Cao 1

Nancy Cao
Professor Masulit
Ethnic Studies 21
16 September 2016
Reflection: Weeber and McGuire
In Joy Weeber's entry, she explains how her disability limits her daily life. She struggles
daily and feels judged due to her disability. On a daily basis, she feels discriminated by ablebodied people, and explains ableism. Ableism is judging and discriminating against disabilities
and favoring able-bodied people. She expresses that she receives the same treatment as a person
of color would receive and compares ableism to racism. She claims that although she is a middle
class white woman, she knows how racism feels like, and she knows all the pain a person of
color feels because she is disabled.
While reading through Joy Weeber's entry, I felt really aggravated with her comparison. I
do not think that she can compare the struggles of a disabled person and a person of color. I agree
that both parties have their disadvantages by simply being who they are. I know that ableism is
an issue and people should never judge others because of their disabilities. I live with my uncle
and he is paralyzed, so often times I take care of him and I see how difficult it is to live his life;
he has to lay down all day, he must be fed by others, he cannot bathe himself, he needs special
services, it is difficult to transport him, he cannot attend certain events due to his disability, etc. I
understand that it is really hard to live with a disability, but I do not think that you can compare
that pain to racism. I think that living a life with a disability and living a life as a colored person
are two completely different contexts, and they cannot be compared. If she said there are
commonalities between ableism and racism, that would be fine and I completely agree. However,

Cao 2
I do not think a middle-class white woman can say she knows exactly what racism feels like and
she know exactly how a person of color feels because she is disabled.

In Megan McGuire's entry, she explains her experience with living with two moms.
When she realized her mother is a lesbian, she was upset because society disapproved lesbian
relationships. She felt the need to hide the fact that she has two mothers because she felt that her
friends would disapprove of her and leave. Later, she realizes that her house hold was like any
other house hold and began to accept her two mother house hold. Although some people could
not accept her two-mom family, McGuire finally accepted her family and sees it as any other
family.
While I was reading McGuire's entry, I really liked how she was honest with her initial
feelings and emotions about having two mothers. She made it clear how ignorant she was as a
child and how she did not accept her family growing up. She felt the need to hide her family and
life at home because her moms are lesbians. She was afraid of society not accepting her
household; she was afraid of disapproval from others that did not matter. I am glad she realized
that although she has two mothers, her family is no different from any other. She comes to terms
with herself and accepts her two moms.