Submitted by Andy from Washington DC in response to “What Are Your Issues?”
If you are listening to the political rancor in the news lately, it could have a large impact for the accomplishments we have fought so hard to achieve. The Republican candidate for the Senate of KY, Rand Paul, stated that he would fight to abolish the American with Disabilities Act, ADA and anti-discrimination laws, besides other crazy ideas. What is the craziest is he is likely to win the seat. Although Rand Paul is one of the few that will come out to say what he thinks, there is a growing group that will not say it, but think it. This expanding political movement, fueled by talk radio, supports individual rights, over any other group rights. Such as the right of a business owner to not hire a person with a disability, because it may increase insurance payments, or simply because he does not want someone different working for his company. The anti-government,anti-regulations, anti-immigrant, can easily encompass an anti-disability movement.
” he Republican candidate for the Senate of KY, Rand Paul, stated that he would fight to abolish the American with Disabilities Act, ADA and anti-discrimination laws, besides other crazy ideas. ”
No, he did not.
I for one am not surprised. Outraged of course but not surprised.
ADA has been a battle all along against government and the private sector. There is no reason to think that will change. There is no reason for people with disabilities not to continue this fight. Don’t roll over and play dead on this.
This issue is warming up a bit. Fieldstone makes a valid point. Most people with disabilities never anticipated a walk through the garden when it comes to ADA. From the beginning there were powerful forces against it. People of that mind, in government or in the private sector, whoever they may be, will from time to time surface. We need to keep the vigil, eyes and ears open, nose up in the air. We need to stay organized and active even during the good times to soften the blow of the bad times, and the bad times will always come. We need to be ready for those times.
Nobody thought government and Santa Claus was the same thing. Did you?
I want to agree with Admin but it seems that there are more bad times than good times. My eyes, ears and nose are on overlaod!
Agreed! It’s important to keep the vigil and also to keep up a hot fire when your senses report a rat.
Watching government and private sector is one big job!
Big big job! It’s going to take a whole lot of people and a whole lot of time and then a whole lot of muscle.
That sounds about right but you have to remember- there are a “whole lot” of people out there with disabilities. They have concerned families and supportive friends. The muscle? Well, that works itself out as the numbers roll up.
On a recent interview (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126985068), Dr. Rand Paul states that might have marched with Martin Luther King to fight against “institutional racism”, but that the civil Rights Act of 1964 overreaches and that civl rights should be a local issue. Using this logic, he argues that “it isn’t fair to business owners [under the ADA]” to have to provide access to wheelchair users. He goes on to state, “I think if you have a two-story office and you hire someone who’s handicapped, it might be reasonable to let him have an office on the first floor rather than the government saying you have to have a $100,000 elevator.”
Wow. He’s wrong on so many levels. Out of curiosity, how was the elimination of institutional racism going between the end of the Civil War and 1964? If he’s against institutional racism, why not institutional able-ism?
Clearly, DR. Paul has no little idea what the ADA actually says or requires. In DR. Paul’s world, gone are the ideas of “reasonable accommodation”, “undue financial hardship” or other ADA provisions that help balance the law’s intent to end institutional able-ism against the rights of business owners.
I find it amazing that conservatives like Paul don’t get the bigger picture here. PWD, like me, want the right to find gainful employment. We want the right be active participants in the economy. We don’t want to have to rely upon public assistance, the charity of others or the hope that local business owners may provide access out of the goodness of their hearts. We want to earn the American dream.
In our wake, aging baby boomers and their retirement savings (what’s left of it) will be able to continue to be active participants in their communities and local economies after they fall down, break their hips and have disabilities.
It’s heartbreaking that these oppressive ideas are gaining popularity.
America is a stronger country because of the Civil Rights Act and the ADA.
It’s never good to tear down positive advances. It doesn’t matter if it is in civil rights, environment, disability or in any other area. Unfortunately we never know what motivates politicians and would be politicians. Is it their personal philosophy, campaign strategy or bought loyalty? Or a desire to make points with a certain populations.
Something more frightening than Paul’s philosophy- Is he doing this because he believes or knows that there are many voters in KY who think this is the right thing to do? I doubt it and hope that this is not truly the case. If it is though, we are in big trouble as a nation.
This despicable position by an aspiring “public servant” should serve to remind all of us who support the ADA, what it stands for - full assimilation into society by all of us with a disability, and all who will acquire a disability - and the blood, sweat and tears of all of those who opened the door for its passage that we must be vigilant and of one voice in screaming at the top of our lungs - “The ADA is the law of the land and we will not see it eradicated - or eroded in any way!”
Please use Spinal Cord Advocates as a forum to send that message loud and clear to Rand Paul and others who would do all civil liberties in our great nation a great disservice.
Patrick Maher
President, Board of Directors
NSCIA