Obese/Handicapped? Or T-Rex bait?

Let me begin by disclaiming the fact that I am not politically correct.  Not even a little bit.  Political correctness seems to be a means of 'not offending' the greatest number of people and/or special-interest groups by completely neutering the content of your message; in my mind, akin to making a tomato soup without any seasoning (no herbs, garlic, salt, pepper, etc) - its still reddish liquid but its not really tomato soup.  Although I may not care for political correctness, I have a conscience and I do not  believe, ever , that it is appropriate to poke fun at people less fortunate than yourself...especially since all that separates 'you' from 'them' is most commonly circumstance.  

In short, say what you actually mean to say rather than what you think people will find palatable and don't tempt fate by espousing a pronounced lack of empathy for your fellow man.

ALSO - be aware that I have suffered limited mobility in the past and I know first-hand what it is like to not be able to do things on your own; I've been crutch and wheel-chair bound with broken lower extremities, I've cut off a thumb, had spinal surgery with a long recovery period and have broken numerous bones in my arms and upper body, etc.  Not all at once, mind you (but I do have an Aussie buddy who attempted to break all his bones in an avalanche in Japan a couple years back), but I know damn well what it's like to have physical limitations...

Having said all that, I'm going to go on a short rant about Handicapped accessibility in American society with specific reference to:
* reserved parking spots
* mobility scooters at big-box stores/malls

I live in the Czech Republic where a shocking number of 'disabled' or 'handicapped' people are fully mobile under their own power (no electric wheelchairs here) along with a significant population of self-sufficient blind people; all functional members of a modern society.  Compare this to the US where virtually every large supermarket has power-scooters for people who are too damned obese and/or lazy to walk around a store under their own steam while they are shopping for....more food.  Hmmmm.

Despite combined years of my life spend with some form of disability (I was also almost completely deaf until age 5, thank you), neither me nor anyone in my family has ever had a 'handicapped' parking sticker or tag.  What the hell is the purpose - if somebody is so 'handicapped' that they cannot make it more than the 8 feet from their car to a building, what are the doing as a licensed driver to begin with?  And if they are not driving and the vehicle is used by a relative, then why have a handicapped plate?  Lliving in NYC I can't tell you how many times a nice Mercedes or a big SUV whip across a parking lot into a handicapped spot and, voila!  Out jumps a 26 year-old guy with hat on backwards, talking on a cell phone.  Either way, the idea of reserved parking seems a bit "constructed to illustrate the humanity of society" rather than "functional".  Honestly, most of the people I have known who truly are 'disabled' tend to enjoy what limited autonomy they can achieve and often prefer to avoid using the 'handicapped' moniker whenever possible.  But, hey, what do I know.

There. I'm done.  But let me leave you with this thought:  If Americans all lived in Jurassic Park, there wouldn't be any obese/disabled people in society at all....they would become T-Rex and Raptor-bait, me among them.