It's NEVER Ok To Murder Your Family Member!

Autism Campus Inclusion

Last week, George Hodgins, an autistic adult living in Sunnyvale, CA, was murdered by his own mother. In the aftermath of his death, much of the public discussion surrounding his killing focused on expressing sympathy for his killer. ASAN Member Zoe Gross of Oakland, CA objected to this and helped organize a candlelit vigil in memory of George and all disabled people who have been murdered by their family members. The vigil will take place tonight at 6 PM PST, rain or shine, in front of the Sunnyvale City Hall building. Details can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/events/199680943470301/. We urge supporters of disability rights and neurodiversity to join Zoe and other local Autistic people and allies in the California bay area in remembering George this evening. For those who can not make it, we are printing Zoe's prepared remarks below: Last Tuesday, George Hodgins was shot and killed by his mother, who then killed herself. George lived here in Sunnyvale and he was 22 years old. I didn't know George, but I can't stop thinking about him. Maybe it's because we have a lot in common - we lived near each other, we were the same age, we're both autistic, although we led very different lives. I would like to have met George, but I can only mourn him. And I can try to make sure that his story isn't forgotten. In the wake of this tragedy, I read a lot of articles that asked the readers to imagine how George's mother must have felt. But I didn't see a single article that asked the reader to empathize for George, to imagine how it feels to see your mother point a gun at you. I've seen a lot of people talking about how hard it must be to live with an autistic relative, but I didn't see anyone talking about how terrible it be to die knowing that your parent, who you love and depend on, has decided to hurt and kill you. Because he was autistic, George is being erased from the story of his own murder. The story of George Hodgins's death is being discussed and presented as a story of a mother who snapped, and the story of other parents who have felt the same way. It's being told as a story about a lack of services for families with special-needs children, as though a lack of services is a justification for murder. When disabled people are murdered by their families, this is the story people want to hear. It's the same story that we saw in newspapers after Katie McCarron was murdered, and after Jeremy Fraser was murdered, and after Glenn Freaney was murdered, and after Zain and Faryaal Akhter were murdered. The story goes like this: it is understandable that someone would kill their disabled relative if they don't get help to care for them. I don't think this is a true story. Why is the story being told this way? Because we live in a world that doesn't acknowledge the value of our lives as disabled people. Because so many people in our society can't imagine a disabled person living a fulfilling life, so they don't see the tragedy and the wasted potential when one of our lives is cut short. As disabled people, we have to take a stand against this kind of thinking. We have to get the word out that our lives matter, tha tour lives are our own stories and not just the stories of our non-disabled parents and relatives and caretakers. We have to let people know that they are missing part of the story. Because the story of George Hodgins's murder is also the story of the disabled community losing one of our own. It's the story of the other disabled people who were murdered by their family members, and it's the story of the society that thinks so little of people with disabilities that these murders are all too often justified as "understandable." Most of all, it's George's story - the story of a young man who enjoyed hiking, who was always looking to learn new skills, who had his whole life in front of him. Now George is gone, and only his memory remains, and already that memory is being distorted by people who want to tell his story and leave him out. That's not going to happen tonight. We're here to remember the real story.

It's Not Illegal to Be An Ass Hole

In 2008 I wrote a post about the financial exploitation of people with developmental disabilities. I used an article from a Washington newspaper to demonstrate what I was talking about, and to serve as an example. Not long after I published the post, one of the people accused in the article submitted a comment calling me to task for several mistakes in the newspaper article.

As I was not the author of the article, I commented back, that if they had a problem with it, they should contact the newspaper about it. I was merely using it as a reference. Not good enough I guess. I began getting comments from this person that were filled with personal attacks aimed at me. I couldn't figure out where all this anger was coming from, but published their comments along with some push-back.

Over the next 3+ years I'd get an occasional rant from this guy, which I'd publish along with my own thoughts regarding what he'd written. It was getting pretty silly actually. Then the other day he finally got down to what the problem REALLY was.

He said that every time someone googled his name on the internet, the first page that came up was my blog post about financial exploitation. I tried it myself and found out he was right. At first I thought of all the attempted (misdirected) character assasinations that this loon had sent me, and was tempted to leave the post alone. Then it came to me, as though the Lord was whispering in my ear... "Its not illegal to be an ass hole", and deleted the post.

Journalist or Story Teller?

Am I a journalist or a story teller? As I reflect, I can see I've done some of both on this blog over the years. I do feel more comfortable telling my stories than reporting others', so I'll tell you one today.

A few years back, I somehow got it into my head that people with developmental disabilities in Portland need air conditioning in the summer. I sent out a email to all the Portlanders in my email address book, requesting new or used air conditioners for this purpose. I knew that finding folks to give them to would be easier than finding the air conditioners themselves. I was surprised that within a few days I had 4 used air conditioners at my disposal!

I found 4 people who needed them (with ease). As I carried these units into people's homes, I noticed my back began to bother me some, but I still installed the units over the course of 2 afternoons. At the end of the 2nd afternoon my back was hurting me, so I took a few days off. During this time, I was able to build a partnership with United Way (through my wife) and Standard TV and Appliance. Suddenly I had 8 NEW units and 8 more donated used units!

My back was telling me I needed help in carrying these beasts, if I expected it to cooperate with me, and I found someone to help me. Of course this person was only available Mon. through Fri. between the hours of 9AM to 5PM, because those were his work hours. I guess he wanted to make sure he got paid for helping me. Once we identified some folks who needed AC we set about installing them. I'll never forget how grateful these people were when we plugged the units in, and they felt that first cool breeze.

Once I got a list of folks who needed them I decided I would install a few on my own, as they were people who weren't around during the day. Big mistake... as my back had promised, it stopped cooperating. Fortunately, it was at the end of installing the last one, but that was the end of "Operation Cool Air". My air conditioner carrying days are officially over...

"A Whole Nother Level"

Let me be perfectly clear... "nother" is not a word in the English language! "Mother", is in fact a word. As is the word "another". But those who use the word "nother" are simply talking trash.

Recently, I've heard a few people describing someone's basketball game or workout as "going to a whole nother level". This really bothers me! Why can't they just say the word "higher", as in "His game has gone to a higher level". Or they could say "to the next level".

This may all seem trivial to the reader(s) of my blog. They may feel as though there are bigger fish to fry in the world right now... I don't care! I had something that has been troubling me lately, and felt a need to get it off my chest before nother day goes by!

"It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times"

I lost it in the toilet paper aisle at the grocery store this morning. I was minding my own business, looking for a 6 pack of double rolls, and singing along quietly to Annie Lennox' "Why?", which was being played on the store's sound system. I'd just passed a black woman who looked to be about the same age as me, and who was also singing along with the song. Though she appeared to be somewhat dissheveled and probably poor, she held her head up as she sang.

