What would you do if you saw a special needs
child or adult being insulted or mocked? Would you say something?
A Houston Texas waiter, Michael Garcia, did and reminds
us there are courageous people in this country who aren’t afraid to, “Speak up
for those who can’t speak for themselves, for the rights of all who need an advocate. Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor [vulnerable] and the needy.” (Proverbs 31:8: Complete Jewish Bible)
Garcia judged righteously. “Milo is such an
angel, he is a gift from God as are all special needs children,” he told Fox
News.
An ignorant customer thought otherwise. ““Special
needs kids should be kept in special places,” said a man who had been seated
next to the table where five year old, Milo, a boy with Down Syndrome, was
eating with his family.
Disgusted with the comment, Garcia refused to
serve the rude customer, defending the boy’s right to sit in a restaurant with
his family and not be subjected to random insults.
Despite his sudden fame from his unselfish act, Garcia
remains humble. “We can’t lose track of what this is about,” said Garcia. “It’s
about Milo, it is about educating ourselves and when people are different, why
should you treat them any different?”
Let’s hope Michael Garcia’s one act of courage has
a domino effect, igniting the duty to advocate for vulnerable citizens who can’t
defend themselves. And to educate the intolerant.
This story brought back
memories of when we lived in an apartment complex. I had brought my
severely-autistic son to the community pool. He was about the same age as Milo—five—at
the time. In the water, he began vocalizing and flapping his hands. An older
woman holding a beer walked over to me. “You shouldn’t bring him out in public,”
she belted. When I asked why, she threw
up her hands and began talking loudly to herself, proving it was her that wasn’t fit to be in public.
