Another Dead Young Disabled Person

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/wear/7177716.stm

"Brent Martin died in hospital after being found with multiple injuries on Sunderland's Town End Farm estate in August last year."

"On Tuesday, at the start of the 17-year-old's trial, the court heard that the attack began at a bus stop when he bet £5 that the 16-year-old could not knock out Mr Martin with his right hand. Both youngsters were trained as boxers, and their victim was repeatedly punched, kicked, stamped on and head butted, the jury was told."

Where to start?

Just another example of the world telling people with disabilities that they are not human. Just another example of the glorification of violence teaching youth that the role of the able bodied is to harm, subjugate, and kill those who can't defend themselves. Just another helicopter parent unable to accept that their offspring could have been in the wrong, washing blood off his clothes and defending his actions.

"The court heard that the 17-year-old defendant later told witnesses: 'I am not going down for a muppet.'"

Some part of me wonders what they said to each other while beating a human being to death. Did they call him a muppet then, too? Mongoloid? Moron? Did they continue to bet money, or was it simply fun after the first punch was thrown? Did they know when the first boy threw that first punch that they would kill a member of their own species that day, or did they simply enjoy it so much they didn't stop until he was dead? Were they surprised to find that they had killed him?

"Prosecutor Toby Hedworth QC said: 'That man Brent Martin never lifted an aggressive finger towards them and they did that to him until he was dead. They did that for their own sport.'"

Have we really not advanced one bit in 13 years?

http://trinityva.livejournal.com/tag/pwd+deaths

http://thegimpparade.blogspot.com/2007/12/robert-latimer-denied-parole.html

http://crip-power.com/2008/01/02/another-young-disabled-woman/


Robert Latimer killed his disabled daughter in 1993. Eight days into 2008, two youths kill a disabled man for fun. Among the three murderers, none show remorse. Should any of the three receive sympathy from the public?

In an appeal to his conviction, Latimer contended that he 'had the legal right to decide to commit suicide for his daughter by virtue of her complete lack of physical and intellectual abilities.'

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/283184

"Latimer will likely hurt inside for the rest of his life for what he did. What he did to his daughter was out of love."

If the two young thugs who killed Brent Martin had been two old thugs- his parents- and excused their actions by claiming they loved him and didn't want him to suffer from his learning disability anymore, would they receive this sympathy?

"How is someone supposed to show remorse for doing something they still think was right? The child was in horrible pain all of the time. This was confirmed by her specialist. He has served more than enough time for his offence. Worse criminals have served far less time. I say free him now so he can be with his family ... where he should have been long ago!"

If not, where is the threshold? When is someone disabled enough that someone else can kill them out of love? When they can't walk or talk? Should we conduct tests on children- yes, Ma'am, your son is over 90% disabled- proceed to the euthanasia chamber for immediate service! Where does the line lie between murder and mercy killing for the screaming mobs who demand Robert Latimer be paroled?

And over everything else, one fact about this story stands out to me.

Brent Martin had a learning disability. Not a physical disability. He could have fought back- he couldn't have won, but he could have thrown a punch or two, left a couple of black eyes on his assailants. But again...

"That man Brent Martin never lifted an aggressive finger towards them and they did that to him until he was dead. They did that for their own sport."

And that alone, to me, makes Brent Martin more human and more worthy of life than the murderers.

Heroic Kiddo with LD Shot Saving Mother

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22301908/

"As the gunman was about to open fire, 7-year-old Alexis Goggins lunged from the back seat of the SUV and threw herself across her mom, crying, 'Don't hurt my mother!'"

"Alexis is learning-disabled and lags behind other youngsters her age. As a result, police say it may never be known whether Alexis meant to shield her mother from the bullets with her body. But Parker said that if her daughter hadn't put herself in between, 'I really don't know. We might have been dead.'"

"In addition to losing her right eye, Alexis was shot in the chin and jaw. Several days after the shooting, the little girl, her face horribly swollen and wrapped in bandages, stirred and squeezed her mother's hand."

What a brave little girl. I know that sounds trite, what with a new hero every week, but seriously, seven years old and saved her mother's life? You hear fairly regularly about people who risk their lives for their kids, but rarely is it the other way around- I can count on one hand the number of times I've read about a child saving the parent. This girl is a hero, and I hope that she is recognized with whatever medals and awards are available. I also feel sorry for her mother, who, if she is a decent human being and parent in any way, shape, or form, is certainly wishing with all her heart that she could take her daughter's pain away and bear it for her.

However, why exactly is it that it 'may never be known' if Alexis saved her mother intentionally? Because she had a stroke as an infant and is in a special education classroom, her heroism is somehow lessened?

The child screamed, "Don't hurt my mother," and shielded her mother's body with her own. She took not just a bullet, but multiple bullets for her mother. But because she has a learning disability, this fact is less clear than if she were a 'normal' child?

No seven year old, genius, special needs, both, or in between, is capable of thinking through the consequences of taking a bullet or several for his or her mother. But, clearly, this particular seven year old was capable of knowing her mother was in danger, and that she wanted to protect her. She was capable of articulating this verbally and capable of physically throwing herself across her mother to shield her.

The police should retract this disabilist statement, apologize, and honor this little heroine with the medal she deserves.
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Alexis's school just told me that there has been a fund set up to assist her family with medical expenses:

Alexis Goggins Hero Fund
c/o Comerica BankCampbell Elementary School
2301 E. Alexandrine Street
Detroit, MI, 48207-1463