Operated by John-Riley Harper. Dedicated to archiving photography from Utah's underground scenes, as well as other personal projects.

5.11.2006
Found! Paraplegic Dumpster Diver(s)
I hate when I read about those disabled drug addicts who have sworn to resuscitate their souls by going on the school circuit to preach the virtues of staying on the straight and narrow. We have cancer survivors, burn victims, drug dealers, and destitutes from all walks of life addressing students all over the country. (There’s a cause, save our youth from administrative boredom). They say that they can overcome any obstacle and be productive, happy people. Often they reach ultimate pretention with phrases like, "Maybe talking to these kids is the reason God left me here." But what if, instead of teaching obedience, a disabled person wants to teach kids to be unproductive citizens just like them?

We have disabled people who use their disabilities to do what they normally would have and subvert the system. We have paraplegic dumpster divers and train hoppers. We have “disabled” anarchists, porn stars, prostitutes and shop-lifters. To get a peek, I went on a dumpster diving run with a friend to get a real glimpse into the excess of western culture; what we throw away tells far more than what we publicly display.


The study of disabled rebellion leads to an interesting conclusion: it's a lot easier to break the law and go against the system when you are not disabled. For example, the ADA (American Disabilities Act) fights to give people with disabilities equal access to education, jobs, and entertaintment. However, I went boxcar jumping with a paraplegic yesterday and NONE of the boxcars had wheelchair ramps. He complained about it, and is going to write a letter to the ADA, but we both don't expect much. How can disabled people expect to be treated equally when they can't break the law as easily as others?
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