mighty comfortable

Last week, I asked readers to reply to something W said to a man in a wheelchair. The idea came from 360 Magazine:

Before a speech in South Florida encouraging Medicare recipients to sign up for the new prescription drug benefit, President Bush added another entry to his list of verbal miscues.

According to the Associated Press, during the usual hit-and-run of handshakes and hugs, President Bush greeted a man in a wheelchair with, "You look mighty comfortable."

After the groans subsided here at 360, we began asking each other how the wheeler should have responded. Keep in mind, you have probably no more than a couple of seconds of his attention, so how do you react? What do you say to the most powerful man in the world after such a comment?

My favourite wmtc reader comments were "I'd be happy to trade you places" (Vera) and "So do you, but then, my handicap's visible" (Lone Primate).

360 has posted a sample of their reader responses, which they say fall into the following categories:

"I’d be much more comfortable if the government stopped chipping away at the ADA and took disability rights more seriously."—Craig R.

"My 'tush' feels like your feet after you have been walking on them all day."
—Mary B.

"I'm not offended by this remark because at least he was acknowledging the gentleman, instead of looking right past him--you know the one that they think 'if I don't make eye contact with him, then he'll go away.'"—Tom A.

"I would be really comfortable if you would allow stem cell research to get me up and out of this chair."—Stephen C.

Three cheers to Stephen C.! That's the perfect response. Any bets on how Tom A. voted?