As the song came to an end, I was struck by the closing lines...
"These are the contents of my head
And these are the years that we have spent
And this is what they represent
And this is how I feel
Do you know how I feel ?
'cause i don't think you know how I feel
I don't think you know what I feel
I don't think you know what I feel
You don't know what I feel"
And I began to sob. The words I spoke through my tears were directed at America. I said "Look at what you've done to me America!"
I thought about the direction my country is trying to take with the Occupy Movement. People finally standing up and shouting "Enough is enough!" I thought about the other direction, of Corporate greed, a corrupt Supreme Court, and a government intent on causing suffering for the majority of its' people.

This has been a VERY powerful year for myself, and many others. I don't expect anything less from 2012. It's truly been, and will continue to be, exactly what Charles Dickens and Annie Lennox wrote about.

Hear About Disability

I had the experience of deafness in one of my ears yesterday. Through this, I was able to see the connection to disability that many people have to deal with on a regular basis. I feel the need to write about it, and some thoughts I have.

It started when I finished up my shower. I'd done my customary of allowing some water to go into my ears to rinse out any reaining shampoo or conditioner. Though I go through this same process every day, this time was different. My left ear remained clogged up. No big deal... figured I'd just q-tip my ears when I was done.

That didn't work out too well. As soon as I began on the left ear, it seemed to close up completely! I continued for another minute on it, then gave up, hoping it was temporary. No such luck! After an hour I stood up, and felt disoriented. My balance was messed up!

I went to speak with my wife about the situation. Although she has a mid-range kinda voice, I had to ask her to speak up as I only had 1/2 my hearing. She went to the computer and came up with some ideas. She found "swimmers' ear" which made sense as the whole thing began in the shower.

First she told me to put a little alcohol in my ear. Didn't do anything except burn slightly. Next we tried a heating pad, laying down on my side and putting my ear on it. No good. I was feeling frustrated and cranky, having to ask her to repeat 50% of what she was saying. Next I hopped up and down on my left foot, shaking my head up and down sideways. Nope. Eventually I drove to the pharmacy and bought some drops for swimmers' ear. By the time I got home I was in a REALLY bad mood, having stood in a long, slow, line to buy the drops.

Shortly after getting back home, I found myself picking a fight with Suzanne, like it was her fault! I followed the directions to treating my ear with the medicine, and after an hour... nothing! I decided that since I wasn't experiencing pain, I'd take a break, and get back on the case in the morning.

Today I woke up still unable to hear. Honestly, I was kind of panicky. First I went to my Facebook page, asking for any help people might have. Some of the suggestions were things I'd already tried, so we decided to treat the problem as if it was an ear wax issue. Suzanne dripped some warm olive oil in my ear. It began to tickle my inner ear as it got past/through (?) the ear wax After a while we rinsed the ear with water, which scared me, but it worked!

When I was finally able to hear again, I began thinking of the deaf people I've known over the years, with my nephew Joseph leading my thinking. He's deaf in one ear as well as autistic. And like many of the other folks I've known he tends to get FRUSTRATED, and CRANKY sometimes. In fact, he has a problem in answering questions with a "yeah" whether or not he understands or HEARS what people ask him. Hmmm... once again I've been blessed with a n extremely VALUABLE lesson. Life is good!

Question

Isn't being anti war but pro veteran sort of like being anti abortion and dating an abortinist?

Ben Stiller V. The World

I've decided to give Ben Stiller a chance as a serious actor, as I've disliked his cheesey attempts at making fun of people with disabilities. The film I'm talking about is titled "Greenburg" with him in the title role of a guy with... bad luck?

Hard to say as he totally sucks as a serious actor who can do more than make fun of other people. He looks pretty odd in a film that has not done much to look anything beyond weak and silly. Does he have a partner? Or is Ben a "confirmed" bachelor?

Well, anyway, I wouldn't reccomend Greenburg (I guess no one else has either) to anyone who thinks Ben Stiller is any thing beyond a clown. But he tries occasionally...

"Can You Hear Me Now?"

I just finished watching a movie called "Full Signal". It tells the story of how cell phones are more than likely causing health problems all around the world, and it got me thinking. The idea of "safe" radiation is akin to the idea of "clean" coal energy. Both are lies.

As autism continues to grow at an alarming rate, could it be radiation that's causing this phenomena? The frequency has now grown to 1 in 100 children. And they are saying that the incidence of brain cancer in kids under 18 is at its' highest level EVER. Coincidences? Maybe, but I have my doubts.

Telecomunications is REALLY BIG business! T-Mobile, Quest, Comcast, the list goes on and on. These Telecoms are constantly competing for your money. You can find them everywhere, from Nascar to Washington DC. In effect, they are some of the fastest growing corporations in the world today. Do you think they care about you or your family's well being?? You may want to think twice.

I'm not saying I don't believe cell phones have saved many lives, and there is not a need for them in emergency situations. What I am saying is that there needs to be IMMEDIATE research done to find out exactly how harmful they (and their accompanying towers) are to human beings. If we wait another 10 or 15 years without doing so, we'll find out any way, but is it truly wise to take that approach?

My Wife's Accomplishments (so far)

I'm so proud of Suzanne. She has accomplished SO MUCH in making the world a better place! Some of the reasons I love her like I do...

1.) When my autistic nephew came to live with us, she not only took upon herself the role of her mother, but she KICKED ASS in making sure he was WELL TAKEN care of. Both by us, and his current situation.

2.) She took it upon HERSELF to advocate for ALL kids in Special Education being taken advantage of in Portland Public Schools, and caused some positive change to occur.

3.) She also advocated and became VERY active in making education meaningful for ALL students in PPS.

4.) She took it upon herself to prove that people who it was decided were unable to read, were IN FACT ABLE to be taught to go from 2nd to 6th grade level in a matter of 1 year.

5.)She has been a leader in speaking out about injustice around racial, economical,and all around EQUITY in the city of Portland for the past 10 years.

6.)She has been a forceful voice in the attempt to end war in the US, and bring peace to the world.

7.) She aint done yet, and I'm the luckiest man in the WORLD!!!

I've been thinking about what does and doesn't make sense in the US and beyond recently. for posterity's sake, I'm gonna write some thoughts here.

When one of your complaints is that you believe your government is unfair, why would you join with them in attempting to make life fair?

If you think that using the words "nigger", "faggot", and "kike" are bad examples of speech, why would you use the word "retard", thinking that's ok?

How could you possibly think that using resources for any reason before ending hunger and homelessness makes sense?

