"Disability, Hysteria, and Environmental Illness" My rank as a Disability Target is a new concept to me. Prior to March of 2018 I was considered perfectly healthy with no disabilities. From November 2017 through February of 2018, I had a cold that persisted for months. I was congested, coughing all the time and having issues falling asleep because I couldn’t breathe while laying down. At first the doctors gave me cold remedies and antibiotics, treating the condition as a severe cold. After a few months, I was sent to an allergist and I was told I have asthma and am allergic to most of the trees in Washington. My skin even reacted to the saline they used as the control for the test. They then had to perform a different, very painful test to be sure the first diagnosis was accurate because I reacted to saline control. In lieu of my recent transition into being a Disability Target, I decided that “Disability, Hysteria, and Environmental Illness”, was the perfect topic to discuss. I had a hard time accepting this news. I am an athlete, I play the trombone, and I love climbing trees. How is this possible? I’ve never had problems with my lungs or issues around trees. My entire life up until that diagnosis, I had held Agent Rank in the category Disability. I always thought that asthma was a thing people got if they didn’t go outside or get enough exercise. I believed that if they exerted themselves more, then their lungs would get stronger. When we were kids, my friends and I wouldn’t pick the kid in the neighborhood with the inhaler to be on our team because we wanted to win. I can’t even remember his name. In fact, my first thought when the doctor told me I had asthma was, ‘What? I am not nerdy like… whatever his name!’. I even argued with her about my allergy to the trees in Washington because I had spent the last ten years in Alaska around the same tress and never had a problem. Before being diagnosed, while still a Disability Agent, I was an antagonist. My contribution to oppression was Ableism, using the Agent skills of indifference and distancing to ignore and separate myself from people I didn’t view as equal to me. After being diagnosed, I used the Target skills of Survival and Confusion when questioning medical tests that clearly indicated that I have a disability. As Nieto states, “Confusion skills are a response to the stress caused by oppression and the simultaneous denial that exists.” (p. 155) It became clear to me that I was in denial as an Agent and may still be in denial as a Target. In an unintentional position of power and control, I used minimizing, denying and blaming to oppress that kid in the neighborhood with asthma. I have always thought of myself as a good person, yet how could I think that way without thinking about the impact my actions had on that kid. Now that I am on the other side, I understand it more. It’s hard to describe what it feels like to try to take a breath but not be able to. Your chest even moves up an.

1. "Disability, Hysteria, and Environmental Illness"
My rank as a Disability Target is a new concept to me. Prior to
March of 2018 I was considered perfectly healthy with no
disabilities. From November 2017 through February of 2018, I
had a cold that persisted for months. I was congested, coughing
all the time and having issues falling asleep because I couldn’t
breathe while laying down. At first the doctors gave me cold
remedies and antibiotics, treating the condition as a severe cold.
After a few months, I was sent to an allergist and I was told I
have asthma and am allergic to most of the trees in Washington.
My skin even reacted to the saline they used as the control for
the test. They then had to perform a different, very painful test
to be sure the first diagnosis was accurate because I reacted to
saline control. In lieu of my recent transition into being a
Disability Target, I decided that “Disability, Hysteria, and
Environmental Illness”, was the perfect topic to discuss.
I had a hard time accepting this news. I am an athlete, I play the
trombone, and I love climbing trees. How is this possible? I’ve
never had problems with my lungs or issues around trees. My
entire life up until that diagnosis, I had held Agent Rank in the
category Disability. I always thought that asthma was a thing
people got if they didn’t go outside or get enough exercise. I
believed that if they exerted themselves more, then their lungs
would get stronger. When we were kids, my friends and I
wouldn’t pick the kid in the neighborhood with the inhaler to be
on our team because we wanted to win. I can’t even remember
his name. In fact, my first thought when the doctor told me I
had asthma was, ‘What? I am not nerdy like… whatever his
name!’. I even argued with her about my allergy to the trees in
Washington because I had spent the last ten years in Alaska
around the same tress and never had a problem. Before being
diagnosed, while still a Disability Agent, I was an antagonist.

2. My contribution to oppression was Ableism, using the Agent
skills of indifference and distancing to ignore and separate
myself from people I didn’t view as equal to me. After being
diagnosed, I used the Target skills of Survival and Confusion
when questioning medical tests that clearly indicated that I have
a disability. As Nieto states, “Confusion skills are a response to
the stress caused by oppression and the simultaneous denial that
exists.” (p. 155) It became clear to me that I was in denial as an
Agent and may still be in denial as a Target.
In an unintentional position of power and control, I used
minimizing, denying and blaming to oppress that kid in the
neighborhood with asthma. I have always thought of myself as a
good person, yet how could I think that way without thinking
about the impact my actions had on that kid. Now that I am on
the other side, I understand it more. It’s hard to describe what it
feels like to try to take a breath but not be able to. Your chest
even moves up and down just like it is supposed to, but you still
can’t breathe. Breathing is pretty much the first thing we do
post-womb and one of the most basic of our human needs. I’ve
tried to go hiking and biking, but I cannot make it though a trip
with out having to use my inhaler. Sometimes, if I start
laughing at a joke, I start coughing uncontrollably which always
elicits looks of concern or disgust from the people around me.
Coughing, spitting up mucus, purple in color and oxygen
deprived until I use my inhaler to breathe again normally. It is
very embarrassing and because of it I try not to laugh as much
anymore. I don’t feel oppressed though, instead I feel guilty for
coughing too loudly or snoring at night if others are trying to
sleep.
I wasn’t sure what the exact definition of environmental illness
was. When I searched it on Web MD.com, it came up with these
alternate names, "sick building syndrome”, Multiple Chemical
Sensitivity or “MCS”, and “idiopathic environmental
intolerance.” There is a list of symptoms and they don’t have a

