Please elucidate us on how it pays to be in the minority.
Many people on this list have talked about how in some ways their lives have changed for the better after their injury. There are some interesting things that happen after sci that illuminate parts of your life you sort of looked over before. At least for me, it has been an adventure. Being an actual monority- like on a huge college campus- is not easy. When I was in school I got many stares and little conversation. We are minorities in many ways. The most painful one being that many of us are stuck between the economic confines of getting welfare checks and state and/or federal healthcare that keeps us relatively healthy and independant, and needing more money and risking losing all assistance to get a job that has insurance that will not pay for home healthcare. For some this is harder than others because we depend on the home assistance. Marginalized is another word. And yes, being marginalized lumps us with other groups with which we can work on things together and support each other. I think this is the important part of being in a group- our ability to appreciate differences and similarities at the same time. A form of enlightened interdependance, I like to think of it. My friend started a disability studies study group at the University of Washingtom and finally, after 3 years of the administration saying that we don't need a disabilities class or program- a class and a minor in the subject! Yae! Everyone else has a cultural studies program- why not disability? We have a history, culture, etc. And unfortunately, being in the minority, we must contend with the majority view of who we are and expand these views because they do result in public policy and just good old fashioned, everyday bigotry and discrimination. One thing that makes us a minority is dealing with those. There is no short answer for this question, but it is a good one. On 2/17/07, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
In a message dated 2/17/2007 1:42:24 P.M. Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: My question too W. In comparison to whom? Women w/SCI/D are a minority. Amen. Actually, we are all minorities in the eyes of the majority, what ever the category is. Extreme rich is a minority to the very poor. Male population is a minority to the female population. Those is jail are a minority to those not confined. Sometimes, it pays to be in the minority. Can you think of the many different ways? W
-- Life is 440 horsepower in a 2-cylinder engine. -Henry Miller
