I’m not a fan of Jelly Roll, but a lot of people are. When he played on July 23 in Minot, N.D. it was to a sell-out crowd of 18,000 at the State Fair reportedly. One of them in attendance was a young man disabled and has to use a motorized cart.
Sometimes, it’s hard for people in motorized carts or wheelchairs to get around. Even if you have a walker, it’s difficult to get in and out of some facilities. The most screwed up part is it’s been 35 years since President George H.W. Bush sign the American with Disabilities Act into law. Jelly Roll, real name Jason Bradley DeFord, was only 5 and the young man in the cart probably wasn’t even alive at the time.
Yet, despite this, many (and I do mean many) restaurants, sporting/event centers, school buildings and even hospital and physician offices have been slow to adapt. It really shows you how little people actually care as wheelchair accessible restrooms are hard to find. Going out to eat in a restaurant is almost impossible if you have to use a wheelchair because the doors are difficult to get open and the tables are so pushed together. Putting up a ramp seems to the be “thoughts and prayers” equivalent of the least they can do.
But a lot of places will have steps covered by an awning but not the ramp on the side so you basically get drenched in rain . It’s even more difficult if you have to travel especially by airplane as some airlines don’t have to staff to help people get on and off an airplane. Even if they do, people run the risk of having their equipment damaged by the airline staff.
On paper, there might be laws. But they’re not enforced mainly because our judicial system takes the chickenshit route and says it’s a civil matter. So, you’re basically fucked if an airline loses a wheelchair or motorized cart. The $10-20 you’re going to spend at a restaurant isn’t worth the cost of a facility to renovate their eateries. And still some do the bare minimum by designating one table near the entrance (and garbage receptable area) for handicapped people. So, during the winter you’re hit with the cold breeze or the harsh hot air.
So, when Tony Demaree, who was a security guard at the North Dakota State Fair, saw someone in a motorized cart, he thought “This fella needs to be when he can see.” He moved the man, who hasn’t been identified as of this time, over the metal barricades but still kept him a good distance from the main stage just giving him a better vantage point. And everyone was having a great time as it’s been shown in cell phone video that has gone viral.
That was until Demaree’s supervisor, who looks like a crabby old man, berated him in front of everyone. So Demaree told him to take this job and shove it. Even the law enforcement watched in disbelief as Demaree was treated this way. I mean, I don’t think the young man in the cart was going to be a threat. I understand the safety concerns but I don’t think he’s going to rush up on stage.
If it had been a heavy metal/hard rock concert, fans probably would’ve hoisted him up to let him crowd surf. Motorized carts can weigh up to 300 pounds if not more. Yet there is a camaraderie that is made between fans at a concert in which strangers can become the best of friends only for the duration of the concert.
Demaree quit as he said his boss called him “incompetent.” And I don’t blame him. Just because you’re put in a managerial position doesn’t give you carte blanche to do whatever you want. The supervisor should’ve said, “I understand with him being in a wheelchair, you meant well. But for safety reasons, we have to follow the rules.” Demaree also said he was unaware of the policies which is typical of someone being hired without being told what they need to know.
Craig Rudland, the general manager of the state fair, told people that it’s totally against protocol and then added there is reserved seating for people in wheelchairs and carts in the grandstand. Rudland has reportedly said he’s unsure why the man wasn’t in the grandstand for better viewing.
Well, Craig, maybe he wanted to be with his friends and family at the State Fair. Who fucking cares? Did he pay to get in? Yes. Was he bothering anyone? Not at all.
It’s foolish to say that disabled people only belong in one spot at a special event. This just seems typical of the ableist mindset of out of sight, out of mind. Demaree could see that everyone should be able to enjoy a concert if they paid their tickets.
And coming from a former journalist, it’s totally boring to watch a game from the press box. I don’t know why people pay so much money for expensive suites when the closer to the action is usually the best spot.
Thankfully, Damaree has received a lot of support and admiration from people all over the internet, including Jelly Roll’s wife, Bunnie. If anything else, it’s a reminder that people generally don’t quit jobs, they quit managers/supervisors.
What do you think? Please comment.
Zane Says 