The previews are awesome. Finally…another beautiful story of love with a person with a disability! But don’t be fooled!
Please watch my opinion of this story. It is a strong one that I make no apology for. I will be running videos through this blog, as they are shared with me, to show you the positive side of what it means to all live boldly…with those around us…for a realistic view of our wonderful lives with disabilities.
In March of 2009, while expecting my 6th baby, I contracted Transverse Myelitis - a rare illness that caused swelling which damaged my spinal cord leaving me paralyzed from my chest down. It has changed my life in many horrible and wonderful ways. I love to talk about it all. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
It is always raw and real around here as I share my work in advocacy and accessibility, my heart for the spiritual lessons learned, my music that speaks my soul, and my love for my home and family.
Welcome.
View all posts by Alicia Reagan
9 thoughts on “Me Before You…Is NOT Disabled Friendly.”
I haven’t seen the movie, but what a sad and ridiculous storyline! I agree with you 100%…it’s a step back on so many levels. I’m glad you shared your opinion…it definitely needed to be said and heard. And what an awesome attitude you have about the whole thing!
Alicia thank you… I was born with cerebral palsy as a mother I have felt and thought the same things you have I too am upset with the message this movie sends because I live a happy life my son could care less about my legs or the my wheelchair/crutches. He just loves his mommy I have also found love and he doesn’t care either
Thank you so much for making this video. I worked as a student aide to the disabled in college and I always looked forward to each day working with my paralyzed clients. I never heard of the book/movie till the trailers came out and when I found out what he does in the end, I thought it was the most ridiculous storyline ever – and a dangerous message about the disabled community.
Reblogged this on Serve Him in the Waiting and commented:
Wow! Amen, sister! I felt the same way when I saw the trailer for that movie. As someone who is watching this culture crash and burn and trying to raise an alarm about it, I recognized within the first few frames of that trailer how this movie was going to turn out and it made me incensed because of the fact it romanticized suicide as IF it were the most Unselfish thing in the world. I am not wheelchair-bound but I have conditions that have drastically curtailed what I can do and depression dogged me for a lot of years. But too many people embrace depression instead of fighting it. The culture of death that has become so prevalent in the world today is straight out of the pit of hell. Yes it is hard to keep going after everything in your life is changed, but people fail to take stock of what remains, which is the love of people whose opinion of you and estimation of your worth are not diminished ne iota by the fact you are not the same as you were in some ways. If you can change a “bad situation” great, do it, but if you can’t change something you still have the power and option to change the way you think about it. The “Progressive” society we now live in has conditioned people not to think but to make feelings “king”. It unfortunately is also true in a lot of churches. Thank you for speaking up! The “platforms” God gives are often not as “elevated” as what the world looks for, but God knows things we don’t. He lowers us in order that He may be lifted up, and when we humble ourselves, as you said, then HE lifts US up! James 4:10
More people will kill themselves after these stupid protests, because they won’t realize the real message of the movie.
I have a disability by the way. You also admitted you felt like Will at one time, Louisa wasn’t married to him, they didn’t have kids, she knew him for 6 months, she didn’t have the leverage to say what your husband said to you.
Also, Louisa’s runner boyfriend was used for comic relief, I very much doubt Will died because he “couldn’t compare”, also Louisa did not get all his money.
Will chose to kill himself because he did not like the life that was chosen for him. That is quoted in the book – “this is not the life I have chosen”. Like who gets to choose everything that happens in their lives?
I have not wanted to kill myself, but I very much felt like my new life offered nothing to anyone. That was a selfish view of life. My husband or anyone else could have said that to me because it is true.
There are many scenarios in life that happen where we do not choose. Maybe that mother didn’t choose for her child to be disabled. Should she kill herself? Maybe someone else got that promotion and not you. Kill yourself? Will had a girlfriend. So, it would have mattered if they would have been married…or had kids?
The level of excuses we give to people to allow them to be selfish is incredibly inconsistent. What we would be appalled about in one instance (maybe if he was gay or black it would be understandable to kill himself? I don’t think so! Suicide is wrong and selfish in ANY circumstance and it is NEVER okay to make it all soft and sappy. Suicide is real and people need real help to live – not die.
Alicia Reagan 
Great video, Alicia!
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I haven’t seen the movie, but what a sad and ridiculous storyline! I agree with you 100%…it’s a step back on so many levels. I’m glad you shared your opinion…it definitely needed to be said and heard. And what an awesome attitude you have about the whole thing!
Rachel
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Alicia thank you… I was born with cerebral palsy as a mother I have felt and thought the same things you have I too am upset with the message this movie sends because I live a happy life my son could care less about my legs or the my wheelchair/crutches. He just loves his mommy I have also found love and he doesn’t care either
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Thank you so much for making this video. I worked as a student aide to the disabled in college and I always looked forward to each day working with my paralyzed clients. I never heard of the book/movie till the trailers came out and when I found out what he does in the end, I thought it was the most ridiculous storyline ever – and a dangerous message about the disabled community.
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Thank you, Alicia!
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Reblogged this on Serve Him in the Waiting and commented:
Wow! Amen, sister! I felt the same way when I saw the trailer for that movie. As someone who is watching this culture crash and burn and trying to raise an alarm about it, I recognized within the first few frames of that trailer how this movie was going to turn out and it made me incensed because of the fact it romanticized suicide as IF it were the most Unselfish thing in the world. I am not wheelchair-bound but I have conditions that have drastically curtailed what I can do and depression dogged me for a lot of years. But too many people embrace depression instead of fighting it. The culture of death that has become so prevalent in the world today is straight out of the pit of hell. Yes it is hard to keep going after everything in your life is changed, but people fail to take stock of what remains, which is the love of people whose opinion of you and estimation of your worth are not diminished ne iota by the fact you are not the same as you were in some ways. If you can change a “bad situation” great, do it, but if you can’t change something you still have the power and option to change the way you think about it. The “Progressive” society we now live in has conditioned people not to think but to make feelings “king”. It unfortunately is also true in a lot of churches. Thank you for speaking up! The “platforms” God gives are often not as “elevated” as what the world looks for, but God knows things we don’t. He lowers us in order that He may be lifted up, and when we humble ourselves, as you said, then HE lifts US up! James 4:10
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Well said!!! Thank you for writing and keep up the good work!
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More people will kill themselves after these stupid protests, because they won’t realize the real message of the movie.
I have a disability by the way. You also admitted you felt like Will at one time, Louisa wasn’t married to him, they didn’t have kids, she knew him for 6 months, she didn’t have the leverage to say what your husband said to you.
Also, Louisa’s runner boyfriend was used for comic relief, I very much doubt Will died because he “couldn’t compare”, also Louisa did not get all his money.
LikeLike
Will chose to kill himself because he did not like the life that was chosen for him. That is quoted in the book – “this is not the life I have chosen”. Like who gets to choose everything that happens in their lives?
I have not wanted to kill myself, but I very much felt like my new life offered nothing to anyone. That was a selfish view of life. My husband or anyone else could have said that to me because it is true.
There are many scenarios in life that happen where we do not choose. Maybe that mother didn’t choose for her child to be disabled. Should she kill herself? Maybe someone else got that promotion and not you. Kill yourself? Will had a girlfriend. So, it would have mattered if they would have been married…or had kids?
The level of excuses we give to people to allow them to be selfish is incredibly inconsistent. What we would be appalled about in one instance (maybe if he was gay or black it would be understandable to kill himself? I don’t think so! Suicide is wrong and selfish in ANY circumstance and it is NEVER okay to make it all soft and sappy. Suicide is real and people need real help to live – not die.
LikeLike