While this
topic has divided opinions, for me, what I was struck by most was that the
fortnight before it took place; he was surprising a fan who was born with the
same condition as his by turning up to join her at one of her training sessions…Little
did she or the rest of the world know that a fortnight thereafter he’d be
remanded in custody awaiting to stand trial for murder.
So upon
hearing this news in the first place, my heart immediately went out to this
little girl and her family because I’m sure that she’d been knocked for six
over this but I’m resting assured that her family is supporting in the best way
that they can.
My
understanding of the blogs (which I’m responding to) is that there have also
been a lot of questions surrounding the perception of one’s personality
characteristics adopted from malpractice versus whether, if at all, there’s any
correlation whatsoever between a person’s disability and the likelihood of
violence and/or criminality tendencies that may impend on them if they were to
break the law by making life-changing and “unfathomable” choices.
Please note
that there’s a difference between being someone’s fan from the start and/or
forever and/or seldomly knowing and/or becoming a fan of theirs upon hearing
their name somewhere, so I’ll therefore respond to it from this angle – for me,
I’m taking Melissa’s side on this because I feel and believe not everyone with
a disability is susceptible to criminality and/or violence, nor should it
influence public opinion. I do believe that Oscar Pistorius is first and
foremost a human being and should be treated like one because based on what
I’ve personally read and heard, I do feel this is and was simply a case of
“mistaken identity” (until proven otherwise) and my heart equally also goes out
both the families of his and Reeva Steenkamp’s as I write this.
I completely
agree with Melissa’s viewpoint because for someone like Stella (whom Mellissa
is opposing) who is big advocate for disability rights, it seems that her
judgment “gloves” come off when it comes to “law-related human invincibility
gone wrong” as noted in this quote of:
“We are ill-prepared to cope with the idea of a disabled man
charged with murder.”
Which I
hereby feel serves as a double-standard for Stella who is such a passionate
advocate for equality. He is a man yes and he has a disability yes but does or
should his disability influence public opinion? My feeling is that his
disability should never play a role in our perception of him.
Conclusively
I would argue rather that the reason Oscar as fallen so far was because we had
him so high up on the social pedestal, that the hero has become the villain,
that is why this case is so captivating.
You’re
welcome to formulate your own opinions on the story on this link:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-19/young-oscar-pistorius-and-an-unfathomable-crime/4527424
Written by Maria Makhoul
Written by Maria Makhoul
