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PCA(AT)MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Dear Friends in the Disability Rights movement,
Last week Senators Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms introduced SB
2266 - a bill to remove state prisons from coverage by the Americans With
Disabilities Act. Talk on the hill is that the bill probably won't make
it through in its present form but it could be attached as an amendment
to the appropriations bill as early as this week in an attempt to quietly
sneak through this attack on the ADA.
PLEASE CALL AND/OR WRITE YOUR SENATORS TODAY AND TELL THEM YOU
WANT S 2266 STOPPED NOW- BOTH AS A FREE STANDING BILL AND AS AN AMENDMENT
TO THE APPROPRIATIONS BILL. (Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska is key and
could probably stop it if he chose so if anyone has Duane French's
e-mail, write me and/or forward this to him).
As you know, the Supreme Court recently ruled unanimously that
the ADA applies to prisons. Helms and Thurmond are attempting to nullify
that ruling through this legislation.
While I'm of the "an injury to one is an injury to all"
philosphy, I know there are some in our movement who believe that people
who commit crimes and are locked up don't deserve the protection of the
ADA. Make no mistake, if this bill is allowed to pass, it will, as Steve
Gold said, "open Pandora's box."
Congress will not stop at carving out one piece of the ADA. There
is still pretty constant pressure that they receive from businesses and
state and local governments to weaken the ADA. First prisons will not be
covered, then other parts of state and local governments will be exempt,
then other public accomodations ... Pretty soon we'll have no ADA
protections at all.
We worked too hard for the ADA and full societal integration for
all people with disabilities to let two powerful Senators pull a sneak
attack and take it away from us.
PLEASE ACT NOW AND STOP S 2266! TOGETHER WE CAN SAVE OUR
HARD WON FREEDOM!!!
In love and struggle,
Janine Bertram Kemp
Senate Address: U.S. Senate/Washington, D.C. 20510
Congressional Switchboard (ask operator to transfer you to your Senator's
office) 202-224-3121
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