How can you call yourself (and believe) that you are a Christian and suggest that Capitol Punishment is justifiable?

How can Corporations be treated as individual persons without making sure they have personal responsibilities as well?

How can someone be so hypocritical as to believe cronyism sucks when their whole life has been nothing beyond cronyism?

Why is it ok to bleed 99% of Americans and prop up the wealthiest 1%?

How do these people sleep at night???

A Plea For My Life

Dear President Obama,

Now that you've decided you can order the death of an American Citizen without any kind of trial or due process, I'm writng to you in case you decide to take a hit out on me. I'd rather die from something more exciting.

I know that you and I have seen things differently since a year after you took on the Pesidency. I think we should feed the poor and house the homeless, while you have fed the wallets of billionaires, and had my country at war in Afghanistan for the past 10 years. I get that. I just want you to know I'm not a terrorist.

I, also had nothing to do with the suspected crimes that my fellow citizen was killed for. I have no plans to do so in the future either. All I want to do is live out my years without the fear that I could be your NEXT target.

Regards,
David McDonald

Motivation to Work

I've been listening to a federal hearing on people with disabilities and employment. I LOVE this sort of thing! A panel of "experts" discussing best practice and "thinking outside the box". I don't consider myself to be an expert on this topic, but as usual I have my own opinion(s). I'm also not hesitant to express them.

A blind doctor just stated that there's a presumption that people with disabilities are looked upon as "broken". Now THAT'S something I've believed for a while. Seems like people who don't spend much time around people with disabilities presume quite a bit. They either pity people with disabilities or look down on them. They are JUST PEOPLE! They don't need (or often want) to be looked at as "special", they need to be treated the same way non-disabled people are treated. It's pretty simple.

When my nephew moved in with Suzanne and I in 2000, he seemed abnormally "spoiled". I think that everyone who had been involved with him, up to his 16 years, had feared his autism. I knew that I was going to have to be firm with him if I hoped to assist him moving from childhood to adulthood, as I had promised my sister before she died. That meant I was going to have "expectations" that he'd be able to learn. Initially, it was a serious struggle for both of us. He was very resistant to change, and we bumped heads on several occasions. I spent a lot of time seeking ways to motivate him.

I found that the concept of being considered a "grown up" was something that appealed to him, so I began praising him when he chose to do something I considered grown up. It was a successful, if not easy, strategy. He began fishing for "grown up"s from me quite regularly. I had to tell him certain things he was doing were things everyone does, and didn't warrant praise. He started figuring out what I was trying to get through to him! He began shaving, putting on deodorant, brushing his teeth, and showering with the cuing of an alarm clock. Can you believe that??

When we were finished helping him become a man, it was time for him to do what all young adults do... move out! He was almost 21 years old, had spent the last year and a half at Sylvan Learning Center (if you want more info. about that, key word "Due Process" on this page), learning to read, write, and refine his math skills. We began a search for the right living situation for him, finding it in a Foster Care home with 4 other guys his own age.

Now came the whole employment piece. Joseph had never had a real job. Would he be able to understand the whole concept of working? He had proved to me that he was capable of doing MORE THAN what I thought he could, so the answer had to be "yes". He started out working at Goodwill. It wasn't a perfect setting, but they have a long history of working with people who are "differently abled". In order to find a solid motivator I wanted to give the idea of working some serious value. I settled on TRAVEL as the motivator. I told him if he worked hard and followed the rules, he'd be able to take trips. After he'd gotten a few paychecks, I set him up to go to a baseball game in Seattle. He loved it!

Using his new motivator, within a year he became a valued employee at Goodwill. Though he was being paid piece rate (which is really a rip-off), he was till doing better than minimum wage. Since he started at Goodwill he's been to Nashville, Vegas, Memphis, Mexico, Arizona, California twice, Alaska by rail, Hawaii, Greece, Missouri, and is signed up for Portugal next spring. Whenever I speak with anyone from the travel company (Trips, Inc. out of Eugene, Or.), they tell me he's their favorite traveler. Now he makes around $380 every 2 weeks, working 20 hours a week, and is one of the best workers in the system. Not bad for a guy with autism.

On The 9/11 Anniversary

Rather than seeing myself as a citizen of the United States, I see myself a citizen of the Planet Earth. That may not make sense to some, but I could have been born anywhere. The fact that I've made it to 55 in America, instead of starving in Africa as a child, or catching an incurable disease at 20 in India, bears my thinking out.

That's why the whole renewed fervor around patriotism, as we near the 10th year since 9/11/01 is hard for me to wrap my head around. When one considers that every 9.62 days, there is an equivalent amount of casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan as September 11th. I mean Americans aren't "better" or "more important" than other people in the world. I find that I want to distance myself from the people who want to make this upcoming anniversary something larger than life.

Guess I've always been this way; believing that a candle light vigil should be going on every 9.62 days for all the people who have died in recent wars. Wars started by the very same people selling us the notion that we should care more about ourselves than "them".

Little Poem For The Day

When politicians tell me what I want to hear,
I can't bring myself to clap any more.
When I watch a Documentary proving corruption,
I can't bring myself to clap at the end.
When did this resignation take over?

When I hear of apparent good news in the news,
Now my first thought is about liars and cover ups.
Negative truth... I'm a Realist
Skies ARE falling, whether or not you believe it.
I now crave jade.

Beyond The Obvious

I was recently asked to write about how a person with a disability might be able to get their needs met living in a rural community that doesn't have much for resources. I was instructed to think in terms of giving advice to an individual on what they could do; with a focus on autism. The idea is to use what I and others submit as a training tool. Here's what I wrote, with a few changes for clarification sake...


Beyond The Obvious


For all your own good reasons, you've chosen to live in rural America, away from the city, where getting your needs met wouldn't be nearly as difficult as what you're looking at. There's no reason to panic if you or someone who knows you is able to see "beyond the obvious". Always remember it's not you or your disability that makes life tricky, it's a world that has long neglected the idea of including EVERYONE as an equal opportunity participant in the community. Throughout history people with disabilities have been looked upon as second class citizens. Though things have slowly improved, I believe we still have a long way to go.


Of course, you'll want to be tied into some real advocacy in your new environment. There are agencies and individuals who are well paid to be there for you, but this can be very challenging. Many people who claim to be disability advocates, really are not. They may simply see you as part of their job. Look for passion! Look for people who understand the disability racket, and have experience in taking on the status quo. Just because someone holds some sort of title, doesn't mean they have YOUR best interests at heart! You don't want to learn this lesson the hard way, so always make sure you know the person(s), and their intentions going in. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS. If you do this thoroughly, and take this task seriously, you'll be much better off in the long run.


