Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The Good, The Bad and the UGLY...

I am sorry peoples, but I am getting back up onto my soapbox today. To say it has been one hell of a day is a massive understatement, and the only way I can get through all this is to start with the hardest.

The Ugly:


This person is a supposed social commentator. Prue Macsween. Last Sunday, 11th July 2010, on the Channel Seven Sunrise programme this woman espoused her views on classroom integration. The topic was one of a teacher suing the education system for her loss of voice from yelling. The number of special needs children in this class was cited as one of the reasons for her yelling (always an effective tool when dealing with children with various disabilities, and yes my tone is dripping with sarcasm). This lead to our uneducated, ill-informed, big mouth no brain friend spouting some classics such as:
  • Children with special needs should not be allowed to be in mainstream classes with “normal” kids - not quite sure what the definition of normal is;
  • Children with special needs hold back children without special needs;
  • Children with special needs should be "put somewhere and trained” and where they can be “properly administered to”;
  • Children with special needs should be slowly re-introduced into a classroom once or if they are properly trained;
  • Oh, and just for good measure she said all boys are retarded... I think somewhere in her little mind that was meant to be funny. Ha. Yeah, ha.
This incident has impacted so strongly to many parents and family and friends that there is a facebook page devoted to the topic. Go, if you feel as sickened by bigotry and segregation as I do, please join. In just 48 hours it is rapidly heading towards 900 members.

Now, I think the lovely people who started this group are more tolerant of this sort of thing than I am. If it were up to me I would take all the small-minded, self-obsessed, discriminatory idiots like this one, put them in a special training room, and keep them there utilising some archaic forms of teaching which I am positive are now outlawed. Unfortunately I am not allowed to do this, or to start a group to suggest it. At the very least she needs to be fired. But knowing the way the television industry works she'll probably be given her own show. Matty Johns anyone?

You know, you just get sick of beating your head against ignorance sometimes.



Ah screw it - this is such a big issue I am giving it a post all of its own. I'll blog the rest later.



6 comments:

TheThingsIdTellYou said...

Here here.

I'm sorry the rest of your day was bad as well.

I'm about to go get back up on my soapbox after dinner too. It's been a few days of thigns that are really ticking me off - that'll get the BloJo back.

Anonymous said...

well i never i just read this post and now OMG! I used to idol bloody prudece LOL... now i dont know what to think! What the hell would she know = nothing
Who the hell does she think she is ? lets lock her in a classroom for a day with those beautiful kids and see how good she is (stupid women noes didly squat!

Veronica Foale said...

Yep, ugly for sure.

I wonder what they'd think of Amy, who is amazingly intelligent and yet, she's still considered special needs because of a few different things.

UGH.

Donna said...

I was going to say it's unbelievable that there's still that level of ignorance in the world then I remembered so many of the 'discussions' I've had about my son with ASD and the 'dark ages' views that have been thrown at me.

I think the thing that is truly unbelievable is that a TV station cares more about stirring up controversy by allowing such an ignorant prat to spout such rubbish on national TV, than it does about the individuals that it hurts in the process.

Justine said...

I was saddened when I read this post, oh and OUTRAGED!!! My nephew has Aspergers & he did not go to school from 13 onwards (he's 18 now) because of people and their ignorant and intolerant thinking that not only puts schools in a hard postition but rubs off onto their kids. Please please tell me Prue doesn't have kids! my daughter is only 2 1/2 but I will be sure to teach here about ugly people like PRUE!!!! Thanks for posting this!!! I'm glad I came across your blog and I just might stay around : )
Justine

Kakka said...

But why are we shocked, it is the normal crap they have on TV, with the normal idiots, past their prime who think we care what they think. The sad thing, is there are people who do listen as they don't have a brain. Give her the boot, and make sure it is pointed.