Baron Samedi
02-13-2008, 07:27 PM
I thought I would share this with my Planet friends here.
My grandfather, whom I was very close to and spent a lot of time with on a regular basis, passed away on the morning of Super Bowl Sunday. It was not unexpected, but it is always a shock to lose someone close to you, no matter what their age or health is.
I just wanted to share with you all the passing of a true hero, in my eyes, so here are a few things about him...
He was very poor as a child. Both of his parents were dwarves, and as such there was no work for them, particularly in the depression. He used to go to the fish market and buy or dig out from the trash unwanted fish heads to take home so his mother could make stew. He used to go to the train yard and tracks to gather coal that had fallen so his family could have heat. He suffered a lot of painful abuse from his peers due to his parents' condition.
When the war came, he lied about his age to join the Army. He eventually served in the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. With the GI bill, he educated himself as an engineer, and worked on the Manhattan Project.
He got married and had 3 children, one of whom, my aunt, turned out to be mentally retarded (the term that was used). He was instructed by the social services to have her sent to a home, the infamous Walter Fernald State School for the handicapped. For those who don't know, back in the 50's and earlier, a handicapped child was considered an embarassment and ostracized. They would be sent away to these schools and forgotten, where they were often abused, both physically and mentally, and were the unwilling subjects of human experiments, volunteered by the state for these studies. Those who could not afford these schools often kept these children hidden in the basement, or the attic, and not allowed to come out if there was anyone around who might see them. They were generally not acknowledged by their own parents when the parents were asked about their children.
My grandfather brought her to the school, had a look around, didn't like what he saw, and took her home. She was raised by my grandmother and taught to cook, clean, do laundry, set the table, and basic household chores.
In the meantime, my grandfather was a founder of a group called the Association of Retarded Citizens, who fought for the rights of these persons, and for better treatment, and hellped establish support for people who wanted to raise their children at home, just like any other child. He helped fight for the right for these people to work, and be treated as human beings.
Today, my aunt has held the same job for 36 years, and lives in her own apartment, does her cooking, cleaning, shopping, and laundry. She has an assistant that helps her get through life, much like those who help the elderly in assisted living. She has an IQ that is too low to measure, has speech problems, and cannot drive, but she is friendly, social, has countless friends at her job, and is almost entirely self sufficient. She was one of the first to be given a chance at life like any other.
So, the next time you see a mentally handicapped person greeting you at Sam's Club, bagging your groceries at the store, or emptying trash or sweeping the floors, try and remember what these people used to be treated as, unwanted animals, to be shunned and ostracized.
That person you see is my grandfather's legacy. He changed our society. He made society realize that we have a responsibilty to treat those who have handicaps with human decency and respect. He fought for the rights they always deserved, but were never given, because they had no voice.
So, for all he did for me, in my life, and for the honorable and brave service to his country, and for his contribution to make us a better society, he will always be a hero to me.:bow: :party:
Thanks for your indulgence if you read all of this.
My grandfather, whom I was very close to and spent a lot of time with on a regular basis, passed away on the morning of Super Bowl Sunday. It was not unexpected, but it is always a shock to lose someone close to you, no matter what their age or health is.
I just wanted to share with you all the passing of a true hero, in my eyes, so here are a few things about him...
He was very poor as a child. Both of his parents were dwarves, and as such there was no work for them, particularly in the depression. He used to go to the fish market and buy or dig out from the trash unwanted fish heads to take home so his mother could make stew. He used to go to the train yard and tracks to gather coal that had fallen so his family could have heat. He suffered a lot of painful abuse from his peers due to his parents' condition.
When the war came, he lied about his age to join the Army. He eventually served in the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. With the GI bill, he educated himself as an engineer, and worked on the Manhattan Project.
He got married and had 3 children, one of whom, my aunt, turned out to be mentally retarded (the term that was used). He was instructed by the social services to have her sent to a home, the infamous Walter Fernald State School for the handicapped. For those who don't know, back in the 50's and earlier, a handicapped child was considered an embarassment and ostracized. They would be sent away to these schools and forgotten, where they were often abused, both physically and mentally, and were the unwilling subjects of human experiments, volunteered by the state for these studies. Those who could not afford these schools often kept these children hidden in the basement, or the attic, and not allowed to come out if there was anyone around who might see them. They were generally not acknowledged by their own parents when the parents were asked about their children.
My grandfather brought her to the school, had a look around, didn't like what he saw, and took her home. She was raised by my grandmother and taught to cook, clean, do laundry, set the table, and basic household chores.
In the meantime, my grandfather was a founder of a group called the Association of Retarded Citizens, who fought for the rights of these persons, and for better treatment, and hellped establish support for people who wanted to raise their children at home, just like any other child. He helped fight for the right for these people to work, and be treated as human beings.
Today, my aunt has held the same job for 36 years, and lives in her own apartment, does her cooking, cleaning, shopping, and laundry. She has an assistant that helps her get through life, much like those who help the elderly in assisted living. She has an IQ that is too low to measure, has speech problems, and cannot drive, but she is friendly, social, has countless friends at her job, and is almost entirely self sufficient. She was one of the first to be given a chance at life like any other.
So, the next time you see a mentally handicapped person greeting you at Sam's Club, bagging your groceries at the store, or emptying trash or sweeping the floors, try and remember what these people used to be treated as, unwanted animals, to be shunned and ostracized.
That person you see is my grandfather's legacy. He changed our society. He made society realize that we have a responsibilty to treat those who have handicaps with human decency and respect. He fought for the rights they always deserved, but were never given, because they had no voice.
So, for all he did for me, in my life, and for the honorable and brave service to his country, and for his contribution to make us a better society, he will always be a hero to me.:bow: :party:
Thanks for your indulgence if you read all of this.