Tormented Lives
Posted in: Society
In a revealing and moving documentary, disability rights campaigner & confidante of the late Princess Diana, Rosa Monckton, exposes the reality of life for people with learning disabilities facing hate crime.We see people literally driven from their homes, individuals facing abuse and daily torment just because they have a disability. Rosa meets families undersiege in their own homes, and shows how the authorities often fail to respond effectively to the abuse they face. And she tries to help one tormented man, Christopher, in his battle to live independently as a respected and useful member of society.
September 23, 2011 at 6:14 am | Tamryn Louise
People are such assholes… as if being handicapped isn’t terrible enough. Disgusting.
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September 25, 2011 at 2:12 pm | Ella Saddington
Although the intention behind your comment is sincere, I have to say that being handicapped is terrible at all. Life and nature is about variety and a lot of beauty and brilliance comes from this too. I think that you should think about re-evaluating how your looking at the situation. Pity is offensive to those who love who they are and love being unique, as we all should.
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September 25, 2011 at 2:12 pm | Ella Saddington
Although the intention behind your comment is sincere, I have to say that being handicapped is terrible at all. Life and nature is about variety and a lot of beauty and brilliance comes from this too. I think that you should think about re-evaluating how your looking at the situation. Pity is offensive to those who love who they are and love being unique, as we all should.
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September 25, 2011 at 9:13 pm | Tamryn Louise
I think not being able to marry, have children and do whatever everyone else can do is a bit shitty. I’m not pitying anyone, but I know that not having the simple freedoms that the average person enjoys is entirely frustrating and unfair… and just because you’re okay with it doesn’t mean everyone else is. Just saying.
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September 25, 2011 at 9:13 pm | Tamryn Louise
I think not being able to marry, have children and do whatever everyone else can do is a bit shitty. I’m not pitying anyone, but I know that not having the simple freedoms that the average person enjoys is entirely frustrating and unfair… and just because you’re okay with it doesn’t mean everyone else is. Just saying.
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September 26, 2011 at 8:51 am | Marcvs Morot Nilsson
Who said you can’t get married if you’re handicapped?!
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September 26, 2011 at 8:51 am | Marcvs Morot Nilsson
Who said you can’t get married if you’re handicapped?!
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September 30, 2011 at 6:50 am | NAND Gate
lol no one. She must be confused.
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September 25, 2011 at 9:13 pm | Tamryn Louise
I think not being able to marry, have children and do whatever everyone else can do is a bit shitty. I’m not pitying anyone, but I know that not having the simple freedoms that the average person enjoys is entirely frustrating and unfair… and just because you’re okay with it doesn’t mean everyone else is. Just saying.
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September 23, 2011 at 8:20 am | NAND Gate
Bring it, vcx.
At least Rosa isn’t as insane as her elder brother Lord Monkeyton.
Good doco on the complex issue of disability rights.
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September 24, 2011 at 2:22 am | Tracy
I’m confused by the title. I understood learning disabilities to be things such as dyslexia, where people often have above average intelligence: http://www.ldac-acta.ca/en/learn-more/ld-defined.html The British definition must be different.
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September 25, 2011 at 10:04 am | NAND Gate
Confused. Title is “Tormented Lives” on my screen. You dont suffer from….?.nvm
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September 24, 2011 at 2:22 am | Tracy
I’m confused by the title. I understood learning disabilities to be things such as dyslexia, where people often have above average intelligence: http://www.ldac-acta.ca/en/learn-more/ld-defined.html The British definition must be different.
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September 24, 2011 at 2:22 am | Tracy
I’m confused by the title. I understood learning disabilities to be things such as dyslexia, where people often have above average intelligence: http://www.ldac-acta.ca/en/learn-more/ld-defined.html The British definition must be different.
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September 24, 2011 at 1:31 pm | Jamestoddblack
oh my god i want to be that guy’s friend so badly….
and i thought america was bad–england seems a terribly hostile place
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September 24, 2011 at 6:45 pm | Danlm2000
America may be a violent place to live in some areas, however this shocks me . In the USA some ignorant or young kids may snicker at handicapped people, but to be violent to them is very very rare… I am perplexed why this happens in England.
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September 28, 2011 at 4:35 pm | godhelptheUK
It happens because of social security, sadly. No system of government really seems to work, socialism does not work unless you organise it better and governments are after what pleases the majority, the minority do not matter. After the second world war, we needed council estates for the poor to be able to make good of themselves, otherwise society would have collapsed. Generations later, what you see are the offspring of people who never left those estates, who never worked for themselves. They feel worthless and treat those they perceive as more worthless badly, because of their insecurity. The entire system needs shaking up, but if you suggest that those in need have to be integrated, moved off the estates into main society, the middle class scoff at that and cite falling house prices. I don’t think anything is really going to be done. We need massive social reform, council estates can be as bad as inner city slums like Harlem, we need to integrate the poor and the middle class need a kick up the backside if they object. It’s never going to happen, Britain is in this mess now and I can’t see anywhere out.