What's really important is fully understanding how important it is to educate people on how your disability can be their reward. Many people have an inner need to feel like they're making a positive effect in the world. These are the same people who find reward in doing things that help their neighbors. This is not about pity, it's about ALLOWING people to be as great as they can be. Refusing people the opportunity to be helpful, is no different than people refusing you the opportunity to participate. Live and let live.


It's equally important that you realize many people are fearful of stepping away from the comfort of familiarity. When people have someone they can talk to who experienced the same situation that they did, it makes them that much more comfortable. It's wise to have more than 1 person assisting you. Not doing so causes folks to wonder if they did/said the right thing. If they lose enough of their self confidence, they will likely retreat, and you will lose whatever support you were getting from them. If they have someone to talk to they are more likely to feel reassured, and are less likely to retreat. This is a good reason to believe there's "strength in numbers". There's nothing like a "team" effort.


I'd like to tell you about a short documentary I watched recently. The title is "Picking up Butch", and it deals with a man in his 60's who has cerebral palsy. He lives in the relatively small town of Middlebury Vermont; population, 8000. Because he is physically compromised, he uses a wheel chair. His arms and hands also contribute to his personal challenges. He grew up in Middlebury, where he became a big fan of the University's football and basketball programs, as well as the college and students themselves. Getting to the games was a major difficulty for him as a child. Now, at 63 and living in a nursing home it would be even more difficult for him, except for one thing. Butch has earned the love and respect of the entire student body!


Where he lives is what he calls a "boring" place.Most of the other residents are in their 70's and 80's. What's most important to Butch is getting to the games, and hanging out with the younger students. As the title of the film suggests, each home game day, students come to the nursing home, pick him up, and take him to the games themselves. It's a tradition that has held for 50 years. Somehow the information about Butch, his physical needs, his mild fear of being in a van, and his love for what happens at the school have been passed down from class to class over the years. He is totally a crowd favorite, almost like he's on the team himself. Everybody knows Butch! It's all about the relationships he's established in the past 50 years with people who want to do good things. It's not only about sports either. He's gotten his equivalency diploma with the assistance and tutoring of a non athlete. Butch is not any kind of mascot, he is accepted as having a seat with everyone else.


I guess the story of Butch and how he and his disability have enriched the lives of so many others is not only inspiring, but shows me that with some "beyond the obvious" thinking you can thrive, living in a rural area. Some strategies that come to mind involve getting out in the community where people begin to recognize you. Smaller communities make it easier for people to become familiar with you, and as I said earlier, familiarity brings about comfort.


Look for a college! There's usually some kind of formal adult education happening in every part of the country. Check out the fire department! It's always a good idea to let them know when you move into a new community, especially if you have physical challenges. Who knows? Maybe you'll find a new friend there. If you're comfortable, visit a church! A cafe! Wherever you can feel relaxed and be yourself. If you can, introduce yourself to people. If that's something you're unable to do, have someone with you who can, and is comfortable in doing so. My thinking is that if you are out in the sticks, you're going to need to rattle some branches in order to be noticed. Share (with those who seem interested) what sort of support you need. You don't need to ask them to provide the support, but it's fine to discuss your needs with others, if you're comfortable doing it.


Generally speaking, people who live in the country (as opposed to city) are a more open and friendly people. Once they feel comfortable with you, they'd likely give you the shirt off their back. You're also likely to be near something not usually found in the city. Farms where they have horses. Not all people like horses, but many do. Developing a personal relationship with a horse and their owner could give you many hours of satisfaction, while being therapeutic at the same time. Rural areas also are less stressful. The sounds and smells, are much more relaxing than the sounds and smells of the city. If you are a bit of a high strung individual, just being in nature can often help you feel relaxed. Your biggest issue will be in figuring out how to get around. There's often lots of miles in between places you may want to go.


Transportation in rural places can often be sparse. Developing relationships can be very helpful in this area. At the risk of sounding redundant, I'll say it again. It's all about the relationships when you live in a rural area. You really do need to depend on community! So does everyone else who lives near you. It's a different lifestyle and you, along with the people who support you, need to keep that in the forefront of your mind. Reaching out to another human is good for you AND them. It's a win/win situation.


If you can tell people your story, they'll likely take an interest in you and probably want to spend more time getting to know you on a deeper level. That is why I feel so strongly about making YOURSELF a valued part of the community. Overcoming injustice and/or intolerance can be a full time job. If you don't do it, who will?


Another option is starting something up yourself, and inviting others to participate. If you need help in accomplishing this, ask for it! Look for peers with and without disabilities, and become friends with them. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised to discover they have similar needs or wants as you. It's about being "out there", participating in your own life. You may also discover that there is grant money available to get something going. You'll never know unless you ask.


At this point I feel it's important to let you know a very important fact... You Are Not Alone!! If you're choosing to live alone, it's critical that you don't isolate at home. Many people choose to live in rural areas for several reasons. Whatever yours may be, always remember that isolating yourself leads to loneliness, self doubt, and ultimately depression. It may be difficult doing some of the strategies I'm suggesting here, but in the long run, you'll find success if you just keep on trying. I'm aware that all I'm writing may be a bit overwhelming to you, but it's going to take some work to make things come together.


Here's another key thought for you... Disability Rights are, in fact, Civil Rights. The Americans with Disabilities Act is something you'll want to hang on to, living rurally. In fact, if you're someone who likes to read, you may want to study the ADA and the Olmstead Decision. These documents can be both useful and important in your life. There may come a time where you'll need to have some legal assistance as you work to create the life you want. I say this because you need to protect your rights. Before you resort to the ADA for solutions, it's a good idea to see if you can work things out through a civil conversation with whoever may be holding you back. They may be unaware that they're stepping on your right(s), and sometimes a chat can take care of things. If that doesn't work, you may want to seek legal advice. You might want to avoid being characterized as a malcontent or lawsuit happy by trying to deal with problems outside the courtroom if possible.


Speaking of reading, the library can be a good free resource for you. You'll find a wealth of information while making yourself visible to tother folks in your community. Libraries can serve for both serious studying and recreation. They are generally quiet places, so you'll find a peaceful environment when you go there. In addition to the traditional books, libraries often lend out DVD's, have internet access, computer games, and magazines. You'll also probably come into contact with a community bulletin board, which will give you ideas of other things you can do where you live. A good library can be like a good friend!

If you're able to work, you just might make some friends while bringing some cash into your life. Find out what sort of job assistance you are eligible for. Often times you can find a "job developer" to help you find a job, and the state might pay for this service. If you have trouble doing the work at first a "job coach" may be just what you need. They teach you the job and help you work on becoming independent in the workplace. Living in the country, job opportunities will probably be somewhat limited, so be sure to set your sights realistically. You can often grow into liking a job that you dislike initially.

