HS makes student with Down syndrome and autism remove varsity letter

I'll do whatever the hell I like, pal, and one of the things I won't do is take direction from the guy who loves defending the status quo in a condescending manner. Just go get your grill ready for the Blue and White game and let the adults talk adult shit.

 

He still thinks he's right about Penn State, ya' know? Three and a half years and he's still right, and everrrryyyyyyone else is fucking wrong.

 

And you've been a liar about that for about three years now. So we'll just shut that down here. Your go-to move is a lie.

You could use some direction, but you're too dense to hear it.

 

I don't think this is remotely close to "everyone gets a trophy." The bar is set at a certain height for non-special needs kids to earn a varsity letter. Is it fair for a kid with special needs to have to reach that same bar in order to be recognized for his contribution to the team? It's not like the special needs kid is sitting at home with nothing to do and one day decides he wants a letter. This kid participated in some of the athletic programs at the school, not by scoring 30 points per game, or scoring touchdowns, but in other ways. His bar should be set a little lower because of his disabilities.
The "everyone gets a trophy" approach is designed for kids who are physically and mentally able to perform like the others, but are still socially immature, bored, or don't give a crap and are only playing because mommy and daddy signed them up.

 

Boy if that's not the pot calling the kettle black, coming from a person who covers themselves in pomposity and smarm regularly.

 

Thank goodness someone is here to stick up for the poor varsity athletes whose accomplishments were being diminished by the developmentally disabled kid wearing a letter jacket.

 

Oh, hell, your heart is bleeding all over my browser.

Your pity gifts are not what these young people need. You're just trying to make yourself feel like you're enlightened.

 

Shotty, serious question(s): What do you expect? Do you want a message board in which no one is ever challenged? Can you imagine a board where post after post after post is just different people saying the same thing? Wouldn't that be a colossal bore? ThomsonONE is more than welcome to plead his case. I happen to think it's a stupid case, but plenty of people around here think some (many?) of the arguments I make are stupid. That's what happens when different people congregate in a place. If the choice is hearing arguments I don't agree with from time to time and having the opportunity to refute/debate/ignore them or being involved in a kumbaya circlejerk in cyberspace, I 'll take the former every time. You're right that some people use their anonymity to be dicks, but why does that surprise you? When has debating issues/arguing beliefs ever been easy, even in person? Again, if you don't like what someone says ever being challenged, I'm sure there are places like that out there. But good God does that sound boring as fuck.

 

So what is it that these young people with Down's Syndrome and autism need?

 

Well, you stated the problem, and you tried to defend it. I'll give you that.

If being met with snark, passive-aggressive comments and accusations at the first sign of dissent is your idea of a good time, then yes, you've found your Camelot. And if you like the challenges being presented without name-calling, yes, there are other places like that.

I wouldn't make the mistake of thinking that the former style of discourse makes this place any edgier or smarter.

 

Perhaps the snark comes from the fact that you're beating a dead horse and picking the worst possible threads upon which to do it. All your hand-wringing and complaining about the same thing over and over and over makes you an easy target. Instead of complaining about the "attacks," try defending yourself. You don't have to be the wounded gazelle on every thread.

 

the idea a that there wasn't snark and attacks when this board was at its best is lunacy.