Dear (Former) Representative Harty:
As the parent of a child with special needs, I do my best to keep up with disability news. That is to say, when I’m not working full-time, dealing with school issues, attending therapy sessions 6 days each week, and dealing with monumental meltdowns involving aggression, I try to squeeze in some reading about disability news updates.
Guess what? You’re in the news. I’m sure you remember why. It’s because you told the manager of a mental health program that “the world is too populated” with “too many defective people.” You also went on to say that “I wish we had a Siberia so we could ship them all off to freeze to death and die and clean up the population.”
Of course you don’t want people to jump to conclusions. After all, you’re a reasonable man. It’s not like you were suggesting all people be shipped away. That would just be plain crazy. Luckily you clarified your criteria by stating “you know the mentally ill, the retarded, people with physical disabilities and drug addictions – the defective people society would be better off without.”
But later you said you were just joking. Well I, for one, thought it was hilarious. Really. Absolutely hilarious for a state representative, in a position of power, to make a statement that is nothing short of barbaric. It’s a real chuckle for me to think that there are politicians in this country that are of the mindset that my precious son, who did not ask to be born with a disability, should be sent off to die. Yes (Former) Representative Harty, I am laughing up a storm.
And after such a terrible backlash about your comments, you resigned. At 91 years old, I suppose you’ve earned yourself a rest. Perhaps it’s time for a new politician to step in and pick up the torch of hatred. The truth is, there’s always another one.
As a parent, I will never again have to lament over under-funded disability programs. I will never need to wonder why disability services are always being cut. Thanks to you, I think I know.
But don’t rest too easily in your retirement. Know that parents like me will continue advocating, voting, working, and fighting for our children. Perhaps hatred like yours will never be eradicated completely, but neither will our determination, resolve, and love for our children.
And you better hope, you SICK FUCK, that your tired, old, hateful ass isn’t on the next plane, boat or hot air balloon to Siberia.
Because I would vote for that.
Sincerely,
Parent of a Special Needs Child
Your Worst Fucking Nightmare
For real?!? What a douche.
What a fuckwad. He’d better hope he gets diagnosed with dementia, and frankly even then he’d better watch his back.
Since he’s not only really old but clearly senile, he should be on the first boat!
Holy freakin’ cow Batman!!! That is beyond horrible. Maybe someone should have asked good ol’ Marty Harty if stupid, narrow minded, old people should be included in that list of “defectives”. Indeed!!!