Dear Barack and Roy :: Straight jacket..? Not so much........

Caught up with M.S. Bellows, Jr.,'s/Jr.'s (how does one punctuate that, anyway..?) latest, Former Clinton-Gore Campaign Chair: "This Race Is Over, Over.", over at Huffington Post just now.. Not sure quite what to think..

Yes, as the receiver of the endorsement, Barack Obama is not in full control of the comments appended to the why-fors of people choosing him over Hillary Clinton..

But.......

Straight jacket..?:

This nation is evolving. Colorado is one of those states you call a red state... [but] I don't think Colorado is the same state it was 20 years ago. I think we need to get out of the straight jacket, 'this is a red state, this is a blue state'.... We need a candidate who can appeal to the evolving nature of U.S. politics."

Oooh.. It just got that much better.. First time 'round, I got so hung up on just seeing "straight jacket" tossed about so nonchalantly, I missed that they're recognizing the World is indeed changing..

Most respectfully, word to your camps: Disabilism.. Using terminology like "straight jacket" when you (at least from here on out) know it is offensive to many because of the post-traumatic stress visions of in-hospital abuse and torture it invokes..

Won't go there here, but I can guarantee to you that, betweenst you and I, I'm sure that we could insert in its place something ethnic-based or sexist-based, and you'd suddenly take heed of the comparable pain induced to other sets of demographics.. Works exactly the same for people with disabilities..

They call it dadgum basic Human respect for and acknowledgment of the circumstances of another.. It's not hard to do if it is indeed who you genuinely are deep, deep, down inside.. And when you willingly put yourself out there in politics, it additionally becomes a permanent part of your job description..

Cyber hugs from Talking Rock..

Blogging Against Disabilism :: Still Waiting.. ITMT, Edwards and Obama Schmooze..

Before And After :: About These Images..

Immediately below are two printscreen snippets recently grabbed from the BarackObama.com website while disability self-advocates were asking for inclusion of disabilities under the website's "People" listing.. The lefthand snippet reflects where there was no general disability category under "People".. The righthand snippet was taken last Friday after Seth D. Harris, a member of the BarackObama.com website, shared with us that Disabilities now will indeed receive a demographic representation under the "People" listing.. Yay..!

Before I get started back up on my soapbox and so as not to seem woefully ungrateful, I would very much like to once again sincerely, publicly thank the Barack Obama campaign people for addressing the concerns of those of us who wrote repeatedly to them and about them having persons with disabilities (PWDs) listed for a long, long time only as "Issues", translation: "Problems", and not as "People".. It was the Number One first thing I know I noticed when initially patronizing their website:

• Butterfly :: Funny how rhetoric can sidetrack a girl.. :)..

Success was broadcast this past Friday, May 9, 2008, in the form of emailed correspondence from a gentleman named Seth D. Harris and addressed to multiple BarackObama.com disability topicked groups stating that we were indeed now seen also as People First via the new addition of an "Americans With Disabilities" category within the "People" listings on the Obama presidential campaign's official website..

'Tis good the addition of AWDs for, until this very week, "Labor", "Environmentalists", and "Kids" were among all the other demographics and special interests of people visually holding value to the Obama campaign.. Value by association, or the lack thereof, is subliminally perceptual, through the action of addition and/or omissions to such a list.. Highlighting that "minor" detail had been a must-gots-to-do-soon on this kid's upcoming blog agenda as a matter of fact.. :wink, grin:

Now, about all those huge news stories breaking today about Senator John Edwards publicly announcing his political endorsement of Obama as the candidate to beat during the 2008 presidential elections:

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) :: John Edwards decides to endorse Obama; Associated Press, Published 05/14/08
• The Huffington Post :: John Edwards Endorsing Obama; Published May 14, 2008
• Google Search :: edwards endorses obama..

All this flagrant media hyped grandstanding conspicuously reaching out to grab the attention of America's perceived "middle class" voters begs me to most respectfully inquire:

Whose hand is slated to be embraced to garner the confidence of the some 50+ million persons with disabilities across these, our United States..?

Embraced so passionately as to garner the confidence of PWDs such that they will never again feel the stigmatic pain of yet again being left out and behind, endlessly segregant even as others rally and celebrate.. in Unity.. just beyond the Disability Community's societal ordained reach..

With untold numbers of persons with disabilities in long term care (LTC) facilities (i.e. nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, et al[l]) to date silently left out in the cold with respect to the recent, albeit admirable, Vote For Change nationwide voter registration campaign, some, for lack of a better word this sec, "schmoozing" in their direction is seriously in order..

Too.......

