Helen Keller

.
"Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD."
-- Leviticus 19:14

There are so many great Helen Keller jokes, it's not even funny.


Okay, it's pretty darn funny.

Why couldn't Helen Keller drive?
She was a woman.

How did Helen Keller burn her ear?
She answered the iron.

Why did Helen Keller's dog run away?
You would too, if your name was Ghhhhaaarrrfffllemmm.


Tasteless? Yup.
Insensitive? Sure.
Funny?
... Yes.

But Helen Keller is also venerated and revered and more of an abstract concept/figure to us these days, rather than an individual with feelings.
... or so I tell myself so I don't feel guilty.

I used to say it's easy to mock deaf people... it's not like they're gonna hear it!
Or feel free to make goofy faces at blind people... no harm, no foul!

Well... that's wrong.
It IS so easy, which is why we shouldn't do it!
It doesn't say, "Thou shalt not mock the 7 foot tall, 300 pound NFL linebacker."
Because we wouldn't do that... we're terrified!

And fear is a chief motivator for most laws.

But someone who can't see or hear us?
Like taking candy from a blind baby
(that's sad, I know... but it WOULD be easier than taking candy from a baby who could see)

Also, that's why the verse ends by telling us to "fear thy God"-- because God KNOWS we won't fear the blind of deaf people. They're not intimidating!... But God is.
.