Questions have been asked today: "Are you still here?" Six times. "Are they serving dinner yet?" Twice.
And "Who made thalidomide?" Flummoxed...!
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Ben
Lecturing
About Me
- prisonerben
- United Kingdom
- Previously known as "one of Britain's best known prisoners...he constantly questions authority and exposes the futility of the system" The Times, Ben was finally released from prison after 32 years in August 2012. Pleading guilty to the murder of a friend when he was 14 years old, he renounced violence and fought for the recognition of the inherent dignity of all human beings. As a result of speaking truth to power, he served far longer than the recommended 10 years, leading Education Secretary Michael Gove to argue that he had "been punished excessively for a crime committed as a child". One of the more intellectual of prisoner-campaigners, Ben chose to educate himself from schoolboy level to having both undergraduate and post graduate degrees. He is currently one of very few prisoners in Britain ever to attempt a Doctorate. Ben's speciality is non-violent action and the Human Needs Theory. Now on Life Licence, He is forging a career as a CJ policy consultant, writer and - as ever - campaigner.
Thalidomide was around during my birthday; my cousin's mother almost took the drug during his pregnancy; and there were two thalidomide kids at our comprehensive. In the days prior to 'victim support' they did fine, with their dexterous feet.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if in today's climate of victim bureaucracy, similar kids would be permanently dependent, and completely incapacitated in perpetuam. With their only function being to aid and abet the 'support' quango they find themselves grafted to?
No, they wouldn't have been similarly dependent. I have met many people with equally or more so disabled as the unlucky victims of thalidimide, and they are not "dependent" on the system in any way. They may make use of the support mechanisms in place (to varying degrees depending on need) but all of them were independent and capable people.
ReplyDeleteNo Peace for ... the wicked of course :)
ReplyDeleteand; No Jusice No peace!
Take care Ben.
Jimmy Giro, You have a very sorry opinion of your fellow humans. You can't be very happy much of the time. I pity you.
ReplyDeleteYou should get out there and meet some of the children growing up with disabilities today, you might be less disparaging (patronising? ignorant? rude?) of them and their efforts if you actually got to know a few.
Tut tut JimmyGiro, you're using Ben's blog to promote your own right wing ideology, another one for the thought police Anonymous, fair's fair now
ReplyDeleteA german company - Grunenthal - to answer your question Ben
ReplyDeleteOne of my best friends is affected by thalidomide, and a more self reliant, independent person you could ever wish to meet,gifted with such creativity. She is a gilder and restorer, doing such delicate, precise work, all the more admirable as she has only one 'normal' hand, the other being afflicted with this terrible man made disability.
ReplyDelete