Posted on 07/23/2006 4:00:15 PM PDT by krb
A cardboard sign hanging in a tree, directed at a boy with developmental disabilities, and the boy's mother, isn't happy.
Neighbor: "I'm not taking the sign down, last night was the first night of peace we've got in a long ----- time."
Carrie Heaton, Colton's Mother: "They've put up this sign now, that we feel is very discriminatory against my son."
The cardboard sign is hanging in a tree in the Central Utah town of Nephi.
It is also being denounced tonight by advocates for the disabled.
The boy's family noticed the sign pointed at their home on Wednesday night, and tonight it is still there. That's despite our visit to the neighbors who put it up.
Advocates for the disabled are outraged, calling it insensitive and in the same category as a racial slur.
Carrie Heaton, Nephi Resident: "You are a good guy."
Colton Heaton: "Yes I'm a good guy
Carrie Heaton, Nephi Resident: "Yes you are... Pats"
13-year-old Colton Heaton is developmentally delayed. His mother says he is more like a three year old.
Carrie Heaton, Nephi Resident: "He looks normal but once you start talking to him, you can see he has these problems and he's just a loving little guy, he thinks we're just a great big family."
But now a cardboard sign is hanging in their neighbor's tree -- spray painted with the words: "Caution-- Retards in Area." His mother says it is fortunate Colton can't read the words.
As we were filming the sign, we could see the neighbors who put it up were outside, so we approached them for their side of the story.
Sam Penrod, Eyewitness News: "Why did you put that sign up?
Neighbor: "I've been harassed for six months, my daughter has been assaulted."
Sam Penrod, Eyewitness News "By who?"
Neighbor: "The young boy, we got pictures and everything and they would not press charges because he is handicapped."
The neighbor claims Colton threw a rock at his young daughter. Other neighbors told us they have frequently found Colton wandering onto their property.
Still, the Disability Law Center says using offensive words is the wrong way to handle a difficult situation.
Fraser Nelson, Executive Director, Disability Law Center: "People with disabilities are probably the last group for whom we continue to use language that is hurtful and offensive. Instead of being someone who is mentally retarded, you are a person with a developmental disability and that means really what we are valuing is the person."
Tom Brownlee, Advocate for those with Disabilities: "When I was growing up, people always used that word in front of me and called me retarded."
Someone who knows how hurtful that word can be is Tom Brownlee, who today is an advocate for those with disabilities.
Tom Brownlee, Advocate for those with Disabilities: "I hate that word, it was very offensive and I just want them to see that people with disabilities deserve the respect that they are entitled to."
Both Brownlee and Nelson are hoping the community will stand up against any behavior that lessens the role of people with disabilities in society.
Fraser Nelson, Executive Director, Disability Law Center: "Regardless of cognitive disability I may have, I'm a person and people do not deserve to have signs pointed at them, making fun of them, scaring them, harassing them."
We contacted Nephi Police and they are working with the Juab County Attorney -- who told me tonight -- he finds it distasteful and derogatory and is researching what legal options may be available, since the neighbors still refuse to take the sign down.
The Disability Law Center is planning to meet with local officials to offer sensitivity training there in Nephi.
I don't know what to think. If the kid is really throwing rocks at their daughter, what are they supposed to do?
I hope they can get this situation figured out.
Only a Democrat would put up that sign.
Can you fix my title? It appears that I can't spell "retards"
Just dayum :-)
It's not like he can read.
Naturally, the govt is looking for a law to throw at the insensative neighbor, and ignoring the real problem: mom letting her "three year old" wander the neighborhood causing trouble.
I dunno, I know some pretty rude and crass Republicans. At least he isn't advocating violence against the child. What should he do?
LOL
When I read your comment on the title, I laughed assuming someone putting up the sign misspelled the word.
If his mother believes he functions as a three year old, perhaps she should corral him as any responsible parent would a three year old. Three year olds should not be out walking around the neighborhood by themselves. For his own good.
Hehehe...nope, that was all me. Well me plus this awful $10 "ergonomic" keyboard.
Who lets a 3 year old run around the neighborhood?
Parents with the mental capacity of a 6 year old???
What should he do?
Seriously, the only solution ( a poor one, BTW) is to move. There's no way the system will protect them against the retard.
You know I find it disturbing that this family claims to have proof of the harrassment their daughter received (pictures, etc...) and the police refused to press charges according to that family.
Then the director of an "ACLU-type" organization gets a hold of the media and all of a sudden they are trying to FIND laws that they can hurt the girls' family with because they hurt this boy and his family's feelings? Something is very wrong with this situation, IMHO. (I do think it was kinda wrong for the family to use the term "retard", but this is ridiculous...)
What good does the sign do? It is just an insult to the parents. The article doesn't specify exactly what the child did, so it is hard to know if they have a real reason to be angry. The sign is ugly and serves no point that I can see. If they were really trying to fix the situation, this would be the last thing they would do.
Having some experience with similar situations, I sympathize with the sign maker's feelings, but the sign is not the way to get the desired change.
It is a problem when a developmentally disabled persons starts to physically mature into an adult while their ability to a) control themselves and b) understand the consequences of their actions do not also develop.
Of course, nobody will DO anything until this young man injures someone and it will be a smaller child that pays the price for the parent's negligence in supervising their disable child properly.
Mrs Felis and I sometimes use a local trail to jog/walk/whatever. For a while there was a mentally disabled (is that OK?) kid bugging her. Kid in the "15 or so and big enough to hurt you" sense. It was kind of like when birds will "buzz" you if they get the urge.
Somebody else probably complained, because his parents are more diligent in watching him. However, it got kinda creepy while he was bugging her.
She didn't carry a sign saying "Retard in the area" though...
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