Sometimes People Just Need to Keep Their Mouths Shut!

When my friend posted this link to her facebook page, I first thought, “She only cares about this because it happened in her home state.” But when I saw that it was from Huff Post Parents, I thought, “Okay, I'll check it out.”

Wow, you know, you never really know where someone's coming from till you walk in their shoes, right? How many times have I vocalized my frustration in a theater over something I found obnoxious? Well, next time, I'll think twice about that.

While at a Disney movie with her children, a mother heard a man shouts in the darkness, “Get that kid out of here!“…

I'd like to show you THAT kid. He's our Vito. Our ever amazing, beautiful Vito. He's a cancer warrior. Yes. He has some issues. He talks differently. He doesn't talk at all. He uses vocalizations for his excitement and frustration. His excitement is expressed in grunts and shrieks with giggles. He really liked the movie so he shrieked many times. This expression was hard-earned. Before cancer our Vito talked and babbled like any other 11-month-old. He actually was an earlier talker than my other boys. But, cancer took that from him. It made him mute for weeks. Every sound Vito makes is the fruit of intense therapy for nine months' labor.

The mom was there with her nine year old son, too. She had to ask herself, What do I do now? What am I teaching my other son with this response? What would you have done?

Here's what she did. She stood up after the movie and said to the man who spoke out in the darkness…

“To whoever said I should remove my son. This is Vito. I'm sorry he is a little different but he has brain cancer which changed his communication abilities.”

You didn't say anything. Silence echoed. It's amazing how quiet a theater can be, even with credits playing in the background. Patrons scurried out, not looking at our family, avoiding any eye contact with us. We apparently were branded.

You are a coward, sir. You are a coward. You should have come up to me. Met this beautiful miracle. Instead you scurried out. Another man muttered to me, “Well, maybe you shouldn't bring him out.”

We were in a Disney movie. A DISNEY movie. Kids are to be expected there. Kids make noise. I understand, I've gone to adult movies with screaming kids. But, there's an expectation kids will be at a Disney movie, on a Saturday. Every single person I saw leave, left with children by their side.

Then, she raises a really good point. What are we (the people in the theater) teaching every other child at that movie? Here are her thoughts:

We taught those children that being different is not accepted.

We taught those children that if we don't like someone, just embarrass them until they leave with their head low, ashamed.

We taught those children that disabilities are something to be ashamed of.

We taught those children that you can belittle someone, make them feel inferior.

We taught those children to hide, hide behind closed doors, so no one sees their differences.

We taught those children discrimination.

We taught those children that they can tease and belittle my son on the playground because we as adults did it at a movie theater.

Vito is beating brain cancer at 20 months. This is an amazing accomplishment. But it has come with great costs.

I don't know about you, but I am going to think twice before I open my mouth to judge next time…

You can read the rest of her letter here.

What do you think? Share your thoughts with us.