3. clear idea why people have environmental illnesses, but the
article did speculate that depression or anxiety could be a cause.
Immediately I was reminded of the hysterical women of the
witch hunts or the experiences of Jennifer Brea and the millions
of others who are not believed. The article is reaffirming the
idea that if we can’t figure out what it is, then it’s likely a
mental issue. The treatment options listed were for anxiety,
headaches and antidepressants. Web WD also stated, “Those
feelings are real. But they can happen for many reasons. The
question is whether MCS is an illness. Health experts don’t
agree on that.” Groups, within groups, all separate keeping the
power and control wheel rolling, all subservient to white
supremacy.
I know now that there is a collection of systems in place that
function in a manner that perpetuates itself. A hierarchy where
heterosexual white men reign with supremacy. What I
experience now is nothing compared to those at the inception of
capitalism. According to Ferderici, the separation of people into
groups stems back to Europe and the 1300’s. Where lowered
population due to the Black Plague, and a loss of control by the
elite class, fueled the birth of capitalism. It started with control
of women and the workforce, but as Heteropatriarchy
strengthened its reign, those wearing the crowns learned the
ability to create and control more groups of people.
Heteropatriarchy and its contribution to the belief that normal is
straight, white and male, has conversely led to the inevitable
opposite. Which is that everyone who is not able, heterosexual,
white, or male, must then be abnormal. The abnormal people
will find more obstacles in life that will have to be overcome,
and they will even oppress each other to overcome those
obstacles. I did it as a child and at that time I was a Target in
Ethnicity, Gender, and Social Class Culture, yet I denied a
Disability Target. This system is so set in place that normal
people can just sit back, relax and enjoy the unearned perks.
This is the way Capitalism keeps control of the situation under

4. white supremacy, we participate without even knowing it. Both
Agents and Targets help to keep that system moving yet most
are completely oblivious to that fact.
I am no longer oblivious to this knowledge, but I know that I
have a lot further to go before I reach Empowerment, if ever. I
am hoping that I have developed a few empowered skills from
one of my other Target memberships, and that those acquired
skills will help me towards using Target-Valuing Skills.
However, “as targets, we have been primed to use these skills,
and they come readily to us…we might fall into using these
skills as a consequence of internal stress or a threatening
situation.” (p. 156) In that excerpt, Nieto speaks of our
tendency to revert to Agent-Centric Skills. With that in mind I
imagine I should be more cautious and aware now that I have a
newly acquired Target Rank.
References:
Federici, Silvia; “Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and
Primitive Accumulation”; Autonomedia; 2014
Brea, Jennifer; “Unrest”; Video Documentary; 2017
Neito, Leticia; “Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment, A
Developmental Strategy to Liberate Everyone”; Cuetzpalin,
2010
WebMD; “https://www.webmd.com/allergies/multiple-chemical-
sensitivity#1”; Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Article; August
13, 2017
2
If the assignment does not meet one of the criteria in the rubric,
be sure to let the student know how they can improve. In
addition, your assignment is to engage with what another
student has said following the guidelines laid out by Dr. Betsey
Barnett in her lectures on Multicultural Understanding. In the

5. peer review, you must demonstrate that you understand what
another student is saying by relating it to other course materials
and your own personal experience. Your goal is to demonstrate
understanding rather than agreement, disagreement, or
judgement. Peer review is NOT a space to harass, intimidate, or
patronize another student. It is not a space to play devil's
advocate, or to start a debate. One excellent way to demonstrate
multicultural understanding is to connect what the student has
discussed to examples and themes in our other course materials
for that week, or to recount a related personal experience that
you have had. Please avoid compliments or critiques. "I really
liked it when..." and "I agree with what you said..." are two
statements to avoid. For more details on how to communicate
using understanding rather than agreement or disagreement,
please take another look at Dr. Barnett's lectures in the day one
and week one modules.
Rubric：
Example:
word count: 260
In the first section of your paper I gave you a 1 because you
quoted the text, but you did not give a complete summary. it
might be hard for Dr. Kleisath to know from your writing that
completed and understood the full reading. Dr. Kleisath asked
us to put all of our quotes in context, meaning explain where in
the story that quote came from, and why you think it's
important.
For "Parable", you picked a quote that briefly describes the
transformation of community that happened throughout Lauren's
early life. You stated that Lauren goes along with the baptism
but feels no connection with her father's God. Your chosen
quote is not only applicable to Butler's novel, but to other
situations in the world today where people are encouraged to
"go with the flow" or face serious social repercussions. For
example, some people may not agree with their religious leaders

6. if they hear them preaching against the LGBT community, but it
would take a lot of courage to go against a community leader,
so a lot of people might remain quiet.
In your reflection on Loewen, you noted that heroification not
only gives an incomplete message about historic figures, but
that without it, such people might not have even deserved to be
studied in the first place. I am someone who places an
extremely high value on honesty, and your point reminded me
of how complex honesty can be. Are we being honest if we tell
the truth, but only represent the part of the truth that we like?