Author: familylives

For those whose ’emptiness’ cannot be filled by human services, the most obvious ‘need’ is the opportunity to express and share their gifts, skills, capacities, and abilities with friends, neighbors, and…citizens in the community. – JOHN MCKNIGHT

When in doubt about what to do, a gentle caregiver looks at any question or situation from this perspective – ‘What will help the person feel safe and loved at this very moment?’ – JOHN MCGEE

Support, not supplant, the natural home. – GUNNAR DYBWAD

[I]mprisonment and segregation can be made more comfortable, but they can never be made into freedom or participation. – BURTON BLATT

Of course, if severely handicapped people will be persecuted, those who stand with them will be subject to the same onslaught. – WOLF WOLFENSBERGER

Much of the positive reputation of the medical profession flows from the ethic that assumes a good doctor, before undertaking any intervention, always asks: ‘Will this initiative help more than hurt?’ – JOHN MCKNIGHT

We are gentle people.  We seek non-violent ways to teach people to feel safe with us, to feel loved by and loving towards others, and learn that it is good to be with others and us.  – JOHN MCGEE

Are we really opposed to giving little children, particularly helpless handicapped children, all the help we could give?  Is not there some misunderstanding somewhere?  We all do love children, you know. – GUNNAR DYBWAD

That [N. and W. Buildings at our state schools] continue to exist is either a massive indictment of our collective intelligence and relatedness or a colossal testament to human inertia or our incompetence.   – BURTON BLATT

The logical and moral position to take is a reverence for life, and what I call a unity of life position that values the life of each and every human, and opposes all intentional dead-wishing and deadmaking. – WOLF WOLFENSBERGER