deviousdiva – Thanks so much for sharing that link! I have so much work to do in recognizing ableism and I do agree – at least as far as my mind goes, I think that a lot of what I wrote about becoming an ally as far as race goes is very much true for the work I need to do to work against all forms of prejudice.

La Lubu – Um, yeah. Pretty much. As soon as people are together and *listen*, any argument for why they have to be separate, or why keeping them separate really does crumble.

Jill – You’re welcome! It’d been living in my brain for a while, so I was glad to get it out into words. And as long as there are places to link to, I shall always link:)

This post is Exhibit A for integration—-in the schools, in the neighborhoods, in the union halls, in the boardrooms. Everywhere. And the white folks who oppose it?

Are opposing because of the effect it has. When you are in an integrated environment, it alters your vision. Being face-to-face, skin-to-skin with other people—is intimate. It’s an opening from “I” and “thou” into “we”. And shit, can’t have that and keep the status quo, huh?

Yes, yes, yes.
If people could only get this, we would have many less barriers in the discussion of racism.

I was discussing over at misscripchicks blog (http://crip-power.com/2008/05/01/the-terp-from-helllll/) about ableism. I realised that I still have work to do on this issue and to my shame I see that I am doing the same you write about. Wanting people to teach me and making the discussion about me and my questions. It’s hard working on our own issues but we must.

Thank you for this post. I’ve been thinking a lot about this in relation to ableism.