FanPost

On J-Man


I have been reading the comments in J-Man’s posts and I have remained silent on it. However, some of the comments there were so insulting, arrogant, presumptuous and bone-headed that I need to say my piece.

At first I felt bad when J-Man would post and someone would make a comment making fun of his typing. I felt bad for the person making fun of J-Man because in most of those cases, the person was unaware of J-Man’s condition. Well, maybe I didn’t exactly feel bad so much as I took pity on them not knowing about the situation. After reading some of the most recent posts by some folks about J-Man I have realized that ignorance is no longer an excuse.

Some guys mentioned that they didn’t care if J-Man had a debilitating condition and that he should be able to express himself clearly even if it took him more time and effort to do so. I will get to those claims later.

First I want to talk about ignorance. Sometimes being ignorant to something is simply not your fault. Sometimes it is most certainly your fault. Other times, being ignorant to something can be helped when one shows a little discretion. God forbid someone posts a Fan Post that someone else thinks doesn’t belong here. There is always someone who will make a sarcastic comment or to say something mean. Why? What purpose does this serve, other than to humiliate the poster or make them feel bad? If someone makes a mistake or they make a fan post that might be better off as a fan shot, why not just tell them like a civil human being that you are welcoming to the community?

DThomasReigns does it all the time. Being an ass pretty much never does any good. Talking to people with respect and a cool head usually does.

The problem, in my mind, isn’t so much that the people are ignorant to J-Man’s condition when they talk shit in his posts. It is that the people are so willing to be assholes. There is a seriously fine line between teasing and being a dick, especially on the net. There is no sarcasm font. People can’t always tell if you are joking. Whenever I think about giving someone shit on the boards, I always try to make sure they will know I am joking. If there is a question in my mind if they will, I usually don’t post it. Just stop and think. People who are mean for the sake of being mean are acting very small.

There have been a lot of lower quality fan posts as of late. There are a lot of new people on the board. These folks don’t know how things are typically done around here. They are simply trying to contribute. Instead of getting all hot under the collar about it and making an assholic comment why not just be cordial and fill them in on standard procedure. Link them to the welcome manual. Or just shut up until one of the moderators does it for you. The world is not going to end if someone posts a fan post that is not up to your standards. Chris and Joel have done a fantastic job with this blog. They will presumably be able to handle these things without people having bitchy internet showdowns on their blog.

As for the previously mentioned claims that J-Man should buck up and contribute like the rest of us, they are absurd. Here is a little information about Cerebral Palsy.

  • Cerebral palsy may involve muscle stiffness (spasticity), poor muscle tone, uncontrolled movements, and problems with posture, balance, coordination, walking, speech, swallowing, and many other functions.
  • Mental retardation, seizures, breathing problems, learning disabilities, bladder and bowel control problems, skeletal deformities, eating difficulties, dental problems, digestive problems, and hearing and vision problems are often linked to cerebral palsy.
  • The severity of these problems varies widely, from very mild and subtle to very profound.
  • Although the magnitude of the problems may wax and wane over time, the condition does not get worse over time.

Take a hard look at point number two! Forgive me for being presumptuous here J-Man. I do not intend to indicate that I think you have some mental retardation or a learning disability. My goal is to point out that, as someone with CP you COULD. Has anyone here asked J-Man if he has a learning disability to go along with his very fortunate gift of CP?

The mere fact that J-Man MIGHT have this problem makes demanding that his posts be at the same quality as those of us with fully functioning motor and cognitive abilities beyond absurd. It is stupid, small minded and ignorant. For this type of ignorance there is no excuse. Asking someone with a sever motor function disability to type as well as someone without this disability is ridiculous. Did anyone read the word “spasm” up there? It may take J-Man a very long time type out 4 sentences. How dare any of us demand he spend superfluous amounts of time trying to please us! Just to make his posts EASIER for us to read. Are you kidding me?

As for the suggestion that we should “treat J-Man like anyone else,” I would like to point out that J-Man is NOT like everyone else. J-Man has challenges that many of us do not have to deal with thus it is our responsibility, as thinking, feeling, intelligent adults to understand that there are things J-Man is and is not capable of. When an old man with a cane comes on the subway I don’t treat him like everyone else. I get the hell out of my seat and let him sit down. If he was a 20 year old guy in perfect health I would not have gotten up. I’m tired and that kids legs work fine. The old man’s does not. I don’t treat him like everyone else, I treat him with understanding and a modicum of kindness.

I find it difficult to believe that anyone who fails to understand J-Man’s situation has anything worthwhile to add to the discussion on this site. No matter how well they type. I suggest that those people buzz off and find another place to spread their bile. It is not welcome here.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arrowhead Pride's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Arrowhead Pride writers or editors.