I just had to comment on a story I read online while searching for news on the actress who is leaving Monk. Monk is one of my favorite shows on TV- one of the most well written series ever, in my mind. It seems the actress who plays Monk's nurse/friend/sidekick won't be returing for anymore episodes. No idea if the show will even survive with such a dramatic change of the entire storyline, but who knows.
Anyhow, I found this article here from some online disabilities magazine, where the woman is arguing that Monk should be allowed on the police force and that the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) makes it illegal to deny him a spot on the force. Of course, this is absurd...a man who can't shake your hand without having an anxiety attack surely should not be allowed to carry a gun and walk the streets as an officer.
People that support this sort of stuff annoy me. I suffer from depression, anxiety, and social anxiety- and it has affected my life in very dramatic ways. I don't whine tho. I don't complain...I don't demand that I be treated in the same manner that everyone else is. I know there are things I cannot do- things that would be impossible for me, and I accept that. I embrace it. I don't want to live in a world where everyone demands to be allowed to do everything- even if they have disorders that ultimately make it impossible to do these activities. I want to live in a world where people with disorders are strong and take life into their own hands and make of it what they can.
I replied to the person who wrote the article, and I pasted that reply below.
I think people with disabilities- people like me- shouldn't whine and complain...no bitching and moaning about not being able to do this, and not being allowed to do that. No matter what the all positive- all the time people want to tell you- the word DISabilities means just that...you don't have all the abilities someone else might have. You might other abilities that others are lacking, and you can use those in life to make the world a better place. But, if you can't walk, you can't realistically become a bike messenger, and if you have the constant problems Monk has- you can't ride around in a police car and serve the people and fight crime. Sure, he's brilliant as a detective, but if he were on the force- that's a totally different story, and it's nothing something he would do. It's time people embrace their disabilities and find the abilities they do have- abilities that will ultimately allow them to live better and fuller lives.
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my reply to the article's author:
First off, I have anxiety, OCD- a bit, and social anxiety...so, I can understand what the character is going thru.
Much of the ADA is a joke...it's much too far reaching, and allows people to get into positions where they have no business- it seems they made the laws in a way where they wouldn't offend anyone. All people, especially people who have disabilities like this (like me!) need to buck up and be a bit stronger. Such is the case with Monk. If we allowed a man to serve and protect who couldn't even shake your hand without immediately needing a wipe, do you really think we'd be in a good position? Of course his disorder makes it where he can't do the job. If you're scared to death of milk, I surely don't want you carrying a gun and chasing criminals! If your job is to catch a criminal on the run, and a mere mud puddle gets in your war and stops that from taking place- I don't want you in a job where you're supposed to help people and keep us all safe!
We cannot whine and demand that everyone accept us in any position in life...because there ARE some things we just can't do. No one in their right mind would trust a man who has the problems Monk has with a gun, protecting us from the bad guys. I, for one, would be scared to death if he were a cop in my city! If a mere mud puddle could stop an officer from apprehending a criminal- don't we think that's enough to keep him OFF the force?
I wouldn't expect someone to hire me for a position where I'd have to do a lot of public speaking, and do well at it or make the company look bad...and I surely wouldn't expect any law enforcement agency to be forced to hire a man who can't even walk down the street without stopping at every street light to touch it and count it.
Posted by Josh at September 1, 2004 11:38 PM | TrackBack