So now you have my ideas about what you can do to thrive in a rural area. There may even be more, but this should be a good starting point. Just remember to always use your imagination and to try to think (and see) "beyond the obvious". Become acquainted with the people around you. You'll do just fine!

Why We Went Into Iraq

Little Timmy tugs on his mother's apron as she makes the bed. He looks up at her and asks; "Mommy, why are our soldiers fighting in Iraq?" Mommy thinks for a few seconds and responds. "Well Timmy,as Donald Rumsfeld once put it..."

"There are things that we know. And there are known unknowns. That is to say there are things we now know that we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns that we do not know we do not know. Simply because you do not have evidence something exists, doesn't mean that you have evidence that it doesn't exist." "And that's why our soldiers are fighting in Iraq son."

Little Hitlers

It seems to me that there is a lot of effort that goes into making Adolf Hitler look crazier than he may have, in fact, been. Almost 70 years after he's gone, some writers on occasion come up with articles similar to the one that follows what I'm writing here.

No doubt about it, Hitler was an evil man. He had it in for Jews, blacks, people with disabilities, gay people, and anyone else he felt superior to. He was the poster boy for intolerance and bigotry at its' finest. But, is he alone?

If Hitler's mind took him to the extremes you hear and read about, does that make our much smaller, subtle, and usually secretive beliefs about other people more palatable? Is that why people want to continually portray Hitler as this larger than life madman, that we cannot identify with? Is it possible that there is a multitude of "little Hitlers" among us, and we just don't want to see it?

Most of the people I know, both able bodied and disabled, refuse to admit there is something wrong in the way people with disabilities are looked at. It's eerily similar for black people, and if that were UNTRUE, you'd see equality in housing opportunities, employment opportunities, and treatment by the police/court system.

Truth is, if we can focus on people (like Hitler) who blatantly show disdain for those they feel superior to, it gives the rest of us a pass to continue looking down our own noses at people WE feel superior to.

From yesterdays' New York Times...


Hitler’s Talking Dogs

By MAUREEN DOWD

Published: July 12, 2011

WASHINGTON

Times Topic: Adolf Hitler


At this late date, when we believe we know absolutely everything about Adolf Hitler, could it be that he was even crazier than we thought?

From Caligula to Nero to Qaddafi, dictators are often not just cruel and evil, but lunatics. It’s very rare to find a rational dictator. Absolute power deranges them and gives them delusions and fantasies. So we shouldn’t be surprised by news reports suggesting the Führer was batty beyond even Mel Brooks’s satire.

First, an MI5 document was declassified in London in April, revealing megalomaniacal schemes for Nazis to rise again if they lost the war by scattering sleeper agents around the world; and by killing Allied officers with poison infused in sausages, chocolate, Nescafé coffee, cigarettes, schnapps and Bayer aspirin.

German agents said they were instructed to first offer Allied targets a cigarette treated by Nazi scientists to give the smoker a headache, then finish the job with a poison aspirin that would kill within 10 minutes.

Secret weapons included a pellet that would emit a fatal vapor when heated by cigarette ash; poison for books, desks and door handles; a tablet of exploding powder that would activate when placed next to a wet glass; and a belt buckle with a silver swastika that concealed a .32 pistol that could fire two shots.

“The Werewolf organization, a network of Nazi saboteurs who would fight to create a Fourth Reich in the event Hitler’s empire crumbled, were to leave tins of instant coffee powder and other foods laced with toxins where they could be found by British and American soldiers,” The Daily Mail of London wrote, describing the declassified dossier.

Four German spies captured after they parachuted into France in 1945, including one woman, spilled some of the assassination plots. Female agents were given purse mirrors with microbes hidden inside them, so they might infect top Allied occupiers with deadly bacteria.

British military officials at the time considered the agents’ stories “somewhat fantastic,” but were worried enough to prohibit “the eating of German food or the smoking of German cigarettes” by advancing Allied troops.

A new book, “Amazing Dogs,” by Dr. Jan Bondeson, a senior lecturer at Cardiff University School of Medicine in Wales, reveals that Hitler supported a German school that tried to teach large, muscular mastiffs to “talk” to humans. This story set off a panting spate of “Heel Hitler,” “Furred Reich,” “Wooffan SS” and “Arf Wiedersehen” headlines in British tabloids and plenty of claims that Hitler was “barking mad.”

“There were some very strange experiments going on in wartime Germany, with regard to dog-human communication,” Bondeson writes, wondering: “Were the Nazis trying to develop a breed of super-intelligent canine storm troopers, capable of communicating with their human masters of the Herrenvolk?”

He discovered a 1943 Nazi magazine piece about the headmistress of the canine school, a Frau Schmitt, claiming that some of the dogs spoke a few words. “At a Nazi study course, a talking dog was once asked ‘Who is Adolf Hitler?’ and replied ‘Mein Führer!” Bondeson writes of these claims, noting that “the Nazis, who had such conspicuous disregard for human rights, felt more strongly about the animals.”

Nazi propaganda dwelled on Hitler as a dog lover. He owned two German shepherds named Bella and Blondi. He tested a cyanide capsule on Blondi and killed her just before he committed suicide.

The Nazis took their dogs seriously. As The Guardian reported in January, the Nazi government was so furious about a dog in Finland that had been trained to imitate Hitler with a Nazi salute that the foreign office in Berlin started “an obsessive campaign” to destroy its owner.

Bondeson writes that in Germany in the early 20th century, some people had a strong belief in the potential of super-intelligent animals. He said that along with Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse, an Airedale terrier named Rolf was considered one of the leading German intellectuals of the time. Rolf’s owner said she taught him his own alphabet with a system of taps of his paw on a board and, Bondeson notes drolly, “he successfully dabbled in mathematics, ethics, religion and philosophy.”

The latest wacky Hitler story comes from the British author Graeme Donald. He says that, while researching a military book, he stumbled across a story that Hitler and Heinrich Himmler were so worried about German soldiers’ getting sexual diseases from French hookers that they cooked up a plan for soldiers to carry small blow-up blond, blue-eyed dolls called “gynoids” in their backpacks to use as sex “comforters.”

Donald said Himmler ordered 50 dolls but the soldiers were too embarrassed to carry them. “In the end the idea fizzled out,” Donald told The Sun, “and the place where they were made and all the dolls were destroyed in the bombing of Dresden.”

On The Whole "Friend" Thing

They say; "To have a friend, you've got to be a friend." This speaks to giving of yourself rather than expecting another to give to you first. I get that. For much of my life, I've tried to get beyond my own hang-ups and insecurities, in order to cultivate real relationships. It feels somewhat risky in the moment, but for the most part, I've found this to be true. It often works out.

