Positively, I’d ask our school community to think about both sides of this issue and strongly consider how you can foster respect for those with differences. The power is exponential because if you are willing to help foster respect for those with differences whether they are cultural, socio-economic, physical, or otherwise, we can drown out those who seek prejudice against those with differences.

Thanks for your consideration of my thoughts because I know how hurtful these negative comments can be. That was my daughter on the soccer field.

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Let's Foster Respect for Differences

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