Devil's Advocate

[danpam1024]

Ok- I just watched the "tour guides" with the GAC on the today show. Let me throw this out- what if the said guide was a disabled war hero, unemployed with a family to support, and Disney was the one thing that made him/her feel "normal"? Would this behavior still be despicable or a blessing in disguise?

 

[Hot Lava]

Th problem straight way is that the hypothetical is very broad and big parts open to interpretation. What constitutes "disabled"? What constitutes "war hero"? What constitutes "normal"?
And you have not even yet arrived at the ethical considerations of abusing the system.

 

[rsoxguy]

Allow me to present another hypothetical situation. Let's say that a disabled war hero, unemployed with a family to support, robbed a bank; and getting a bag of money was the one thing that made him feel "normal". Would his behavior still be despicable or a blessing in disguise? My point is this; it is never right to do wrong. If one's moral stand involves seeing the use of a disability falsely for the sake of convenience as being wrong, then it should never be justified by contrived circumstances. If one sees nothing wrong with the use of a disability dishonestly for the sake of convenience, then any given circumstances should not be a factor. We should stand on principles, disabled or not.

 

[danpam1024]

Personally I feel abusing the system is plain wrong- for any reason. I just wondered what other's thoughts were. You never know what motivates people to do certain things, or what life's situations provokes them to do. I think the people "hiring" these services are more despicable than those offering them. All and all it's an unfortunate situation

 

[danpam1024]

Allow me to present another hypothetical situation. Let's say that a disabled war hero, unemployed with a family to support, robbed a bank; and getting a bag of money was the one thing that made him feel "normal". Would his behavior still be despicable or a blessing in disguise? My point is this; it is never right to do wrong. If one's moral stand involves seeing the use of a disability falsely for the sake of convenience as being wrong, then it should never be justified by contrived circumstances. If one sees nothing wrong with the use of a disability dishonestly for the sake of convenience, then any given circumstances should not be a factor. We should stand on principles, disabled or not.

Well said Thanks

 

[rsoxguy]

Personally I feel abusing the system is plain wrong- for any reason. I just wondered what other's thoughts were. You never know what motivates people to do certain things, or what life's situations provokes them to do. I think the people "hiring" these services are more despicable than those offering them. All and all it's an unfortunate situation

Again, it remains the same regardless of the details, whether one thinks of it as right or wrong.

 

[jkl2000]

I actually don't think there's anything wrong with this except for the fact that the disabled person is charging the people for letting them hang with him/her at Disneyworld/land. If you take that payment out of the equation, there's nothing wrong with it.

You know how some amusement parks (Six Flags for example) now have options where if you pay more you don't have to wait in the same lines as everyone else? That's not so different, except Six Flags gets the payment.

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

Personally I feel abusing the system is plain wrong- for any reason. I just wondered what other's thoughts were. You never know what motivates people to do certain things, or what life's situations provokes them to do. I think the people "hiring" these services are more despicable than those offering them. All and all it's an unfortunate situation

Unfotunately, there are people out there who thrive on this kind of behavior. I think both parties are wrong, personally. Too many feel a sense of entitlement, and that's a shame.

 

[Nemo14]

I actually don't think there's anything wrong with this except for the fact that the disabled person is charging the people for letting them hang with him/her at Disneyworld/land. If you take that payment out of the equation, there's nothing wrong with it.

You know how some amusement parks (Six Flags for example) now have options where if you pay more you don't have to wait in the same lines as everyone else? That's not so different, except Six Flags gets the payment.

Are you disabled?

 

[lunchbox1175]

I've always been of the opinion that if you have to ask, then its probably wrong.

 

[lazyboy97o]

We as a country have grown this sort of blind worship of those who served in the military. They're not all great people. Many are, but it is not a universal default. There are shmucks and jerks who have served. Lee Harvy Oswald served in the Marines. John Allen Muhammad (DC sniper) and Nical Malik Hasan (Ft. hood shooter) both served in the Army. The military even runs their own criminal justice system because they're human, and there are good ones and bad ones in the mix. If these tours were veterans it would add an angle of sympathy, but it doesn't change that they're exploiting the system for their financial gain.

 

[danpam1024]

We as a country have grown this sort of blind worship of those who served in the military. They're not all great people. Many are, but it is not a universal default. There are shmucks and jerks who have served. Lee Harvy Oswald served in the Marines. John Allen Muhammad (DC sniper) and Nical Malik Hasan (Ft. hood shooter) both served in the Army. The military even runs their own criminal justice system because they're human, and there are good ones and bad ones in the mix. If these tours were veterans it would add an angle of sympathy, but it doesn't change that they're exploiting the system for their financial gain.

you are absolutely right.

 

[ddrongowski]

Ok- I just watched the "tour guides" with the GAC on the today show. Let me throw this out- what if the said guide was a disabled war hero, unemployed with a family to support, and Disney was the one thing that made him/her feel "normal"? Would this behavior still be despicable or a blessing in disguise?

As a veteran I would expect another veteran to have more honor than to abuse a GAC.

 

[danpam1024]

As a veteran I would expect another veteran to have more honor than to abuse a GAC.

Thank you for your service

 

[ddrongowski]

We as a country have grown this sort of blind worship of those who served in the military. They're not all great people. Many are, but it is not a universal default. There are shmucks and jerks who have served. Lee Harvy Oswald served in the Marines. John Allen Muhammad (DC sniper) and Nical Malik Hasan (Ft. hood shooter) both served in the Army. The military even runs their own criminal justice system because they're human, and there are good ones and bad ones in the mix. If these tours were veterans it would add an angle of sympathy, but it doesn't change that they're exploiting the system for their financial gain.

Agreed.

 

[ddrongowski]

Thank you for your service

No thanks required. It was the right thing to do.

 

[Mark In KY]

If people are so sleazy as to need to "beat the system" then I say to H E double hockey sticks with them. I'll stand in lines, use FastPass, use "single rider" lanes and at the end of the day still have some self-respect that I didn't lie and cheat to get "special treatment" that I don't need or deserve.

 

[ddrongowski]

If people are so sleazy as to need to "beat the system" then I say to H E double hockey sticks with them. I'll stand in lines, use FastPass, use "single rider" lanes and at the end of the day still have some self-respect that I didn't lie and cheat to get "special treatment" that I don't need or deserve.

Honorable.

 

[Spikerdink]

The real way to look at this is to remove the fact that the disabled person is doing this. If it was ANY person, do we think it is correct and admirable behavior? If it is, then we should not have a problem with what was done. If it is not, then changes need to be made.

As a person in education, I see students all the time who have disabilities that impact their learning abilities. They, too, wish to be normal. We make accommodations to maximize thier potential, but we do not allow them to cheat, to avoid work, or to use their accommodations as a way of avoiding responsibilites.

The same should be said for all people who are 'disabled' who wants to use this disability to do something that is dishonest at the least

 

[luv]

I said this in another thread, but...

Disabled people are unable to do many jobs because of their handicap. If they find a job where their handicap helps them, I have no problem with them taking advantage. Unfair that they should only have to deal with the crappy parts of being handicapped and not be able to take advantage of any opportunity it might offer them.

If they can make money being tour guides, I'm all for that and wish them well.

I do see the other side, though, and don't fault people who have a problem with it.

FAKING a disability to gain access to any small perks the disabled may get in life is despicable, though.