I’ve been a health worker caring for the disabled and suffer a cyst on the brain myself. I’ve lived in an estate, my boyfriend was dragged out of his car and beaten, we had our windows broken on a monthly basis. I had to save my money and move out. I would never live anywhere like that again. I have also, abandoned Britain. Abandoned it 6 years ago for Japan, moved back for 2 years and worked with the mentally disabled, then abandoned it again. Going to work, I was abused on a bus, spat on and called retarded. This was 6 months ago and I thought I’d left that behind long ago. It is the worst place in the modern world for people with such disabilities. The only hope you have is like the older man in the documentary, if you still have your intelligence intact to the point you can work for yourself (because yes, nobody will employ you bar mental disability charities) you can save your money, get off the estates, you can save up and build yourself up and keep on building yourself up to the point you leave. And I still wonder if it is a tragedy to hate your own country the way I do, but I wouldn’t know any different because I do not have any other perspective to see it from.
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October 1, 2011 at 2:02 am | Tabitha
I was shocked too by the situation in Britain! Canadians don’t torment the mentally or physically challenged, at least none of the people I’ve met; and I’ve lived all over Canada for fifty years. If anything, adults here are guilty of “ignoring” the unfortunate souls on the streets and pretending that they don’t exist.. There are the public outcrys of “not in my backyard!” if a new group home is being considered in the better neighborhoods. In the classrooms, picking on those less fortunate is considered “bullying” and is not supposed to be tolerated,. Kids can be very cruel though, and torment those who are considered ugly, stupid or fat, when adults are not around. I thank God that my girls are normal and don’t have to live with me for the rest of my life. There are very few places for the disabled to live if their parents can no longer care for them. They end up homeless and forgotten..
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September 24, 2011 at 10:14 pm | Tracy
England is very hostile. I’m so glad I don’t live there anymore. Society is breaking down. :( I think it would be a good idea for these people to stop seeking answers from the police and start some community support. I would certainly be there to support any of these victims.
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September 25, 2011 at 10:06 am | NAND Gate
Me standing out the front with a baseball/cricket bat is the first sensible step.
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September 24, 2011 at 10:14 pm | Tracy
England is very hostile. I’m so glad I don’t live there anymore. Society is breaking down. :( I think it would be a good idea for these people to stop seeking answers from the police and start some community support. I would certainly be there to support any of these victims.
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September 27, 2011 at 3:10 am | N.Y.
I really wish I could meet these people in real life and tell them how loved they are, no one should ever be treated this way…I really don’t understand why society is like this, how did we let it get this bad? May God have mercy on us…
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September 27, 2011 at 3:10 am | N.Y.
I really wish I could meet these people in real life and tell them how loved they are, no one should ever be treated this way…I really don’t understand why society is like this, how did we let it get this bad? May God have mercy on us…
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September 27, 2011 at 4:21 pm | Briankjeld
god who?
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September 27, 2011 at 4:21 pm | Briankjeld
god who?
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September 28, 2011 at 1:04 am | Mixolydian
Although I’m not proud of it I’m a VERY cold person. I don’t have much compassion or empathy towards others. I guess it stems from my upbringing or whatever….something made me this way because it’s not normal. This doc though…for the time It took to watch I was absolutely sickened and on the verge of tears numerous times during. I just can’t wrap my mind around how someone could abuse a handicapped person. To me the actions of some of these pricks are on par with murder. It’s evil in it’s purest form and should be dealt with accordingly.
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September 30, 2011 at 6:48 am | NAND Gate
Well said. By the way the symptoms you speak of correlate well with mild autism. It is surprisingly common, and actually helps the intellect in many cases. Dr Baron-Cohen (yes related to Borat) calls them “systematizers”.
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September 28, 2011 at 9:57 pm | Ziyad Boutouil
Disgusting how these people are treated something should happen to stop this horrific abuse .
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September 28, 2011 at 9:57 pm | Ziyad Boutouil
Disgusting how these people are treated something should happen to stop this horrific abuse .
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September 29, 2011 at 1:17 pm | JourneyIntosound
my faith in humanity has taken yet another blow…and since i believe that we are all capable of the actions of any other human, i am left wondering; “what would drive me to treat someone in that manner” and better still, would I be aware of it? I cannot fathom how people could treat others’ this way, especially when life is already very challenging for them. It’s almost like watching a national geographic piece on wild animals ostrisizing weaker members of the herd. I guess we are not as civilised as we may think…
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November 15, 2011 at 2:13 am | Prmcgimpsey
I thought England was more civilized?
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