Friday, May 6, 2016

The Tow Truck and His "Christianity"

The story making the rounds this week, and there is another one I will address in another post because the sensitive nature of it is one I need some more time to process a post about, is about the disabled woman who was abandoned on the side of the road after an accident by a tow truck that was dispatched to her. 

After much information gathering to get the full report that has been published (many sources only chose blurbs), what we know of the woman is that she was driving out of her home state and was involved in a collision when a semi cut into her lane. Her car became non-functional and she called a mechanic who is aware of her multiple disabilities. He dispatched a tow truck to her location informing them of the disabilities. But the tow truck arrived and then denied her service because she is a Sanders supporter. 

What he also know is that the driver claimed God told him to leave her there and that he claims he is not a bigot. Let me remind you what the definition of a bigot is: anyone who is intolerant of another's expression of their opinion. Bigotry can come in many forms. The tow truck driver acted, not out of Christianity, but out of bigotry when he denied that woman service. 

You shall know them by their fruit. You shall indeed! What that man did was not Christlike. It was hatred. And further,ore, it left a disabled woman stranded until another truck could be dispatched to her.

He claimed that other people had not paid him his fee. But in this case, he did not even ask for the fee because as soon as he saw her bumper sticker, he developed some preconceived notion about that woman. 

I have written our own insurance company about it and suggested a blacklist because while my family will not put bumper stickers on the car, not even the ones that explain about autism, for this very reason, I would hate to imagine what he would do if he encountered us. 

The man also is a confessed Trump supporter. 

Here is what I know about Trump. Trump is NOT a Christian. Trump is hateful. Trump spreads fear and hate everywhere he goes. We have children in classes around the country fearing for their lives. We have disabled people fearing for their lives. And all because of Trump. 

Here is why I, too, am also fearful because of Trump: I posted my opinion of the story after I had done elaborate research to make sure I was getting the full story as a few of the media outlets mentioned for full story see this source. I then developed my opinion based upon the information I did gather. While I have had a few that have agreed with me, many of attacked me, some even going so far as to flat out attack and insult me and call me stupid. 

As an autistic woman, any comment calling me stupid is deemed as hate speech. Any comment trying to discredit me just because I am autistic is deemed as hate speech. And none of it is tolerated. Autistics are not stupid. But these are Trump supporters for you apparently. If his supporters are like that, I do not want Trumo anywhere near the White House! 

Many have even tried to say if the woman was too disabled to lift the hood of her car that she should not have been driving. There is nothing in the driver prerequisites saying one needs to be able to lift the hood of the car! 

I will say this though, my job, unpaid as it may be, is advocacy. I advocate for me. I advocate for others like me. And in my advocacy, I educate. Unless someone chooses to remain willfully ignorant. Then I block. Because I cannot allow that kind of toxic into my life. 

As TobyMac says, "Speak Life." And I believe those words actually originated with Jesus. 

What can you do if you are reading this? 

First, do not give that tow truck driver your business. Second, if you see a stranded motorist for whatever the reason, and if it is safe for you to do so, help them. 

To that tow truck driver: Shame on you. You were mean and hateful and being a bigot. You were not Christlike. 

Dear God, some of my posts through the remainder of the year will be highlighting current events that hit me hardest. May people who read about it be open-minded enough to learn something from them. They will be hardcore like me because You have matured me in a way that is uniquely the way You have chosen to shape me at this point. Thank You for the experiences You have chosen to allow me to have so I can speak life to others even when life has not been spoken to me. Thank You, in Jesus' Name, Amen!

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