renaissance poisson

I don't know if this is even indirectly spun off the Wiscon panel discussion, but in that conversation, someone (maybe jesse_the_k?) pointed out that a crutch is a good thing: it's not the problem, it's part of a solution, or can be. Yes, the metaphor is about overreliance or laziness, but we should reclaim the concept of a crutch: it's a tool that helps people get places or do things when they otherwise might not be able to. (From a certain angle, most tools are such: if it's reasonable to use an automobile for mobility, why not a couple of shaped pieces of wood?)