December 30, 2003
Resignation Superman
Christopher Reeve annoys me. In fact, Christopher Reeve annoys a lot of people with disabilities. This essay critical of him made me laugh. It's crude but honest and to-the-point. A few years ago, a local nonprofit rehabilitation center paid Reeve an ungodly amount to come to Minneapolis to accept one of its annual awards given to people with disabilities. This move caused quite an uproar within the disability community here because many felt that Reeve spent too much time advocating for increased research funding (more specifically, a cure for spinal cord injuries) rather than advocating for the services and supports that people with disabilities need in their daily lives. It's safe to assume that Reeve's philanthropy probably extends no further than his own self-interest. That doesn't really bother me. What bothers me is that lots of people view him as a spokesman for all things disability-related. There are many people out there who are passionate and eloquent champions of disability rights, but Reeve gets all the attention because he's an actor. And not even a terribly good one at that. I do hope Reeve finds the cure he's looking for, but I also wish he'd be a little more honest about his motives and a little more open to dialog with the rest of the disability community.
Have you hidden your almanac yet? I committed mine to memory and then ate it. And someday, after every almanac has been burned, I'll recount the whole thing to a new generation of knowledge-hungry subversives. It will be just like Fahrenheit 451, except really, really boring.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at December 30, 2003 08:27 PM
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