I like your spirit! It makes me glad to see many of my disabled
brothers and sisters finally stop being so submissive. The only way
persons with disabilities are ever going to acheive true equality against
our ableist system is to fight the status quo with whatever means we can.
That's why I am proud to be a member of ADAPT.
The fact that your friend, Hutch, was confined to a nursing home
typifies the atrocities committed against us under the guise of "taking
care of us." Hutch is only one example of a disabled person that our
cruel society betrayed. There are two million persons with disabilities
incarcerated in "nursing homes".
I know all too well about the deceit and uncaring corruption of
the MDA. On two occassions, in 1982 and '88, when I needed ventilators,
they refused to help me buy them. They attempted to justify this by
coldly stating "we don't respiratory care anymore". My God, these are
the people who are supposed to care about us?
The Telethon, and the sick, exploitive attitude behind it, is
something I truly loathe. That's why in 1992, I founded the S.F. Bay
Area chapter of Jerry's Orphans. Picketing the Telethon is a great,
empowering experience. Have you ever been a member of ADAPT or Jerry's
Orphans? You have got the right attitude.
Blane
:-)
On Sun, 19 Oct 1997 10:46:39 -0500 brew-parrish(AT)juno.com (Valerie
Brew-Parrish) writes:
>kEVIN,
>I thought your comments were well spoken about MDA putting too much
>money into research. When I was 15(many moons ago) I met a girl at
>camp named Hutch. She had MD and we became close friends. Like many
>disabled persons that the public doesn't know about, Hutch was
>rejected by her biological mom and family. All she wanted was an
>electric wheelchair and to go to school. MDA refused to buy her a
>chair. When I returned from camp, I called MDA and begged them to buy
>her an electric chair. I also begged my family to let Hutch live with
>us so she could go to school. I was stopped on both counts. My dad had
>13 strokes before he died. My mom couldn't take care of the 3 of us.
>Anyway, I was furious with MDA for not helping my friend. I think
>that's when I first became an activist. I started writing letters to
>the Chicago newspapers to get Hutch a wheelchair. I was successful. By
>this time though, she had been placed in a nursing home. SHE HAD A
>DISABILITY; SHE WASN'T SICK. Why can't people know the difference?
>Over the yrs. I lost touch with Hutch. Many of my closest friends had
>MD. I went to elementary, high school, and college with "Jerry's
>Orphans." Lewis actually tried to sue Mike & Chris for protesting his
>sanctimonious telethon. He claimed they were never poster
>children--they were! Lewis & his honchos tried to threaten them by
>saying Mike & Chris were responsible for pledges not coming in so MDA
>would stop the MDA camps. Lewis tried to get the late Evan Kemp
>(disability activist and person with a form of MD) fired from his post
>as EEOC Commissioner because of an article Evan wrote stating his
>feelings against the telethon. I organized a letter writing campaign
>to George Bush to keep Evan at his job! Then, a few yrs. back, many
>MDA Chapters didn't want to pay for people's vents! I am assuming that
>situation got resolved. When Diane Piestro (Disability writer with
>M.S.) kept questioning where all the millions collected go, Lewis got
>many of her newspaper syndications pulled. You hit one of my hot spots
>about MDA. I agree with you. Too much money for the cure and for their
>executives and not enough to help the people living with MD!
>Val