Veneer of Acceptance

Veneer can be thin and can peel back at the edge. It seems that is the case with the Veneer of Acceptance.

Since the mysterious disappearance of Common Sense, who was last reported seen sharing a peanut butter and banana sandwich with Elvis somewhere in Michigan, it’s not surprising we haven’t noticed the application of the Veneer of Acceptance, it was only when Britons saw Cerrie Burnell (1), a new host on a BBC children’s show whose lower right arm is missing, that the edge of the Veneer of Acceptance began to visibly peel back and we began to see that we may be distracted by decorative detail work and not paying attention to function.

Parents started to write to the BBC expressing their fears that Cerrie would frighten their children.

This isn't a story from The Onion; it may be a canary in our coal mine. One father wrote that he didn't want his daughter to watch any more, it might give her nightmares. Another asked: “Is it just me, or does anyone else think the new woman presenter … may scare the kids because of her disability?”. One other post was more pointed: “How do you explain to a three-year-old child why one of the presenters has half an arm?” One forum comment even said: 'What is scary is the BBC's determination to show “minorities"’

Others tried – to no avail – to tack back the loose edges of the Veneer of Acceptance. “I don't mean to make people feel uncomfortable, but why does she have to have the sleeve pulled so high up?” and. “She didn't have to hide the arm but I think she should pull her sleeve down a bit more.”

Veneers have been around since the pharaohs ruled Egypt. Veneers aren’t inherently bad; it’s the quality of the veneer you want to investigate. Veneers got their first bad press with inferior products that didn’t stand the test of time. In the 1940’s, mass production became the wave of the future. Furniture could be ordered from the Sears and Roebuck catalogue to furnish your farm house in Saskatchewan or your cottage in Ontario. Mass production meant less attention to detail; manufacturers could cut corners by putting veneers over plywood or chipboard to hide the value of the core.

Maybe it’s time to examine the values of our core, collectively. The Veneer of Acceptance is beginning to wear thin and is giving us a glimpse of what may be inside.

If we ever hope to coax Common Sense out of hiding in time to assist in the hard decisions regarding matters such as assisted reproduction, "Custom kids" (2) we need to remove the Veneer of Acceptance completely and examine our core values and see if they stand the test of time.

Pass me the chili cheese fries.

(1) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1152466/One-armed-presenter-scaring-children-parents-tell-BBC.html



(2) http://www.dnapolicy.org/news.past.php?action=detail&past_event_id=20