Cross posted at Rage against the Coalition
Disability hate crime figures for 2009 - 1,402.
That's 1,402 separate occasions where people have suffered simply because they are disabled.
Call me whatever you want but I believe this figure will rise in the next dew years. The ConDem government and the right wing press label us as scroungers. No matter what the condition is, we have been targeted.
Inflammatory headlines in the Sun and the Daily Mail scream at people that we are undeserving, feckless and work shy.
So I don't feel very confident that those already predisposed to look down their noses at us will see through the propaganda.
After all, the headlines have been screaming about immigrants and the level of race crime has risen.
So I fully expect the number of disability hate crime to rise too. I only hope that I am wrong.
Source
Campaigning against the government's distressing war on disabled benefit claimants. All posts represent the opinions of their respective authors and not WtB as a whole.
There seams to be more and more understanding coming about towards disability throughout all this. And there's more hate going towards this coalition i can't see it holding parlament for the long term.
ReplyDeleteMore and more people are seeing the story's of the sufferers like never before as we all put our penny's worth in.
It's a shame that MIND and other Mental Health charity's have decided to follow the coalition in all this. Starting to wonder if they have been bribed by further funding or some thing in those lines.
What about all the hate crimes that aren't reported, all those that are treated as ordinary crimes and all those that are treated as general antisocial behaviour?
ReplyDeleteI am more and more wary of using my disabled bus pass because of the looks I get and if people mention work, I make a vague comment that relates to some voluntary work I do ("I work in the voluntary sector") or say that I retired early, hoping I look old enough, rather than admitting to being on benefits.
I have noticed an increasing hostility in our local neighbourhood forum towards disabled and mentally ill people living in sheltered accommodation. They're not wanted. Sick and disabled people aren't wanted.
We are made to feel we are not wanted. What to do?
ReplyDeleteI have already been targeted - The local 'oiks' are busy attacking my home with snowballs daily at the windows. I also was 'moved on' when needing to sit down and silently sitting alone in a closed cafe in the town mall, and another young lad kicked my stick out from under me when I last went to town at Christmas. this is why I stay indoors all the time!
ReplyDeleteThe vitriolic hatred perpetuated by this government(labour are not much better) and the right wing press, towards the sick and disabled is ignorant prejudice.They should be held to account for inciting hate crimes.Things have got worse for me in the last few months.Rude comments shouted and hit with trolly's when I go shopping cos I am not moving fast enough. Like your other commentator, I stay indoors as much as possible as it is such hard work going out and I am scared of being knocked over by people.
ReplyDeleteI just read this post http://politicsandthecuts.blogspot.com/2010/12/letter-to-ed-miliband.html
ReplyDeleteWhat a FANTASTIC letter! I couldnt have written better myself (I cannot post on that site as it doesnt allow anon and I dont have any of the wotsits it allows) I aplaud the writer and think she should send it to Cameron himself (Not tat he would give a rats badoodah but...)
Thanks Anon. I hadn't realise my settings were excluding anonymous comments, I have adjusted it now. Glad you like it!
ReplyDeleteSadly 1,402 is probably a gross underestimate. I know I didn't report the three drunks standing in a pub doorway who shouted across the street that I was a benefit fraud and they were going to call the DWP about me (apparently some people think going to the bank one afternoon is incompatible with being disabled). What was the point in reporting them when I couldn't have identified them and all the evidence points to the near impossibility of getting Plod to understand that, yes, things like that are hate crimes.
ReplyDelete