71: Disability as a Mass Movement
Why are criminal suspects consistently othered as disabled?
We’re witnessing the rise of a potent political force: the emergence of disability as a mass movement. As COVID-19 reshapes the world, leaving millions with lasting health impacts, and as climate change amplifies disasters that permanently alter bodies and minds, disability is becoming an experience shared by an increasing number of people. Yet, the stigma of ableism and internalized denial clouds this shift, delaying our collective reckoning with what it means to live in a disabled society.
Nowhere is the cultural tension surrounding disability more visible than in the dialogue around law and order. In media coverage of major crimes, suspects are almost always framed in the context of disability, mental health speculation being the most pervasive trope. This narrative serves as a tool to dehumanize and other individuals, reinforcing the false notion that disability is aberrant and tied to danger. The case of Luigi Mangione, however, forces us to confront the intersection of disability, class struggle, and systemic injustice in ways that challenge these harmful assumptions.
Luigi Mangione: A Symbol of Disability and Resistance
Mangione, now charged with terrorism, has become a polarizing figure. His back pain, described as chronic and debilitating, has been central to the public discourse surrounding his actions. This physical disability, rather than a mental health condition, has complicated the usual tropes, positioning Mangione not just as a perpetrator but as a patient, a man fighting back against a system that offered no relief or justice for his suffering.
In some circles, Mangione has been elevated as a symbol of class consciousness. His story resonates with those who see themselves crushed by the machinery of capitalism, where workplace injuries and inadequate healthcare are routine. Yet Mangione’s disability adds another layer to this symbol: he represents the growing number of disabled people who find themselves in conflict with systems designed to dismiss and disempower them.
COVID, Climate, and the Mass Disabling of Society
The ongoing covid pandemic is a mass disabling event, reshaping the health landscape on an unprecedented scale. Long COVID affects millions globally, leaving people with fatigue, pain, and neurological symptoms that persist for years.
At the same time, climate change brings its own wave of disabling events, from respiratory illnesses caused by wildfires to physical injuries and trauma from floods and hurricanes. These phenomena are reshaping the demographics of disability, bringing it into the mainstream.
Yet denial remains pervasive. Ableism, deeply entrenched in societal norms, pushes people to reject the label of “disabled,” even when their lived experience aligns with it. To embrace disability is to confront a lifetime of stigma and systemic barriers, an act of defiance that requires not just personal acceptance but collective solidarity.
Ableism in the Framing of Crime
This denial is especially evident in how society interprets and frames crime. Suspects are frequently described through the lens of disability, whether explicitly (e.g., diagnoses of mental illness) or implicitly (e.g., describing isolation, pain, or struggles). This pattern perpetuates stereotypes that paint disabled individuals as inherently dangerous or unstable.
The case of Luigi Mangione is particularly instructive. Unlike the common media narratives that rely on mental health speculation, Mangione’s chronic pain, which is a physical disability, has been emphasized. This framing underscores the ableist tendency to reduce complex human experiences to pathologies that explain away systemic failures. It also highlights the need to rethink how disability is portrayed in public discourse.
Pop Culture and the Rise of Disability Consciousness
As disability becomes more visible, pop culture is beginning to grapple with its implications. Stories like Mangione’s, alongside broader narratives of resilience in the face of illness and climate crisis, are challenging old stereotypes and creating space for a more nuanced understanding of what it means to be disabled.
In some ways, this mirrors the evolution of other social movements. Disability is no longer merely an individual experience; it’s becoming a collective identity, a framework for understanding power, oppression, and resistance. Just as feminism and civil rights reshaped society by centering marginalized voices, the rise of disability as a mass movement has the potential to redefine justice, inclusion, and authority.
What Comes Next?
The future of authority lies in how we respond to this shift. Will we continue to stigmatize and isolate disabled individuals, or will we embrace the realities of a disabled society? Will we address the systemic failures that disable people in the first place, from inadequate healthcare to environmental destruction, or will we perpetuate the ableist status quo?
Luigi Mangione’s story offers a glimpse of what’s possible when we look beyond the surface. He’s not just a symbol of class consciousness but of a broader reckoning with disability as a shared human experience. By recognizing this, we can begin to build a world that values and supports all people, regardless of ability.
This is the moment when disability becomes not just a label but a movement—a force powerful enough to transform society. Are we ready to join it?
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