Livre d'Or

There is quite a lot of controversy about what language is appropriate to use for discussing disability. In terms of talking about people, the obviously polite and ethical thing to do is to refer to people using the terms they prefer, and not impose other ones on anyone for any reason. But I'm quite often talking generically, or talking about a stranger whose preferences I don't know. ( discussion of appropriate and inappropriate language )

The gym has a whole bunch of TVs. I've not exactly been watching them, but occasionally glancing up at what's going on to take my mind off the boredom and discomfort of running on treadmills. Apart from renewing my appreciation of subtitles (because the gym is noisy, and in most cases there's no way at all to know what's going on unless decent subtitles are present), this is mostly reconfirming my decision not to bother getting a TV at home.

Anyway, one of the things that is occasionally on the screen at the time I'm working out is the soap Emmerdale. ( spoilers for a soap opera you almost certainly don't care about )

So a brave and much-admired gynaecologist was murdered in America, and lots of people are upset and frightened by this attack. May Dr Tiller rest in peace, and may all of you who are grieving or in shock find the best comfort you can.

( analysis of abortion rhetoric )

Note I'm not proposing that anyone should be forced to carry to term a baby she doesn't want. Please don't accuse me of taking that position! I'm saying that the people who are arguing so passionately in favour of abortion rights should select their arguments with care. Sometimes the pro-life side are accused of only caring about the life of pure innocent little unborn babies, but not actual living humans (and that accusation is certainly true in the case of the evil man who murdered Dr Tiller, and those extremists who encouraged him and are celebrating his action.) But at this stage in the debate, it's coming across as if some of the pro-choice side only care about the rights and autonomy of women who are young and healthy and able-bodied and neurotypical and preferably pretty and socially valued (and I have this sinking feeling that pretty is really a figleaf for "white, middle-class and sexually conservative").

Pretty much the only people I've seen addressing this issue are the wonderful Kay Olson and Wheelchair dancer. And that only in comments buried deep in a blog discussion. I want to add my voice to theirs, with a top level post, not that I have all that much traffic or prominence.

PS: I'm going to be pretty harsh about deleting comments that don't acknowledge people with disabilities as people. If you can't talk about people, not "tragedies" or "burdens" or "medical costs", please don't talk to me about this topic at all. And I don't particularly want to hear your personal views on the abortion debate in general either, because that's strongly missing the point of what I'm trying to say.