There are events in life in which human compassion simply cannot ignore the utterly inhumane nature of perpetrator against victim. Abu Ghraib, Vietnam, the Holocaust, all of these events of torture and violence create the same kind of shudder and disgust that bubbles up from a core deep inside, that grips the heart and chills the soul.
Recently, The New York Times ran a feature on a 13-year-old autistic boy, Jonathan Carey, who was killed by a caretaker in New York in February 2007, in the back of a van by crushing asphyxiation: Basically, someone sat on his chest until he couldn’t breathe while taunting, “I can be a good king or a bad king.” Imagine the horror that poor innocent child must have felt being brutally punished for something he has had to live with his entire life while some sick, sadistic freak torments him and crushes him both mentally and physically — while the one person who could have saved him just watched from a rearview mirror in the front seat.
Being a relative of developmentally disabled siblings and a supporter of the Special Olympics and the special-needs community, this event horrifies me. This isn’t about just decrying this incident individually: This is about raising awareness about the state of our state care facilities for the mentally and developmentally disabled. As being a sibling of special-needs children, I cannot describe the pain and anger that would flow through me toward anyone that would tolerate this treatment toward my brothers or my sister, and neither should you. This also is not about just the autistic and special-needs community: This is about supporting a fellow minority group that many have seen fit to abuse and neglect simply for something they have no control over. Remind you of anything? I want this incident to be plastered everywhere, as well as all the failures that our state facilities for the disabled provide that seem to be tolerated, such as shoddy facilities, abuse, ineffective treatments and under-funding for the neediest under state care.
The LGBT community should raise hell about this. We should promote an alliance and bond between our friends in the special-needs and autism communities in return for their support of our rights. Please do not mistake me for pandering for increased support of our causes — this is out of human compassion and sympathy that should be afforded those who need it. Let it show that neither the LGBT nor the autism and special-needs community will not tolerate abuse of any kind for any reason, whether it be of mental handicap, sexual orientation or gender identity, and action will be taken against violators to the full extent of the law and will be ostracized by both communities. I want this story and others like it to be run as much as possible. I want more people to be aware of this crisis happening in our mental-health institutions. The Special Olympics Foundation and Autism Speaks can be sure that they have a friend in Mr. Gay Philadelphia, and I encourage everyone to try to take time to help these groups any way they can, whether it be donations or volunteering time to interact with and witness the extraordinary lives and courage of these children and adults. You hurt one, you hurt us all.
— Dashiell Sears
Philadelphia