[nabs-l] Organizations express outrage overrepublicandisability policy

Mon Nov 3 19:45:21 UTC 2008

Antonio and Others,

One of the things that we are going to have to really work on if Obama is elected is the idea that many Democrats have that "the disabled" can be treated as one 
group with one solution.  In my experience, it is difficult to really link either party as good or bad with respect to blind people.  I think it is fair to say that Democrats 
tend to be more likely to spend money on problems that address the disabled, but they have also tended to take a broad brush approach that downplays the 
different needs of various disabled groups.  Republicans, on the other hand, spend less money and can sometimes be more paternalistic in their outlook and less 
likely to push businesses to help us, but sometimes recognize more completely the need for specialized services because they tend to be more geared to looking at 
individuals than groups.  Of course, individuals in either group can defy the stereotype.  In the end, what a given administration does will depend, in my opinion, more 
on how effectively we work with them than which party they belong to.  There are many other reasons one may want to vote for one party versus the other, but I 
really don't think that voting for any candidate because he or she will, by themselves, change our lives makes a lot of sense.  It just doesn't work that way.  I say this 
as one who supports Obama in general, knowing we may have work to do if he wins.

On Mon, 3 Nov 2008 12:12:06 -0500, Joe Orozco wrote:

>Antonio,

>Laws change policies, not attitudes.  Further, the government cannot
>realistically create jobs, unless you suggest the government only hire
>people with disabilities to reduce the overall unemployment of that sector
>of the population.  What is troubling about your continuing rhetoric is that
>it would appear you are counting on an Obama administration to miraculously
>make things better.  It will not.  To be fair, it cannot.  Vote for Obama if
>you must, but vote with the understanding that all the success you pretend
>will be achieved by your candidate are actually successes you and I will
>have to work to make important items.  And no, it is not a plight.  Plight
>is reserved for those who absolutely cannot overcome adversity.  The
>generation of leaders that built the NFB we see today overcame their
>obstacles with far less accessories we have today, so spare us all the
>unnecessary gloomy language.  It may be part of some people's skeptical
>reality, but it does not have to be part of ours.

>Joe Orozco

>P.S. Let's see some examples of all the instances the McCain campaign has
>hinted at negativity for the disabled community portrayed by the article you
>forwarded.  Claiming McCain and Palin have said this or that does not make
>evidence, only hearsay.

>"Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity."--James M.
>Barrie
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>Of Antonio Guimaraes
>Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 5:06 PM
>To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Organizations express outrage overrepublicandisability
>policy

>Hello Beth, and all,

>I don't think McCane and Palen are against people with disabilities, as you
>point out in your post. They are aganst some things, as are you and me, but
>they are surely not aganst the disabled.

>I do feel the Obama camp gets it more about the 54 million of us with a
>disability, and would help our plight, yes, I said plight, more than the
>concervatives.

>Now, about plight, if you thing 70 percent unemployment rate does not
>qualify as plight, I don't know what does.

>So, rather than point out 70 percent of us are unemployed, lets hit the
>books, and other places to change this number.

>Plitefully yours,

>Antonio

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Beth" <thebluesisloose at gmail.com>
>To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
><nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 4:56 PM
>Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Organizations express outrage over
>republicandisability 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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>>
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