Let’s not become a Lynch Mob

I think it’s time to put down the hangman’s noose.  Wendy Portillo has now been tarred and feathered, so let’s not also string her up from a tree.  Do not let that sentiment lead you believe that I am making excuses for her behavior.  What she did was cruel and horrible and she should be punished for it.  She should absolutely have to face the consquences of her actions, but she also deserves some basic human decency… even if she did not give Alex Barton that same consideration.

If you do not know what I am referring to then you should read this article, as well as my previous post about the subject.  Wendy Portillo is (WAS?) a kindergarten teacher in Florida, and Alex Barton WAS one of her students.  He is in the process of being diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and has reportedly struggled and been disruptive all year.  In a misguided effort to discipline him, Wendy forced Alex to stand before a jury of his peers and listen to their harsh criticisms.  They then proceeded to vote on whether Alex should be allowed back into the classroom.  As Ruth at Wheelie Catholic so eloquently described it, “They all lost, 14-2.”   

A collective howl of outrage could be heard throughout the community of those who fight for Autism Awareness, AND beyond.  Rightly so.  What was done was insensitive and intolerant and just plain wrong.  It would be wrong to treat ANY child this way.  It has been suggested she be fired (I agree).   People have also said “let Wendy Portillo stand before a jury of her peers and be subjected to the cruel treatment that she inflicted upon Alex.”  As a result of what she did she is now reviled and hated, and her picture will forever hang in the proverbial ”Hall of Villains”.  But she has also been called horrible, profane names, threatened with bodily harm, and deemed worthy for eternal damnation.  Don’t believe me?   Just Google her name and see what pops up in the comments made on blogs across the United States.

The sentence in italics is the point where I say we need to stop and take a breath.  I dare say Wendy Portillo now knows what it feels like to stand in front of a crowd and be criticized.  Fine.  Her life has been forever changed, and rightly so, for she also changed the life of dear Alex Barton.  She will hopefully be held accountable and will face justice.  But lets NOT inflict the same hurts upon her that we decried in her classroom.  She was cruel.  We do not also have to be cruel.  We bemoaned the lack of basic human decency and the fact that Alex was called “horrible” and “disgusting”, yet she has now been called those same names.  We said that no one, whether they have special needs or not, deserved to be called those names.  Okay, well then neither does Wendy Portillo.  Her ACTIONS, yes, but not Wendy the person.

She made a mistake.  She acted in a cruel, calculated, insensitive way.  She also has some basic human rights.  And I dare say she has probably done some good things in her life too.  We do not know who Wendy Portillo is as a person, all we know of her is this one act.  While we can be totally justified in our anger and outrage against Wendy’s actions, we have no right to judge her as a person.  So let’s refrain from the insults and personal attacks.  If we all gang up on her then we become no better than that classroom full of children.  The cycle has to stop somewhere.  I am not saying she should not be punished, but we should temper justice with mercy.   

Speaking of that, the incident in the classroom has been described as a example of “pack mentality”, where an entire group turns on the prey who is deemed to be most weak.  It brought to my mind the image of an angry mob, feeding on its own energy.  Riots often begin as a response to injustice, but soon escalate beyond that point.  The angry energy becomes so powerful that it is soon forgotten that people are being hurt.  Just as Alex was deemed to have been depersonalized and dehumanized, so now has Wendy Portillo.   Not only that, but she has become a sort of symbol of all the intolerant acts and injustcices ever committed against individuals who have disabilities.  Lets not punish her for crimes that she did not commit.  Individuals with special needs are not the only ones who deserve to be treated with respect and kindness.  YES, kindness.  Instead of adding to the pain and cruelty in the world lets now model the behavior and sensitivity that we WISH had been shown to Alex.      

You don’t have to agree with me, I am just offering up something to think about.  This is written in the spirit of trying to make the world a kinder place.  Again, I am not defending Wendy’s actions and I believe what she did was wrong.  I am also not criticizing those who have had such a passionate response to this subject.  I am glad to see that so many people care, and I totally understand why people have reacted as strongly as they did.  What happened was AWFUL.  We should be angry.  VERY angry.  So fight for basic human decency.  Fight for awareness and sensitivity for those who are different.  Fight for education reform.  Tell the school officials in Florida why you disagree with the tactics used that day, and what should have been done differently.  Fight for justice, and the subsequent disciplinary action against Wendy Portillo.  Let’s use this to opportunity to fight to make the world a better place.  Let’s NOT add to the violence and pain in this already hurting world.  There is a difference between justice and cruelty.