Posted on 08/04/2005 7:17:34 PM PDT by Aliska
DAVENPORT --- A developmentally disabled man riding the Ferris wheel Tuesday at the Mississippi Valley Fair in Davenport slipped out of his car and dropped between the wheel's spokes before being rescued by six employees of Evans United Rides, which operates the ride.
Caleb Hill, 31, a slightly built man, was one of 120 clients of Davenport's Handicapped Development Center attending the first day of the fair called "Special Needs Day" at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds. He was not seriously injured.
The dramatic incident was captured live by KWQC-TV6 in Davenport during its noon telecast, where the station was located to do a live report on the opening day of the fair.
(Excerpt) Read more at wcfcourier.com ...
Leni
Thank you for the great explanation.
We saw parents putting a handicapped young boy on the roller coaster at Astroworld in a seat by himself. We had just ridden the coaster and I could not wait to get off of it as it felt like I was in the middle of a car wreck.
After walking away, I went back to mention that the ride had been really hard on me and that it might hurt him - but they were all loaded. I sure hope he did ok.
The intent is wonderful - to give these people access to the fun regular people enjoy - since they miss so much. But, sometimes it fails.
In England, someone with muscular dystrophy is a "Spastic", and celebrities raise money for spastic research without a second thought. I tend to side with Apple on this one. As soon as I get used to referring to a segment of society by one term, the PC crowd moves the goal posts. I'm tired of being guilted by Socialists. If he is so severely retarded that he needs constant care, what's wrong with the term?
May God forbid me but I just can't stop laughing! Evil journalist worded it this way on purpose.
They used to be mostly locked into institutions where we didn't have to see them . . . where they were often abused . . .
My daughter worked for a time, as does another woman I know, working with these people, trying more to "mainstream" them, taking them out for awhile, and it is pitiful what some of them are like. As my mother used to say, "But by the grace of God, there go I." And yes, there was some kind of street incident a couple years ago. Bad things happen to all kinds of people. Off the soapbox now, but if we are pro-life, I guess we'd better put our money where our mouth is, and I would not have the patience to work with these people day after day. You can only imagine what parents who are trying to raise them go through.
I'm kind of shocked they'd put a handicapped boy on a roller coaster, you'd think one of them would have gone with. I've only ever ridden one of those mini ones, never had the courage to get on the really wild ones.
Yes, sometimes it does fail, and it is more government-funded programs, but I can't find it in my heart to criticize it unless they misuse the funds allocated to them.
I can't help thinking, percentage-wise, that there are more severely handicapped people now than when I was growing up, but that could be because they had to live in an alternate world, and I just remembered being taught by my parents not to stare at them or make fun of them when we did see some out in public. I think I said something like, "Daddy, what's wrong with that guy" (within his and the parents' earshot).
I hope the little boy was ok. You carried the memory of that evidently for a long time, your concern for him. Now the man can snag some well-paying gigs as a Ferris wheel safety spokesperson (MinuteGal)
The carnival worker said in all his about 40 years like this (may have been a slight exaggeration; he looked about late 40's or early 50's), he had never seen anything like this particular thing. Sometimes we (I kind of have done sometimes) tend to look down on them, he said he wouldn't want to do anything else, and sure got his 15 minutes of fame. He definitely risked his life for that person. I doubt any PhD's would have climbed that wheel. Just rescue squad people and one carnival worker who got there first.
Yeah, the handicapped young man got more than his 15 minutes. I hope they don't exploit him for it.
May God forbid me but I just can't stop laughing! Evil journalist worded it this way on purpose. (Mrs. Shawnlaw)
I can't laugh about any of it, but sometimes things do strike me as humorous when they don't warrant it, so I don't put you down for it. Maybe the reporter is a novice (it's not the NYT here and it's a paper probably about 80 miles away) so I'll cut her some slack, too. I had to google to even find it so I'd have a link, and it's been a top story here. She probably got incomplete info anyway.
Tried to respond to several in one post. In retrospect, I suppose it could turn into tragedy putting some handicapped people on a merry-go-round or bumper cars.
Personally, I outgrew all that stuff when I got horribly nauseous on that bullet thing or whatever it was in a shopping mall. Don't think I've gone on a ride since.
< Retard is just the shorthand for the next to last previously favored phrase, "mentally retarded", >
I disagree. I find "mentally retarded" and "retarded" acceptable. We all used those years ago in polite conversation. I still use them and I get the evil eye for it. I hate being PC.
"Retard", however, is used to make fun of the mentally retarded. "Retard" is used to hurt. There is a difference.
his do good liberal handlers do everything they can to help those with special needs do things that everyone else is able to. accidents happen to those with and those without special needs!
have you ever had the pleasure of getting to know someone with a disability? by your comment, i would guess not. and by your comment i would guess that you are a very ignorant person
what? should they all be locked in padded rooms and kept away from society??? accidents happen to EVERYONE!!!!!!! don't judge someone who you don't even know!
thank you!
My daughter voted for Bush, and if her life history known, she would make good liberal propaganda. She herself needs help, and the libs haven't helped her worth s***, which is just as well because I'm trying to help her see that being successful in life is not a measure of your real worth.
Count your blessings my friend.
No judgment on the afflicted, and its just a darned shame s/he has the malady, but common sense must prevail over reckless "compassion".
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