DISABLED KNIGHT IS ENABLED

by Michael Douglas Carlin

Here is a man who fully qualifies for disability, and no one would hold it against him if he decided to go down to the government offices and fill out the application with his one good hand. There would be scores of people along the way to sign off on all of the forms to get him public assistance. Doctors would vouch for him saying, "Yes, he is fully entitled to get public money." Mountains of paperwork would be generated, filling lots of file cabinets and costing tax payers so much more than the monthly support checks from pushing all of that paperwork around and constantly re-evaluating his disability claim. The reality of the situation is that no amount of monitoring will be bringing back mobility to Duke Earl Walker's left side. But, Duke isn't going to allow the government to tell him how much he is worth. Duke may qualify for public assistance, but he isn't going down to the government offices anytime soon to fill out that paperwork to get the money he is entitled to receive.

Duke has elected to allow the private sector to determine his value to society by spending his time helping others because of the valuable lessons that life has taught him. In 1992, Walker was involved in a high speed chase that sent him away for a stint. Addiction was the root cause behind Walker's troubles, and, when he got out of the slammer, he again began pushing the limits. He was involved in a motorcycle accident that left him partially paralyzed. "My dad came and took care of me for six months."

Dad said: "Son, if you need to take that $742 a month in disability, then go ahead and take it but remember that the government is telling you that that is all you are worth." So, Duke decided not to let the government determine his value to society.

At a crossroads in life, he met a woman, and they decided to get sober together. The couple decided to adopt Courtney, a three-month old baby girl. So many people told them that it was never going to happen. During the process, it was determined that Courtney had cerebral palsy and would require special care. That didn't stop the process, because Duke was already in love.

Adoptions are not usually granted to a man with a criminal record. Adoptions are not usually granted to the physically challenged and with a child that has special needs. And, during the adoption process, his relationship with the woman dissolved, so that he was left single, and adoptions clearly are not granted to single men. That didn't stop Duke, because he felt at the core of his being that little Courtney was meant to become his daughter.

Every time he went to court, a miracle happened. The judge granted visitation at first. That led to weekends and overnights. Progress was being made. Parenting classes and drug testing provided powerful evidence that the judge evaluated throughout the process. At one point, Duke's mother got into the mix as a potential strategy to complete the adoption, but Duke wanted to adopt Courtney himself. At the final court hearing, the opposing counsel was vehemently opposed to this adoption. The lawyer brought up every single reason why Duke should never be allowed to make this adoption. After hearing all of this and weighing it against the now mountain of paperwork supporting Duke's case, and sensing the love that Duke could provide along with his positive role model as a man who made a choice not let his handicap define him, the judge ruled in favor of Duke and granted the adoption.

"This beautiful little girl saved my life," says Duke. He now works as an instructor at InterCoast Colleges in the Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselor Program. He teaches students how to deal with addiction, just one of the obstacles he overcame in his road through life. "See that Corvette over there? That car is mine."

He points out an immaculate late model black Corvette. No doubt he never would have afforded it if he had decided to take the dole the government offers. Just because a man made some bad choices that led him to a bad place doesn't mean he must continue to make those bad choices. America can learn a lot from Duke to get moving again. How many people are on government assistance who could help others deal with life's real problems? Battling addiction, overcoming handicaps, learning math, English and reading? How many youths can benefit from these positive role models?

Duke now deals with his need for speed on the racetrack, where he races drag cars. His car is modified with a shift solenoid that shifts the gears for him. His car is appropriately named, "The One Armed Bandit."

(Update: Duke passed away recently, but he worked until the day he died, tirelessly helping others. His life and choices provide an example for all of us.)

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.