[nabs-l] Organizations express outrage over republican disability policy

Sat Nov 1 17:09:02 UTC 2008

To be devil's advocate for a minute, I think, although Palin has a kid with 
Down's Syndrome, she might be against equal rights for people with 
disabilities cause she thinks her daughter might never get far enough in 
life to use many equal rights, such as the right to vote.  Equal rights 
might not even be on her radar screen cause her kid probably isn't gonna get 
that far in life.  I'm not supporting McCain-Palin.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Beth" <thebluesisloose at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2008 9:12 AM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Organizations express outrage over republican 
disability policy

> That's what we would hope because Down's Syndrome is worse than
> blindness because to me, it's an intellectual hold on your mind.  You
> can't go any further than a certain point, and then there are the
> physical things you can't do.  I know several people with Down's who
> have been lucky enough to function on thir own or have been lucky
> enough to be highly intelligent, but I don't see too many Down's
> people given credit for what they can or can't do.  I don't know if
> Palin's Down's child is functional on her own.
> Beth
>
> On 10/31/08, Sarah Jevnikar <sarah.jevnikar at utoronto.ca> wrote:
>> I think McCain's running mate has a daughter with down's syndrome, so one
>> would hope she's not completely against disability rights. Happy voting
>> guys.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Beth
>> Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 5:56 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Organizations express outrage over republican
>> disability policy
>>
>> Geez, why execute criminals with developmental disabilities?  Why?
>> And please, somebody tell me why McCain and Palin are acting the way
>> they do.  It's bad enough that Palin is against the LGBT community,
>> but against people with disabilities?  I knew this was going to
>> happen.  I don't know if I'm psychic, but I just know it's going to
>> happen.
>> Beth
>>
>> On 10/31/08, Antonio Guimaraes <aguimaraes at nbp.org> wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Just received this press release, and am providing it for your
>> information,
>>> as you look to be informed to vote in the 2008 election.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Antonio Guimaraes
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ADAWatch.org
>>> National Coalition for Disability Rights
>>> 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 300
>>> Washington, DC 20006
>>> 202-448-9928 - info at ncdr.org
>>>
>>>
>>> NEWS RELEASE
>>>
>>> October 31, 2008
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Disability Rights Organizations Express Outrage Over Attacks at
>> McCain-Palin
>>> Rally
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Contacts:
>>>
>>> Jim Ward, Founder and President
>>>
>>> 202-415-4753 or jward at ncdr.org
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Marcie Roth, Executive Director
>>>
>>> 301-717-7447 or mroth at ncdr.org
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> (Washington, DC) The National Coalition for Disability Rights (NCDR)
>> pushed
>>> back today against the McCain-Palin campaign for ridiculing the legal
>> rights
>>> of people with disabilities. News reports describe McCain-Palin campaign
>>> representative Senator Kit Bond (R-Mo), joining Vice Presidential
>> candidate
>>> Sarah Palin at a rally in Rush Limbaugh's hometown of Cape Girardeau,
>>> Missouri, mocking Presidential candidate Senator Barak Obama for stating
>>> that he's looking to nominate judges who empathize with "the disabled."
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> "It's Halloween and it seems that Sarah Palin's mask of support for 
>>> people
>>> with "special needs" is slipping. Despite past pandering to people with
>>> disabilities, McCain-Palin are actually opposed to vital disability
>>> legislation like the Community Choice Act and they want to appoint 
>>> judges
>>> who will further roll back the civil rights protections of the Americans
>>> with Disabilities Act," declared NCDR's founder and president, Jim Ward.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> NPR's Nina Totenberg has reported that McCain-Palin's and conservatives'
>>> "most oft-mentioned prospects" for nomination to the Supreme Court 
>>> include
>>> Ohio Judge Jeffrey Sutton. Sutton was opposed by hundreds of disability
>>> organizations when he was nominated by President Bush after successfully
>>> weakening the ADA with states' rights arguments. As a sitting judge, he
>> has
>>> recently supported the execution of criminals with developmental
>>> disabilities and has undermined the Help America Vote Act(HAVA).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Disability rights advocates are further incensed that the McCain-Palin
>>> campaign has reframed this civil rights struggle, one founded in 
>>> concepts
>> of
>>> equality, dignity and self-respect, as an issue of "special needs."
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Disability rights advocate, Steve Gold states, "Yes we need support
>>> services. Yes we need inclusive education. Yes we need integrated
>>> employment. Yes we need equal rights. This not "special". These needs 
>>> are
>>> based on us, people with disabilities, equal members of our communities.
>> We
>>> are not inspirational nor are we "special". We are PROUD PEOPLE WITH
>>> DISABILITIES who should push back when anyone describes us as anything 
>>> but
>>> equal members of our communities."
>>>
>>>
>>> The National Coalition for Disability Rights is a nonpartisan nonprofit
>> that
>>> does not endorse political candidates.  We are a coalition of national,
>>> state and local disability, civil rights and social justice 
>>> organizations
>>> united to protect and promote the human rights of children and adults 
>>> with
>>> physical and mental disabilities.
>>>
>>>
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