Judgment Day

We came out of Costco to find a note on my boyfriend's windshield, which read, "Next time, save this parking spot for someone who is actually disabled." Apparently, the note-writer failed to notice the handicap tag in the windshield, or the fact that my boyfriend ambled into the store by leaning most of his weight on a shopping cart.

Fact: We are young, good-looking people! This doesn't mean it's easy or painless to get around all the time. We don't use the handicapped spaces on days when we feel good.

Fact: My boyfriend is a disabled veteran. His knee is full of metal pins. They hurt. I have fibromyalgia. I hurt. We are both "actually disabled."

Fact: If you are a medical doctor, you are well-aware that many people have invisible disabilities, problems that are not apparent to the untrained eye. If you are not a medical doctor, you are not really qualified to determined who is "actually disabled."

Fact: Anonymous notes are cowardly. If you want to confront us, confront us. We'll educate you.

Supposition: The author of this note is young, idealistic, and self-righteous. He or she is ready to set the world on fire, gunning down the enemies of equality, tolerance, and justice, without regard for who might be standing in the way. Without regard for whether he or she is right or wrong.

Suggestion: Does this kind of communication seem like a good idea to you? Your best bet is to shut up for the next five or ten years. Keep your eyes and ears open, keep your mouth closed, and try reading something that isn't the Internet. At the end of that time period, you might be qualified to express yourself intelligently.

Or conversely, you could go around falsely accusing people so you can walk around with a smug sense of self-righteousness. Good thing you live in America, where everyone has the right to be an ignorant, judgmental asshole.