Oops I Shouldn’t Have Said That!
As a child I lost my vision and am now registered blind. This was as a consequence of a blood clot on the brain. Being disabled I was shocked and angered to read about Colin Brewer, a councillor on Cornwall County Council who stated that “disabled children should be put down” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2285773/Collin-Brewer-resigns-saying-Disabled-children-cost-down.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490). Mr Brewer made the remarks to a representative of a charity for disabled children back in 2011. The lady to whom the remarks where addressed naturally complained to the Council and over 18 months later received an apology from Mr Brewer apologising for his remarks and stating that the remarks where not, in fact his views. His explanation (excuse) is that he had just come out of a heated council meeting during which the significant costs of supporting children with disabilities had been discussed and he was “still hot under the collar” following the discussions. Seeing the charity workker he gave vent to his anger which he now says was wrong. Not surprisingly Mr Brewer has now resigned although he is, apparently considering standing in May’s local elections. Good luck Mr Brewer, you will need it as the vast majority of decent ordinary people will, I’m sure vote for candidates other than yourself!
We all at times get angry and say things which we don’t mean and later bitterly regret having said, however the remarks of Mr Brewer are not in this category. In Nazi Germany disabled people (both children and adults) where exterminated by the authorities on the direct order of Adolf Hitler. The so-called T-4 Programme was carried out in secret, however news of it’s existence leaked out and (not surprisingly) even in Nazi Germany public revulsion was voiced by brave churchmen and other members of the community which lead to the Programme’s official suspension but it’s continued operation at an unofficial level. The Programme saw experimentation with the gassing of people with disabilities, a method later utilised by the Nazis in the Final Solution (the attempted extermination of European Jewery).
Mr Brewer’s belief that children who are disabled should be “put down” was put into horrific practice in Nazi Germany and this is why it is right that he has resigned. One does (as I said above) say things which are not meant during the heat of the moment, however there are certain remarks which no civilised person would make as it would never enter into their head to make them. Murdering disabled children falls into this category!
