How words can affect us

I write this article in relation to the recent dramatic incidences in our local blogsphere (including Singapore). This incident started off with Miss XiaXue commenting on handicapped toilets (read the article here) which sparked cries of outrage from people around as well as the handicapped community including our very famous Peter Tan.

Recently (on Monday), Miss XiaXue then posted again about people complaining to her sponsors about her actions which resulted in them pulling out their endorsements. She then replied by saying plenty of stuff which I can't be bothered to post it up but you can read it all here. Instead I shall take snippets from it and illustrate more on the issue. Miss Xiaxue defended herself by stating that disabled people can get away even though they know that they are wrong.

When this certain man wrote his emails to Localbrand, Kimage, and Voxy, he KNEW what he was doing.

When Turodrique asked him why he was doing this (ie trying to harm my income), guess what his reply was?

"Because it always works."

(Work to what, destroy people's lives? No shit Sherlock, I almost couldn't believe your daring honesty.)

He knows, because he is a physically disabled person, he stands an advantage in everything he does and says. He knows that he is never wrong, or that people will never dare say he is...

To me personally that is really hitting it below the belt. As if it is not bad enough that they are disabled but to even generalize them in such a way is not a very good move. Furthermore, she added,

I always thought that the physically handicapped will have a sense of pride even stronger than the average person, and this is something I have always admired in them. Their will to live far exceeds those physically abled, and because they constantly get unwanted pity, they are even more bent to prove themselves; prove that they can also live their lives normally, like everyone else.

But this man has proven me wrong.

Instead of picking up his pride, he exploits his disability to the fullest extent, to get things working for him; and to harm others - who are not allowed to have a different opinion from him.

Not only did he write to Voxy, Kimage, and Localbrand in an attempt to stop them from endorsing me, and hence stop my livelihood, he also CC-ed all the disabled charity organisations in his email... His purpose? I can only guess he was trying to get to the media and shame me as well.

Maybe her loyal fans might agree with her but to one who is trying to fairly judge the situation, I believe her statement above would seemingly add proof that she is rather insensitive. Yes freedom of speech and all that but to hit out on the handicapped, then generalizing them? But I have something to say about the last line. Peter doesn't have to write the letter to get the media, you do it all by yourself in your own blog. Only a self centered person who thinks that everyone elses lives revolves around theirs would believe so.

In all honesty, this situation actually speaks for itself. The public will always have differing opinions and situations like this will never be solved because we live in an imperfect world where no one is perfect except for the one person who walked this earth 2000 years ago. Even then when the people wanted to stone a prostitute or an adulterer, He said, "Let those without sin cast the first stone". So, I myself am not perfect in any way therefore what right do I have to come and judge someone for their own wrong doing.

People can comment all they want about how bad other people can be and how insensitive some bloggers might be but remember to remove the plank out of our own eyes before we start trying to remove a speck of dust out from other people's eyes.