Pride goes before a fall

The Disability Alert advocacy program has changed. We find ourselves less in front of a computer screen and more in front of people. We have been out in the street handing out Disability Quick Facts sheets and talking to people.

The friendliness and civility of Islanders is always refreshing. Even politicians who are less than anxious to deal with the disability issue have been cordial to friendly, all except Chester Gillan. Chester has been rude, in-civil, sarcastic and a contrast to almost everyone else.

I should qualify that: we tend to meet one person at each political rally who dislikes us, curses and berates us. Amazingly, the man who was rude in Tignish is quite friendly now.

Most Islanders we meet know about the problems of disability and are supportive. Many of the government members are supportive. Not just cordial, they engage in discussion about the issues and say they want see things improved. Dave Blacquiere told me he supports more help for the disabled.

The Premier is cordial most of the time we meet him. He always takes a handout, like the Quick Facts, or the National Post Wikipedia Story, or Graham Burke’s story in the Eastern Graphic.

Mildred Dover always refuses the handout and frowns. What a grouch!

And Chester, smiling wanly putting on the brave face and refusing every hand out. He needs to read some of this stuff but nope, too proud. Doesn’t it say “Pride goes before a fall” somewhere? Yes, in the Bible the book of Proverbs says that.

Chester usually says something sarcastic but I forget to put my hearing aid in. Or he grins and touches his head. What does that mean? He thinks I’m “teeched”? Oooh, bad Chester not supposed to make fun of the mentally disabled. This is not your Grade 6 schoolyard where the disabled were ridiculed.

If you’ve read Disability Alert before you might ask: isn’t it obvious he would dislike you. You pick on him constantly. That’s a valid point. However, we only pick on him because he picks on us. Chester is responsible for a considerable amount of misery for any Islander with a disability who is unlucky enough to need DSP. Speaking personally I find Chester’s prevarication, obfuscation and procrastination on disability issues to be more than a provocation to public exposure.

However, we are still all Islanders and civility is always best.