By Ophelia Dixon, ContributorWHAT DO we see when we look at persons who are different from us? Do we just see the difference or do we see the contributions they make to the society in which we live?
These are a few of the questions I asked myself after witnessing the cruel act of a 'gentleman' rounding up some mentally ill persons in the town of Sav-la-Mar.
This 'gentleman' had them walking in a neat line, hanging on to each other's shirt or dress. There was an elderly man at the front of the line whom he referred to as John. John was going too slowly for his likes and much to the amusement of all who witnessed this atrocity, he broke a switch from a nearby tree and began to hit the person nearest to him.
There were students and adults along the road and they laughed at his antics. I was outraged. Never have I felt such indignation at such barbarianism. I asked the driver of the taxi in which I was travelling to go slowly so I could talk to the man. He did and I told him -- rather demanded -- that he stop hitting the people as if they were animals. (By the way I also get angry at seeing animals ill treated. I especially love dogs and all baby animals -- even pigs.)
The man took one look at me, snarled something and continued to drive his "herd". By this time my taxi had to speed up in order to avoid a build up of traffic so I was unable to say what happened to the unfortunate people who had the audacity to be "sick in their heads".
What did the people who witnessed this act find so funny? This takes me back to my earlier questions. What do we see? We as a nation need to treat our people well. Who knows, they might have been among those persons who built the community in which we live.
It is certainly not a crime to be sick, but that is exactly how we treat the unfortunate sick person, especially if he/she is mentally ill. I'm appealing to parents, as part of your children's education take them to see the people who are less fortunate than they are -- whether it is the mentally or physically challenged. Help your children to realise that they too can make a contribution to our society by either taking care of the indigent or just plain leaving them alone -- don't stone them or curse at them.
Finally, a warning to the cruel and inhumane, remember the old saying, "once a man twice a child?" A word to the wise is sufficient.
