Thanks for the good words! I think I'll decline your kind offer
to move to IN. I might run into Dan Quayle and be too tempted to, well,
run into him.
I also am associated with Not Dead Yet. You'd be surprised (or
most likely appalled) at how many people here in good, old "progressive"
CA prescribe to the beliefs of Kevorkian and the Hemlock people. It is
depressing to see how many people think we lack any real "quality of
life" and truly believe Kevorkian has the answer for our perceived
"misery."
Even though we disabled here in CA have it much better than most
disabled elsewhere in the US, our services and benefits have been
steadily erroding since '82. Two cold-blooded conservative Republican
Governors have caused us much damage. CA isn't nearly as
disability-friendly as it used to be.
Those people in the support group you mentioned sound like a real
trip. I've been around people like that a number of times, and I can't
stand them. I suspect most of these "pseudo-crips" are just working the
system. Personally, I avoid them like the plague. They are too
draining. I'd rather spend my time with positive thinking, strong, and
proud disabled people who are more interested in taking action to empower
themselves to effect change and correct the injustice which the system
has inflicted into their lives.
I agree with concept that disabled people, working collectively,
could really be a powerful force. Unfortunately, most of our brothers
and sisters are still too scattered, disorganized, and disinfranchised to
really join the battle. As it is now, it's up to people like us to hold
the line until they can get involved.
Blane
:-)
On Mon, 20 Oct 1997 19:31:24 -0500 brew-parrish(AT)juno.com (Valerie
Brew-Parrish) writes:
>Blane,
>I like your spirit too! Actually, my husband and I planned on
>traveling to Las Vegas last yr. to help protest the telethon. My
>husband also wanted to check out the braille slot machines! Money was
>very tight so we didn't go. I support Adapt. I believe in what they
>do. There are no local chapters here. There are 49.9 million Americans
>with disabilities. Imagine the political force we could be if we just
>banded together on issues. I also support NOT DEAD YET. You are
>fortunate that you live in an area that is disability wise. The
>disabled people in Illinois and Massachusetts seem to have it together
>too. Something happened to the disabled people here in IN. The
>disability rights movement (with a few exceptions) passed these people
>right on by. The apathy is incredible. The husband and wife team with
>MD support the telethon and hold Lewis in awe. I started a polio
>support group. I kept it going for two yrs. but I had to stop as I
>couldn't handle the pity-pot party it was turning into. I had never
>encountered such able-bodied people claiming they were sooooooooo
>disabled. They sure looked AB to me. They "thought they had contracted
>polio." What???!!! Well, they read about this thing called PPS and it
>sounded like them. They didn't want to know about the ADA, just how
>they could convince their docs they really had polio. I kept thinking,
>"What would Gini Laurie do with these people?" One of the leaders in
>the group told everyone they were all going to die from PPS. I had so
>much damage control to do. One guy called me in hysterics because this
>nutty woman told him to sell his house and make plans to go into A
>NURSING HOME because his pps was "gonna get him." When I first met
>her, she wore leg braces and sat in a wheelchair gasping for air. I
>was a basket case over her thinking she was dying. I convinced her to
>go to St. Louis and see Oscar. She did. He diagnosed Myoclomis (leg
>movement at night) She came back to IN. threw off her braces, jumped
>out of her wheelchair and RAN 3 MILES! She went to the papers and said
>there was a cure for everyone who ever had polio (I don't think she
>ever had it). I was bombarded with calls from all over the country
>from people who wanted that little magic pill. Poor Oscar. He really
>had the calls. In fact, Oscar talked about the incident at the last
>polio conference. I know sometimes I ramble. But honestly, these are
>the types of disabled people I have encountered here. It's bizarre.
>Hey, Blane, want to relocate to the Hoosier state? They could
>certainly use your enthusiasm and disability attitude!
>Val