Kat,

Working from everything you've said, as well as everything I've come to
believe in the past few years, I've come up with a list of my more
troublesome concerns facing the disability rights movement, indeed, the
nation as a whole.

These are opinions, naturally.  In my mind this works up like a current
events
equation.  I don't envision a positive outcome, but will be delighted to no
end to be disproved.  This is also US stuff, but please do not misconstrue my
comments.  I am not an isolationist, and I am not ignorantly proud of my US
citizenship.  I don't feel that citizenship in any nation should be a matter
of pride as much as of responsibility.

1.  The general public's concern for a demise of the social security system.
2.  Public perception of immigration issues.
3.  The increasing influence and acceptance of bioethical philosophies, which
I feel has enjoyed an insidious reach for a longer time than is generally
known.
4.  The realization of disability rights legislation on the heels of other
civil rights legislation in a now riot-weary nation.
5.  The lack of understanding in the overall disability community of the art
of war (the work of Sun Tzu).
6.  A steady decline of general acceptance of individual responsibility to a
greater whole, demonstrated by increasing contempt for the rule of law,
coupled with increasing disregard for human life, disabled or otherwise.

That list seems to span the gamut -- my concerns about everything from the
pervasive beliefs about human rights in environmental and animal rights
groups, to the right wing teachings of Robert Welch.  When I look at what
I've just written, I become concerned that this time period may mark the
beginning of a greater fall than we may be considering.

Betty

In a message dated 4/7/2002 6:02:47 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:


> Thanks for the information and details, Betty.  Of course we've got a right
> to protest, that's a given.  And I happen to think we disabled have more
> things to protest than the average AB American citizen.  Unfortunately we
> also tend to think we don't have a voice, which is totally wrong.
>
> Also, I don't have any answers to the dilemma I posed in my original reply
> to you.  Wish I did.  As a person who worked in benefits in many years,
> it's
> quite frustrating to me just how many of us will be living in poverty when
> we  retire, and how the younger generation resents us for taking what they
> think will be their share of the pie.
>
> Kat
>