I think that a comment by Marianne Hancock ...

... deserves to be more than a comment:

I've experienced disablism for most of my life and feel obliged to challenge it whenever possible.I would also challenge any form of bigotry.

As a native of Wales I have also experienced ignorant anti-Welsh racism in recent years. This has inclined me to support nationalism especially since Leanne Wood became leader of Plaid Cymru. She is in favour of socialism, women's rights, anti-racist policies and impliedly disability rights as well.

Jac o' the North attended a rally I was at, and I can confidently state that he is a total idiot.  On a blog put up by Alwyn ap Huw, Jac o' the North referred to Pussy Riot as "slapper's", expressed delight that they were in jail and said he would like to live in an independent Welsh state based on Putin's Russia.

I was not surprised then that on his own blog he said something like 'I'm always glad to see little cripples getting out in the fresh air but how can we call them athletes? My impression of an athlete is someone who is physically perfect.' I groaned mentally and read no more. I hope it didn't get worse.

I don't want to defend him but you must remember that Jac o' the North is a moron.He's honestly oblivious to the offence he's causing. I'd like to think that he doesn't speak for anyone but himself.

I don't believe he is representative of Welsh nationalists but if he was, I'd have to revise my views. I'm happy for the UK to split up if the successor states provide liberty, justice and respect for all. But would it be worth preserving our separate cultures, languages and identities at the cost of living in a fascist state? Of course not.

Please don't judge the rest of us by him. I'd like to say 'Don't let this idiot upset you. He's not worth it'. But then, like all idiots, he's dangerous.

Marianne Hancock, Abergavenny

Thank you Marianne, you remind everyone that humanity crosses political and cultural boundaries and is not something to bring out of a closet every once in a while.

Since reading Marianne's comment I have read the pamphlet Disablism by Paul Miller, Sophia Parker downloadable from the Demos website, I commend it to every one that stumbles upon my thoughts.

Justice is a difficult road to travel.

... this week the FoS award belongs to Jac ...

... o' the North, who else would write of our Paralympic athletes in moronic terms bordering on the obscene.

You may not agree with me, try him for yourself here, ...

... for the record :

The charity Scope commissioned the pollsters ComRes to survey disabled people and their parents and carers last winter: 

46 per cent of respondents thought that attitudes towards them had worsened in the previous year; 

13 per cent thought they’d improved; 

76 per cent had direct experience of other people refusing to make adjustments to allow for their circumstances; 

73 per cent said that the assumption had been made that they didn’t work.

64 per cent had some experience of hostility or aggression.

The 2012 Paralympics can change the way people think about disability, somehow I think there might be a severe hill to climb when considering the bigots of Wales.

 

Returning to the FoS award, this is the man who looks towards an Independent Wales ........

...... much like the Third Reich I expect.