Monday - July 24, 2006

Sign Of The Times?

I first saw this on MSNBC a few nights ago and wondered what would cause someone to put up a sign like that. I didn’t have time to investigate further then so I just mentally filed it away. This morning it popped up on my radar again so I had to go get the whole story.

On one side we have all kinds of outrage coming from various diasbled groups and the media. The problem is there are always more than one side to every story. It turns out the boy referred to in the sign has been physically harassing other neighborhood children and wandering around all over the place.

The sign was probably not the best solution but it appears the neighbors have not been able to convince the parents of the boy to get him under control or get the police to handle it so what recourse do they have? You tell me ...

Family Upset About Sign
In Neighbor’s Yard
_{NEPHI, Utah (KSL-TV) - July 21st, 2006 @ 10:00pm}

A cardboard sign is hanging in a tree, directed at a boy with developmental disabilities, and the boy’s mother isn’t happy. Neighbor: “I’m not taking the sign down, last night was the first night of peace we’ve got in a long ----- time.”

Carrie Heaton, Colton’s Mother: “They’ve put up this sign now, that we feel is very discriminatory against my son.” The cardboard sign is hanging in a tree in the Central Utah town of Nephi.

It is also being denounced tonight by advocates for the disabled. The boy’s family noticed the sign pointed at their home on Wednesday night, and tonight it is still there. That’s despite our visit to the neighbors who put it up.

Advocates for the disabled are outraged, calling it insensitive and in the same category as a racial slur. His mother says he is more like a three year old. Carrie Heaton, Nephi Resident: “He looks normal but once you start talking to him, you can see he has these problems and he’s just a loving little guy, he thinks we’re just a great big family.”

But now a cardboard sign is hanging in their neighbor’s tree—spray painted with the words: “Caution-- Retards in Area.” His mother says it is fortunate Colton can’t read the words. As we were filming the sign, we could see the neighbors who put it up were outside, so we approached them for their side of the story.

Sam Penrod, Eyewitness News: “Why did you put that sign up?

Neighbor: “I’ve been harassed for six months, my daughter has been assaulted.”

Sam Penrod, Eyewitness News “By who?”

Neighbor: “The young boy, we got pictures and everything and they would not press charges because he is handicapped.”

The neighbor claims Colton threw a rock at his young daughter. Other neighbors told us they have frequently found Colton wandering onto their property. Fraser Nelson, Executive Director, Disability Law Center: “Regardless of cognitive disability I may have, I’m a person and people do not deserve to have signs pointed at them, making fun of them, scaring them, harassing them.”

We contacted Nephi Police and they are working with the Juab County Attorney—who told me tonight—he finds it distasteful and derogatory and is researching what legal options may be available, since the neighbors still refuse to take the sign down. The Disability Law Center is planning to meet with local officials to offer sensitivity training there in Nephi.

Posted by The Skipper     on 07/24/2006 at 06:50 AM   
Filed Under: • Odd-Strange •  
• Comments (9) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

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