Opinion: A Disabilities Rights Movement Gains Momentum 2 Years After Death

An interesting opinion piece by David M. Perry, who writes on language and power at How Did We Get Into This Mess? He is a history professor at Dominican University. 

You’ve heard this story before: A large man was confronted by law enforcement officials over a minor issue. He didn’t initially comply with their orders, so they grabbed him and put him on the ground. In the process, the man asphyxiated. The law enforcement officers were not charged by a grand jury.

This tale is not about Eric Garner, but about Ethan Saylor. Ethan, a 26-year-old man from New Market, Maryland, with Down syndrome, died almost two years ago on January 12, 2013. He was killed over the price of a movie ticket, breathing his last on the floor of a cinema, asking for his mother.