However; I'm not hesitant to say this may not always be the case. There are people in this world who behave as though they want to be your friend, but then something unknown happens to bring the whole "friends" thing to a hault. It's a shame, but sometimes that's what happens. Some folks just don't have the courage to tell you if you inadvertantly insulted, angered, or put them off for any number of reasons. They just don't have it within themselves to do so.

What to do... What to do...? I think developing a well balanced view of "self" is probably the answer. Valuing yourself as much (possibly more?) as you do others. Not placing yourself above them, or feeling superior, but realizing that if you're everyone's friend, there's a good chance you're selling yourself short (or even "out"!). Thus sayeth the crazed philosopher

At Least NOW They're Awake

Around 3 years ago I was involved with the Coaltion Against hate Crimes here in Portland, Oregon. I was there on behalf of people with disabilities, as I recognized a need which wasn't being addressed by the broader disability community. I also knew that people with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable populations for being subjected to hate crimes. However; after attending 6 or 7 of the meetings, I noticed there was very little concern coming from two of the most senior members of this group. they seemed to feel that what I'd been describing as a serious problem, was not much more than nuisance behavior. Irritating, but nothing to really worry about. This attitude really pissed me off, and after giving these two a piece of my mind, I stopped attending their meetings.

I have continued to recieve meeting minutes and agendas in email since then. Finally, what I knew was true, has come to the forefront of the groups' concerns. Of course they had to hear it elsewhere, but who cares? What follows is some info. they included in April's meeting miutes.

The Invisible Hate Crime

Hate crimes against people with disabilities are widespread and often involve extraordinary levels of sadism. The first step in combating these shameful incidents is an acknowledgment that they exist.


By Jack Levin


Few Americans are aware of the special vulnerability of people with emotional, intellectual and physical disabilities to extraordinary violence.


In February 2010, Jennifer Daugherty, a 30-year-old, mentally challenged woman from Greensburg, Pa., was brutally murdered by six people pretending to be her good friends. Holding her hostage for days, the perpetrators allegedly tortured Daugherty, shaving her head, binding her with Christmas decorations, beating her with a towel rack and vacuum cleaner, feeding her detergent, urine and various medications and then forcing her to write a suicide note, before stabbing her to death.


The sadistic attack on Daugherty was anything but unique. Still, few Americans are aware of the special vulnerability of people with emotional, intellectual and physical disabilities to extraordinary violence. Thinking of crimes inspired by hate or bias, most people conjure an image of a burning cross on the lawn of a black family, or swastikas scrawled on the walls of a synagogue. They may recall the name of James Byrd, the black American in Jasper, Texas, who was dragged for miles to his death behind a pickup truck by three white supremacists, or they might think of Matthew Shepard, the gay college student who was viciously beaten and then tied to a fence, left to die in the desert outside of Laramie, Wyo.


But the same Americans may have legal and emotional “tunnel vision,” not seeing a hate crime in the brutal murder of Jennifer Daugherty, even though she was apparently singled out only because of her intellectual deficit.Thirty-two states have hate crime statutes to protect people who have disabilities, but 18 states still do not. At the end of October 2009, President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, bringing a uniform approach to the protection of hate crime victims that was not possible when matters were left to the states. The Shepard/Byrd legislation expanded federal hate crimes law to include offenses motivated by a victim’s disability, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. In addition, the new law eliminated a requirement that hate crime victims be engaged in a federally protected activity — for example, the right to live in the residence of your choice — to qualify for protection.


Still, attacks on people with disabilities are often overlooked because many people are not aware of the extreme vulnerability to maltreatment that accompanies such disorders as cerebral palsy, autism, multiple sclerosis, learning disabilities and mental illness — even though, according to anonymous victim accounts from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the 54 million Americans with disabilities experience serious violence at a rate nearly twice that of the general population. Their risk of being a victim of sexual assault is at least four times higher than that of people without disabilities. In 2008 alone, Americans with disabilities were victims of about 47,000 rapes, 79,000 robberies, 114,000 aggravated assaults and 476,000 simple assaults. Adding to the trauma of victimization, people with disabilities are much less likely than able-bodied victims to seek medical treatment for their injuries, often choosing, instead, to suffer in silence.


Over the years, police departments around the country have increased their sensitivity to hate crimes based on race, religion or sexual orientation, but they still may not recognize bias against disabilities as a motivation for an assault. For the year 2009, just 97 or about 1 percent of the 7,789 hate crimes recognized by the police in FBI data reportedly targeted people with disabilities. (Of that total, 72 reports were designated as anti-mental disability crimes, and 25 were anti-physical disability crimes). This appears to represent a tremendous underestimate. When it surveyed nationally representative individuals anonymously about their experiences with crimes — even offenses not reported to the police — the Department of Justice determined that more than 11 percent of all hate crimes targeted people with disabilities. In other words, by asking victims rather than the police, the Justice Department found the number of disablist attacks numbered in the thousands.


And that’s not to mention another problem: Hate offenses are underreported, generally.
The FBI hate crime count is based on a voluntary reporting system that many local police jurisdictions refuse to support. In 2009, for example, only nine hate crimes were reported for the entire state of Alabama, which would reflect just one such crime per 523,190 citizens, according to Census Bureau population estimates. By contrast, other states have typically reported a much higher rate of hate crimes — for example, Massachusetts reported 322 in 2009, a rate of one for every 20,476 citizens, and New Jersey had 549 reported hate crimes, reflecting a 1-in-16,000 rate. It is hard to imagine such a huge divergence in rates arising out of anything but different reporting standards — and, perhaps, different levels of enthusiasm for reporting hate crimes at all.


Hate crimes are also underreported because motivation is a central element, and motives are often difficult to prove. The perpetrators might not have used a slur or written hate graffiti on a wall or sidewalk; they might never have confided their intent to the police or an acquaintance.


In July 2006, for example, Steven Hoskin, a 39-year-old man with severe learning difficulties who lived in a small English village, was violently tortured for hours in July 2006 by five people — three young adults and two teenagers — before he was forced to take dozens of painkillers and then pushed from a viaduct to his death. Pretending to be Hoskin’s friends for several months before the fatal incident occurred, the five young perpetrators bullied their victim into submission on a number of occasions. The victim became convinced that he was being included as a member of a “gang” and was willing to endure pain and suffering to remain in good standing with his “good friends.” The torture and murder of Steven Hoskin had no economic motive. The crime would have been impossible if Hoskin had had normal intellect. But proving that the attack was motivated by the victim’s disability is not easy to do.


