2005-11-11 - 11:11 a.m.
Most people are very nice to me when they see I have trouble getting around � which is hard to miss now that I use a wheelchair. (This can sometimes manifest itself in annoying and obsequious ways, about which maybe I�ll write more at some point.) But over time I�ve noticed that some can generally be more respectful of my condition and be more likely to offer assistance without being overly �helpful�. Oddly, these are not the people you (or at least I) would expect.
They are often those in �tough� professions. In or formerly in the military or on the police force. Cops are obviously the people in this category I most often come in contact with and they�re generally exceptionally helpful. But I�ve noticed that even random ex-Marines I sit near in a caf� will help me out when I need it and won�t get in my face with tales of how their platoon-mate lost a leg in Vietnam (as you might expect they would). My father�s ex-tank commander cousin might not share my political views, but is incredibly nice to me and almost deferential without being offensively-fawning when I see him.
And this isn�t a gender thing; servicewomen and lady cops will have the same mentality. I would half expect such people to almost look down on me. After all, they value strength and this is something I just don�t have any more, not physically. Do they understand better than most that strength (so I�ve learned) goes far beyond physical capacity? Are they picking up on my ability to cope and work with what I have? Maybe that�s part of it.
Part of their niceness may also be deference-by-proxy to fallen comrades, those injured in the line of duty. (And I must admit that there�s something cool about it maybe being supposed that my crip status is the result of something heroic I did. Maybe I was rescuing children from a burning house when a beam fell on me�) But even those who know what�s up with me will act this way and I think there�s something more going on.
There is a seemingly paradoxical juxtaposition of militarism and accommodation for those with disabilities. This goes way back in history. Imperial China, which held itself together in no small part by the liberal use of military power internally to crush local rebellions and warlords who might grow to become a threat to the Emperor, had certain jobs which were essentially reserved for the blind. Soothsaying was a strong part of the culture and government policy said that seers had to be without sight. (I don�t really know how this was enforced or whether there were unlicensed, sighted seers running around as rogues�)
Napoleonic France, certainly a powerhouse of expansionist militarism, likewise reserved certain employment for disabled citizens. (I�m afraid I don�t know what the specific jobs were.) In America during World War I, there were again certain manufacturing jobs for the war effort that the government reserved for workers with disabilities. And these weren�t veterans � spinal cord injuries (such as from being shot) weren�t really survivable until World War II (c.f. Brando�s first film, The Men), although amputation from wounds wasn�t uncommon among soldiers in earlier wars.
I would submit that the reason for this joining of militaristic interest with helping those with disabilities has to do with the reason people are drawn to the armed service or to police work. Sure, there are always those who are attracted by an opportunity to flex and strut. But most people want the chance to defend their culture. To protect and serve. Well, guess what. Exactly what is being protected in our culture is made most apparent by a guy in a wheelchair like me.
Sure, there are no more saber-toothed tigers around to eat me. We do not live in a lawless free-fire wasteland. But this is largely because there are those who protect the physically weak and maintain civic order. If I myself am a visible reminder of what such people are doing or have done, I�m honored to fill that role. So this Veterans Day, mad props to those who want to protect and serve.
Of course, some have put their lives on the line to carry out policy that isn�t even critical to our welfare. Is my life truly better because we invaded Iraq? Not really. Is some kid coming home in a wheelchair�s life harder? Most definitely. What�s terrible is that he (or she) didn�t get the chance to do what he wanted to do and what we need him to do. Was his effort wasted then? Fuck no. Stepping up to the desire to defend is honorable in its own right. There must always be people to follow his example. Without them, how will a crip like me rant and blather in my online diary in safety and security?
So thank you. Much respect.
� 2005 Geoff Gladstone
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