SC - earning awards

[Laura C. Minnick]

Greetings Balthazar and list,
I do not know the people in question regarding fighting.  I
can speak only to myself and people I know who have
disabilities.  I do recall reading that some of the fighters
with disabilities got their rank/awards long after their
disabilities.  I know that for me, I received a Kingdom
level arts award primarily for my singing, and I certainly
did not have any impression that I received it because of
some feeling of "oh look, there's a blind person, let's give
her an award."  I was in the Society quite awhile before
getting an AoA (lots of people thought I already had one). 
I am a bit dumbfounded that the merit of an award recipient
should be questioned simply because he or she has a
disability.  I know you said you meant no disrespect, but
it's like saying you wonder if someone with black hair
really deserved their rank or award, or maybe was pitied
because their hair wasn't the more respectable blond.  You
may not have thought about it in that way before.  Black
hair certainly does not require compensation as does a
disability, but our disabilities are just a part of us like
hair or eye color, or body type is.  At least one fifth of
the population has some sort of disability, visible or
hidden.  There are also plenty of people who struggle with
their skills because of fatigue or asthma or less obvious
conditions.

I do not mean my comments as a slam at all, so I hope
neither you nor anyone else will perceive it so.

With courtesy,
Serian