For many reasons, victims are themselves underreporters of hate offenses. Based on a history of animosity, black and Latino victims may see law enforcement as an “army of occupation”; immigrants may identify the police with a tyrannical regime in their home country or be concerned about being deported; gays and lesbians may perceive, rightly or not, that police officers are generally homophobic.


But violence against people with disabilities differs in important ways from other hate crimes, making attacks even less likely to be reported or acknowledged. Unlike racially and religiously motivated offenses, attacks against people with disabilities tend to be committed not by strangers but, more often, by family members, neighbors, employees and friends who may also be caregivers.


In January 1999, eight men and women tortured a 23-year-old man with learning disabilities who worked as a cook at a fast-food restaurant in Tinton Falls, N.J. Apparently imitating the horror movie Scream, which they had recently viewed, the group persuaded the victim to attend a “party” and, when he arrived, tormented him for almost three hours. They stripped their victim to his underwear, slapped and kicked him and taped him to a chair that they dragged around the room. One perpetrator attempted to shave the victim’s eyebrows and head with a razor; another completed the job with electric hair clippers. Members of the group then whipped him with rope knotted with a series of plastic beads, so his naked back, face and chest were covered by a network of cuts and bruises.


Cutting their victim out of the chair, they forced him to wear a bra and a woman’s suit and dragged him into a van, driving him into the woods. Upon reaching a desolate area, they repeatedly punched him and slammed him to the ground. Finally, the victim was able to escape. He staggered to a nearby property, where he convinced a security guard to summon the police, who drove him to a local hospital where he was treated and released.


The victim wanted desperately to be accepted by his tormentors. Two weeks earlier, he had attended a party with the same perpetrators, who abused him and held him hostage for the evening. But he didn’t file charges at the time and instead was willing to attend a second party with the same group a couple of weeks later. Even after charges of kidnapping and aggravated charges were brought against his tormentors, the victim didn’t seem to appreciate the brutality of the attack, telling reporters that he “just wanted to make friends with these people.”


Victims with disabilities are often extremely reluctant to report attacks out of fear that their tormentors will retaliate. They may have psychiatric or intellectual deficits that seriously interfere with their capacity to recognize false friendships or to report crime. Or they may assume a position of dependence in a relationship with caretakers who conceal their sadistic urges in the high credibility of their institutional roles. In October 2008, for example, five staff members in a Louisiana psychiatric facility were arrested for allegedly battering their patients with hand weights and inserting bleach into their open wounds. The victimized patients had complained bitterly but were perceived to be out of touch with reality and undeserving of being taken seriously.


Ignoring such hate offenses is particularly unfortunate because the level of sadism and brutality is frequently greater than in their racial and religious counterparts, and their perpetrators often engage in the sort of overkill not usually found in attacks based on other kinds of bias.


Slurs used by offenders represent the most widely employed evidence for establishing the commission of a hate attack. Racial and religious epithets are widely recognized, even by those individuals who themselves would never use them and are repulsed by those who do. The nasty labels placed on people with disabilities are just as hurtful as their racial and religious counterparts but are not recognized to the same extent. People with disabilities have been referred to as invalids (i.e., not valid persons), handicapped (capable only of begging, cap in hand) or disabled (incompetent). Other hurtful labels include crippled, deformed, feeble-minded, idiot, moron, imbecile, insane, lunatic and maniac. Often, people who wouldn’t dream of using the N-word feel free to refer to an intellectually challenged individual as a “retard.”


As a cultural phenomenon, racist preferences apparently find inspiration early in life, as children begin to develop the biases that they have learned from dinner table conversations, family members, friends and television programs. In an early study by social psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark, preschool children were asked to choose either a black or a white doll to play with. The majority of both white and black children preferred to play with the white doll, indicating the early impact of racial subordination and segregation on the psyche of countless minority youngsters. Testimony about the Clark and Clark study was given in the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which mandated the desegregation of America’s schools.


Negative perceptions of disability are also, it seems, formed very early in life. Most children aged 3 to 6 are already aware of physical disabilities and have already attributed negative characteristics to those who are not physically able-bodied. Writing in the journal Mental Retardation, researcher Laura Nabors notes that when able-bodied preschool children were shown pictures of persons with and without disabilities, the preschoolers showed a marked preference for able-bodied playmates and an aversion to their physically challenged counterparts. Children are more likely to learn about psychiatric and intellectual deficits later, when their cognitive abilities have developed enough to think of people who are developmentally different in unflattering terms.


Over time, what began as an aversion may easily be transformed into outright prejudice and hate. From the viewpoint of a perpetrator, the members of an out-group — defined by their physical or developmental differences — may represent a threat to his or her economic well-being, to cultural or religious values, to neighborhood composition, to educational opportunities and even to physical survival. What we might view as a hate crime is therefore often regarded by a perpetrator as self-defense. Hate attacks, therefore, usually occur after some precipitating event — a gay rights rally, the first Latino in a college dormitory, a developmentally delayed student mainstreamed into a regular classroom — that is seen as calling for a “last resort” response.


As with members of racial and religious groups, individuals with disabilities have often been the victims of such “defensive” hate crimes. A couple in suburban Chicago, both of whom were dependent on wheelchairs, planned to install a ramp at the entrance of their single-family residence — until neighbors threw rocks through their windows and sent threatening letters saying, “Your kind won’t last here.” The couple gave up and moved away. They might have stayed in their home had they received support and encouragement from neighbors and the police; they did not.


Many hate crimes are committed by groups of young people — teenagers or young adults — who, bored and idle, are looking for a little excitement at someone else’s expense. Such thrill hate attacks bring few practical gains to their perpetrators. Instead, they get an intangible benefit: bragging rights with friends who think that hate and violence are pretty cool. Thrill crimes are usually directed by a sadistic leader who has tremendous influence over a group of friends who may not be hate-filled but are all too eager to be accepted.


In May 2010, a 19-year-old high school student with a developmental disability was brutally attacked on a busy Boston street, in broad daylight, by a group of nine young people, ages 15 to 21. The bloodied victim, who later described himself to police as “slow and challenged,” screamed and pleaded for help, then curled up on the ground, as the perpetrators repeatedly kicked, beat and choked him. The victim later told police that “the kids up the street had jumped him.” He had known his assailants from the Dorchester Youth Collaborative — an agency for high-risk teenagers — and they did not like him. But the youthful perpetrators used their shared animosity as a bonding exercise. The more they shared in bashing their victim, the more cohesive their friendships became.


Some of the most dangerous hate crimes have a retaliatory motive, encouraging “tit for tat” in an exchange of violence. When the motive is retaliatory, an original attack by the members of one group is met by a retaliatory attack, often on a random basis, by the members of the victim’s group. In other words, the victim becomes the villain.


