Crime -- England -- London; London (England) -- Social conditions; Poor -- England -- London
Some day perhaps the community will realise what the exercise of the
latter right means. Some day, and Heaven send that day soon, we shall be
horrified at the thought that a vast number of unfortunates exist among
us who, demanding our pity and our care, are going down to the grave
without that care to which their physical disabilities entitle them.
As we look at these unfortunates, feelings of pity, disgust or amusement
may be aroused, but one moment's reflection would convince us that these
afflicted homeless creatures manage to exist and extort an expensive
living from the community.
I have said that every disabled man is a potential criminal, and that
unless he receives some compensation giving him the means of earning
honestly his living, he is certain to be a danger or a parasite. This is
but natural, for in the first place his physical nature has received a
shock, has sustained an outrage, Nature strikes back, and some one has
to suffer. The loss of a limb means severed muscles, bones and nerves.
Nature never forgets that they ought to be there, but as they are
not there she does without them; but none the less she feels for them
instinctively, and becomes disappointed and bitter because she is
refused the use of them.
Add to this the anxiety, the sufferings the amputated man feels when he
is also deprived of his means of livelihood, as well as his limb, and
from comfort comes down to penury. Perhaps he has been able hitherto
to keep his wife and children with a fair amount of comfort; now he is
helpless and has to depend upon them.
He may be of proud spirit, but he has to endure mortification by seeing
his wife labour and slave for him. He becomes moody, then passionate, a
little drink maddens him, then comes the danger. He does something,
then the police are required, and prison awaits him. There he thinks and
broods over his wrong, with bitterness and revengeful spirit. Perhaps
his wife has been compelled to give evidence against him; he remembers
that, he scores it up, and henceforth there is no peace for either of
them!
Frequent convictions follow, ultimately the wife has to claim the
protection of the law, and gets a separation order on account of his
cruelty. Henceforward he is an outcast, his children and friends cast
him off, for they are afraid of him. But he lives on, and many have to
suffer because he has lost a limb.
We read a great deal about the development of character through
suffering, and well I know the purifying effects suffering has upon our
race; but it is well sometimes to look at the reverse side, and consider
what evil follows in the wake of suffering.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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