EDITORIAL- ATTACKS ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

There have been a recent disturbing trend in the news- attacks on people with disabilities.

Today it was reported that a group of kids in the Germantown section of Philadelphia were seen mocking, taunting and physically attacking a mentally challenged man. The teenagers harassed the man, then proceeded to physically assault him.The actions were caught on a survalance camera.

Just last week a 28-year-old man from Southern Chester County was arrested for verbally and physically abusing a man with cerebral palsy outside of a West Chester Wawa.

Also, caught on camera, the assailant is seen going up to the victim exiting his car and mocking his shaky gait. Upon coming out of the store, the man was again taunted and teased before the assailant suck-punched the disabled individual with a blow to his face.

The assailant was arrested, but he fled the area after making bail. He was re-arrested today in Exton. He has a history of troubles with the law.

All of this comes on the heels of the story which went viral earlier in the year, when a group of young people verbally and physically assaulted another mentally challenged man in Chicago, a shocking 3 hours of abuse which was streamed live on Facebook.

Those individuals were arrested and are awaiting their trial.

So, what's up with all of this violence and hostility towards the disabled?

In the case of the young adult abusers, i think it's a case of no respect. The disabled are seen as easy targets for bullying. The Chicago Facebook incident was yet another extremely stupid idea of kids wanted to show-off and become famous-or in this case, infamous- by beating up on an innocent, helpless individual.

These kind of assailants prey on the weak and helpless, similar to those sick individuals who abuse animals.

Regarding the 28-year-old in West Chester, he should be old enough to know better than to mock and strike an individual with a visible disability. Regardless if the punk was on drugs, was drunk or was just plain an angry loser, there is no excuse for such behavior in society.

Hopefully, all of these individuals are not slapped on the wrist, fined and left to do it again in the future. Bad behavior should warrant the appropriate consequences, whether it's jail-time or in the case of the minors, community service plus some sort of other punishment such as in-house arrest.

People with disabilities are more visible in society than ever before, at the workplace, in schools and in the media. With that increased visibility comes more attention, and sometimes  in a negative way. Bullying as been an issue against people with disabilities forever. I know that well.

More education is needed, starting early in schools and with families. Teaching kids what's right and what's wrong at an early age, making sure they are not afraid of people with differences, and being more aware that bad behavior translates into accepting the consequences that goes with such behavior, are keys. Society needs to reinforce that such behavior is not acceptable.

For older assailants, community-service with people with disabilities- working in a hospital or nursing home, is the best possible lesson to hopefully influence a more positive attitude towards people with disabilities.

Sometimes people who just don't care can't be rehabilitated. Sometimes, unless you are in their shoes, people really don't know what it's like. There is a lack of empathy in society, but with more awareness and society overall condemning such stories, only then will change occur in our world.

Maybe then, the "do unto others as they would do unto you" philosophy will ring true for everyone.