Disabling

Calvin Abueva lost six figures to his own antiquated antics. The country’s premiere basketball league found him liable to pay the amount for mocking the physical disability of head coach Jorge Gallent. The Magnolia forward gestured towards his eyes after both he and the coach were technically fouled for their verbal altercation during game two of the Commissioner’s Cup finals.

The eye taunting did not escape the public eye that was quick to condemn the condemnable. The Hotshot shot down both written and unwritten rules. A law punishes non-verbal ridicule and vilification of persons with disability. Too, a league rule fines any person who offends dignity of another on account of physical disability.

But the unwritten rule on sportsmanship, propriety and sensitivity does not quantify a penalty in money or otherwise. Never mind the lost money, maybe he has plenty. But he lost the respect of the basketball community, if any. He is a recidivist. Five years ago he was indefinitely suspended for clotheslining an import and arguing with the girlfriend of another player. But the suspension was lifted 16 months after.

And so he’s back with the same knack for knocking out others. Not only did he ridicule a coach who lost one of his eyes to a motorcycle accident, he too had a spat with the wife of Mo Tautuaa. He likes to fight, against men or women. Losing chivalry is his understanding of gender equality.

Curiously though, he is merely fined, not suspended, or better yet, expelled from the league. Maybe the rules do not provide for suspension or expulsion. The league cannot be more severe than the rules it enforces. No basis. If that’s the case, or the rule, it should be revisited, welcome or otherwise. It should be reminded ridicule of physical disability is a serious offense that should be severely punished.

In fact, disability is politically incorrect. They are just differently abled, just as deformity is not only politically incorrect but downright offensive. For, the basis why one body part is deformed is because it does not look like the majority. It may rule, but it should not dictate what is normal or not. Otherwise, it becomes tyranny of majority. Vilification disables not only the body that moves but more so the spirit that animates.

It scares and scars the differently abled for life while the scourge is briefly disabled, then forgiven and forgotten, for life. Gallent is gallant for shrugging off the taunting, but it should not exculpate. He does not want to dignify the indignity, but it normalizes ridicule, especially among mean kids who bully others and damage their self-esteem and self-image.

Some may argue suspension or expulsion is too harsh, like ridicule is gentle. That is the problem, the offender gets away unscathed. If at all, the penalty is tempered, even written off. And the offended is forced to move on without remorse and retribution. But then this is a forgiving country that likes to repeat history.