I haven't written about economic conditions yet here because I feel that it's beyond me(I'm no Paul Krugman although his Conscience of A Liberal changed my life.) I'm just a citizen of a nation who seems to have never been fully sure that I existed, and I have spent my life, from early childhood in the Reagan years, and been reminded of this fact. Mom used to drag me to school board meetings. I missed completely what some people seem to view as some golden age of Clinton prosperity, but I don't really write this out of personal bitterness(although college might have been different if I had known that Uncle Sam would wave the cookie plate in front of my face and jerk it away before I'd selected my own personal nummy treat)

How could someone who began his life as the sort of kid his own cousins made fun of end up one of the most iconic and beloved leaders of the free world? How could a politician known for flip-flopping and careless dabbling end up setting the modern standard for both leadership in a crisis, as well as hitting the ground running? These are some of the questions historian and cable commentator Jonathan Alter sets out to answer in his history of Roosevelt's first hundred days, The Defining Moment

Alter seems to believe that FDR's disability ended up as an asset, because his experience with the treatment of his own polio(the doctors made some bad initial treatment decisions) taught him the folly of always listening to experts and of sticking hard to conventional wisdom. Roosevelt's approach to the Great Depression was a high-stakes improvisation, in part fueled and informed by his earlier experiences developing what I suppose we might call a "wellness community" at Warm Springs, Georgia.

It looks like SNL is at it again. This past Saturday a skit poking fun at Governor David Paterson of New York ran as part of the regular Weekend Update segment. (Click on Read More and watch the video at the end of this post). Like the previous skit that ran in the fall, this one too made jokes about Paterson's blindness, made him look incompetent and portrayed him as a coke addict.

When I wrote about the previous skit I heard from several people who felt I was too sensitive and that the skit was funny. Further, those critical of my views said that as a public figure, Governor Paterson becomes subject to such attention in the media and on the comedy circuit. While I agree entirely with the second point, I can't accept that its okay to portray blind people as incompetent as these two skits have done.

I must admit that prior to the Presidential Election this year I began watching SNL again with the same anticipation and excitement that I did years ago when it was actually worth my time. And, as many Americans probably have, I've not watched it once since November 4th.

If I needed any confirmation that my decision to spend my Saturday nights on more useful activities was the right one, this skit provides just that. Sure, for those of you who will tell me to get over it, there are certainly a few funny points in this skit. Yet, most of what the SNL writers hope that we will find funny are attempts to support stereotypes and false perceptions that some people have about those of us who are blind. For more reaction to the parity, check out this Associated Press article. You decide. Watch the video and leave your thoughts.