This article is taken from the inclusive ministry newsletter known as Inroads, published by the Office of Inclusive Ministry in the Archdiocese of Seattle, Washington in January 2001. I wonder how many of us can truly say we ?never make these judgements.?
* I would never blame the parents or the family of a person who develops kidney disease.
* I would never describe a person with Multiple Sclerosis as emotionally weak.
* I have never heard a newscaster describe a violent criminal as slightly asthmatic.
* I have never heard that a person with arthritis has diminished learning and mental capacity.
* I have never described a person with heart disease as lazy because of the limitations of their illness.
* I would never fear a diabetic because s/he might be contagious.
* I would never say that a person with leukemia is to blame for his or her own illness.
* I would never expect to attend a movie based on the antics of a person with cerebral palsy.
It is, after all, the year 2000, and we are far more knowledgeable and sophisticated than ever before. I would wager that you would never make these judgements, either. But, I live with a mental illness and all of the above have been attributed to me and others in the same situation.
By Mary Hopkins