To date, disability self-advocates have had to champion just to be recognized as People First and not purely issues or problems within certain political circles.. Fodder for another day is us having to then face abusive verbal retribution purportedly from fellow PWDs within that same camp for us even daring to negatively engage in such an action..

And now we see this.. Importance reaped once again on the almighty dollar as one representative of the Democratic political party, the party that notoriously appeals to those with threadbare pocketbooks, seeks to ostentatiously rope in the middle class vote.. Doing so presents the appearance of Choice, one of more monies over less, middle class over lower class, since some sizable number of the Disability voter base is living hand to mouth in the true sense of the old adage, if not literally living on the streets because of their Life-induced circumstances..

Yeah, not hard to tell these Fingertips are still a little bent about the Disability Vote not hitting the radar of the Vote For Change nationwide voter registration drive, well, not in my state, anyway.. I was told firsthand that, well, maybe next time, basically.. "Maybe next time" wearies on these Fingertips as still more people jailed away, incarcerated against their Wills in long term care centers across the country have died while we all wait to be included.......

Maybe next time.

The following quote was a huge part of what kills me about the Vote For Change campaign.. The Barack Obama presidential campaign's OWN correspondence regarding building steam for the voter registration drive last weekend boasted:

The goal of this campaign has always been to reach out to people of all races, ages, and backgrounds and bring them back into the political process.

Right now, there are thousands of qualified voters in every state who are not registered to vote -- and they need someone to help make their voices heard.

Yup. Some other time, kid.. Just not now when they're trying to stir up the most interest via their well-publicized Vote for Change voter registration drive kickoff event..

Voter rights for persons with disabilities in long term care centers..? Still not to be even when the push is on so hard to help enable that Right for EVERY single other one else.. The message remains loud and clear that the Disability Voice continues to be viewed as counting naught for squat..

Here's to bumping up each, our own voter registration efforts just to show them the genuine passion behind one of my favorite mantras:

Feel The Power of The Disability Vote..

Cyber hugs from Talking Rock.. :wink:

---

Acronyms used in this piece.....

• PWD :: person with a disability
• AWDs :: Americans With Disabilities
• AJC :: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• LTC :: long term care
• ITMT :: in the mean time

MH State Hospital Survey :: GA MHDDAD Family Satisfaction Survey..

*Love* Life's little presents like the following that wholly accidentally find their way to these fingertips.. This is a Georgia DHR MHDDAD mental health hospital survey explaining itself with the following:

People who are treated in Georgia’s state mental health hospitals need the support of their family and friends to get and stay well. Loved ones also see the progress of the patient and the quality of the hospital and its staff from a unique perspective.

If you’re close to someone who’s been treated in one of Georgia’s seven state mental health hospitals, we want to hear about your experiences. Please take a moment to fill out the following survey. If a question isn’t applicable to you, or you prefer not to answer, just select N/A.

Survey's original URL :: 167.193.142.194/mhsite/survey.aspx..

For those who may be concerned, the numerical web addy reflected, 167.193.142.194, defaults back to Georgia DHR's Office of Communications if followed..

BUTTERFLY BYTE :: Know up front that, while this survey does not appear to ask for any personally identifiable information, any server anywhere, any time can and does document our IP (Internet protocol) addresses, the sometimes temporary, sometimes more permanent numbers our IPSs (Internet service providers) mark us with, identify us by each time we log on to the Internet.. Just a subtle reminder that we are never as invisible as it may seem at first glance.. :wink:

Cyber hugs..

Cindy Sue

Advocacy 101 :: Courteous Language..

In circumstances of advocacy and self-advocacy, the use of courteous, heartfelt language, even under the most challenging, adverse of situations, can and does beget the respectful, attentive ear of others..

Speaking most humbly from these fingertips after witnessing the outcome of numerous exchanges, conversations across the glorious WWW.......

Delving into the who, what, whens, and where-not-tos along with when it does become "totally time to" with respect to the impacts of language usage as ourselves and under the guise of Internet anonymity are a must-have-do for any disability advocacy and self-advocacy training programs as part of the provided curriculum.. The difference in verbiage applied can be the difference between our injustices being truly Heard or being shut out for good..

THAT said, I do believe I will continue to most unhumbly stand by my own renaming of our dear Dr. Uncouth for his language used during his advocation for hastening the death of our vulnerable populations.. That was indubitably so a totally time to...

:wink, cyber hugs:

Statement of Solidarity for the Dignity of PWDs..

A Statement of Solidarity for the Dignity of People With Disabilities: A Reaction to, against the "Ashley Treatment"..

pub6.bravenet.com/guestbook/501900445.

Resource: People First of Georgia.