Hiding from Humanity
Disgust, Shame, and the Law
Introduction
I. Shame and Disgust: Confusion in Practice and Theory
A California judge orders a man convicted of larceny to wear a shirt
stating, "I am on felony probation for theft." In Florida, convicted drunk
drivers are required to display bumper stickers reading "Convicted D.U.I."
Similar stickers have been authorized in other states, including Texas and
Iowa. Penalties like these, involving public shaming of the offender, are
becoming increasingly common as alternatives to fines and imprisonment.
Jamie Berube was born with Down syndrome. As a result of changes enacted
under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, he has an
Individualized Education Plan that provides for him to be "mainstreamed"
in a regular public school classroom, albeit with a monitor. The teacher
and monitor work to ensure that Jamie need not live as a shamed and
stigmatized person, and his condition need no longer be the object of
humiliation. Stephen Carr, a drifter lurking in the woods near the
Appalachian Trail, saw two lesbian women making love in their campsite. He
shot them ... read full excerpt from Hiding from Humanity: Disgust, Shame, and the Law ebook