On Jan. 19, 2007, John Odgren stabbed to death his 15-year-old schoolmate — a random victim — in a restroom at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in Massachusetts. The 16-year-old killer had been diagnosed, early on, with major depression, Asperger’s Syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Because of his disabilities, Odgren had a long history of having been bullied and having sought to retaliate violently. In third grade, he threatened to shoot some girls who had harassed him. In fourth grade, he jabbed a pencil into another student’s chest. He was bullied repeatedly as he bounced from school to school and finally got even with his mainstreamed peers by killing an innocent victim. For taking the life of his schoolmate, Odgren was tried, convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole eligibility.


It is important to acknowledge that some organized hate groups overtly display their hostility to disabled people in a manner that encourages nonmembers to become violent. In early November 2002, for example, the white supremacist group Stormfront allocated a section of its Web discussion forum to eugenics. Among the comments presented online was the following: “We must put into place social and economic systems that encourage the best genes to dominate in numbers as well as power.”


But only a very small minority of hate crimes — perhaps 5 percent — directly involve organized hate groups. Disability hate crimes are no different in this respect.


Victims of disablist violence learn to respond in any of a number of ways to the maltreatment they are forced to endure in their day-to-day lives. In the face of widespread bias, some people with disabilities come to accept the nasty stereotypes being communicated widely about them and suffer a profound loss of self-esteem. They may see themselves as inferior, incompetent, totally disabled. Rather than regard their disability as only one of many characteristics they possess, they may instead come to define themselves totally by their most serious disadvantage and give up the struggle for self-improvement, sinking deeply into depression, drug abuse or alcoholism.


Other people with disabilities refuse to accept the nasty stereotypes that invade their lives, instead seeking to avoid the nastiest implications of their maltreatment by segregating themselves in terms of friendship, employment and dating. Rather than give up, they attempt to insulate themselves from the insulting behavior of the able-bodied.


Still others seek collectively to change the maltreatment they have suffered because of their disabilities. Since the 1970s, members of the disability rights movement have instituted boycotts, blocked traffic and engaged in a variety of protests, marches and sit-ins. Closely mirroring the civil rights and women’s movements of the 1960s, organized efforts have aided in the passage of disability-rights laws and the blockage of policies that would have been hurtful to people with disabilities. In the last couple of years, hundreds of people in wheelchairs have demonstrated on the streets of Atlanta, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Nashville. In August 2008, the Special Olympics and 21 other disability groups called for a nationwide boycott of the Ben Stiller-directed film Tropic Thunder because of what the organizations considered a “negative portrayal” of the developmentally disabled.


Such collective efforts are important as models for what the victims of hate violence might be able to achieve in the future. For now, however, such demonstrations are typically designed to reduce employment discrimination or to discourage cuts in government budgets. The hate crime response has not yet occurred.


We don’t have to change the law on hate crimes against people with disabilities — that has already happened — but we must change the thinking of ordinary people who consider only race, religion or sexual orientation as grounds for bigotry. Many people with disabilities are harmed more by the way others treat them than by their intellectual, psychiatric or physical disadvantages. This unfortunate fact has been widely ignored by otherwise decent Americans, who, when they think of hate crimes, tend to focus on people wearing sheets, armbands, steel-toe boots or Nazi tattoos. It is easy to forget that hate begins in the silence of ordinary people.

Think More, Waste Less

I used to be a Democrat. Really! I was one of those people who spoke out about the failings of the GOP; I even voted for Barack Obama. Nowdays, it looks to me like there really are no differences between the 2 parties that run our country. So, for the past few years I've begun to do things differently. To hell with political parties! I now look at what individuals do, and get behind whoever seems to be serving the interests of the people. Here's an example of what I'm saying. You go Republican rep. Mike McLane!!

SALEM— Rep. Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte) today said funding for a state advertising program should be eliminated in favor of a program that provides transportation services to seniors and the disabled. He says it’s wrong to fund the “Drive Less, Save More” ad campaign at the same time the Legislature is considering devastating cuts to human services programs.



“Five years of instructing Oregonians to ‘drive less and save more’ is enough, especially as high gas prices are already forcing citizens to make this decision,” Rep. McLane said. “The Legislature should cut this wasteful spending and redirect those savings to help our most vulnerable citizens.”



As a member of the Joint Ways and Means Transportation and Economic Development Subcommittee, Rep. McLane has worked to eliminate “flexible” federal dollars for the $2 million advertising program, and redirect those savings to the Seniors and Disabled Transportation program. He says the funding shift should be an easy decision for legislators working to balance the state budget.



“During these difficult times the Legislature should ‘spend less and save more,’ and prioritize our limited resources to help Oregonians in need,” Rep. McLane said. “We shouldn’t spend these limited resources on programs that only serve special interests and urban transit agencies. It’s time to cut wasteful spending, and use tax dollars on programs and services that our citizens truly depend on.”

Do You At Least Believe the State's AG?

For years (literally) I've been complaining about the secrecy in Oregon's state government. I've even been written off as a conspiracy theorist by some of our Legislators and disability advocates when I've brought it up. Well, as the late, great, Malcolm X would say; "The chickens have come home to roost". Our Attorney General, John Kroger, emailed out the following today. An "F" in transparency??


DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

April 27, 2011

Dear David,



Government transparency -- the ability of citizens and media organizations to request and obtain government records in a timely, cost-effective manner -- is vital to a healthy democracy. Unfortunately, our government in Oregon is not as transparent as it should be. A recent nationwide study of government openness gave Oregon a grade of F.



To fix this problem I have proposed Senate Bill 41, a major piece of legislation designed to make Oregon government more open to its citizens. For the first time in our history, Senate Bill 41 would require government to provide records to the public at fair cost and according to strict deadlines. This will prevent state and local government from delaying their response to requests, or charging inflated expenses, when asked to produce records.



However, government lobbyists are trying to prevent passage of this important bill into law. Though the bill currently has bipartisan support, opposition may block the bill. That is why we need your help.



If you agree that we need to make Oregon government more transparent there are two things you can do:



Attend a meeting - The Oregon State Legislature has been holding public meetings across the state to listen to and gather feedback from their constituents. If you can attend any of the upcoming events and express your support for Senate Bill 41 please let us know by responding to this email. We will provide you with information about the bill and answer any questions you may have about our legislation.



Write to these legislative leaders - If you are unable to be present at one of the meetings, you can still be heard. Please send your thoughts to the following Oregon legislators, who serve on the Senate Rules Committee, and urge them to support Senate Bill 41.



Senator Diane Rosenbaum

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1700

Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, S-223, Salem, OR, 97301

Email: sen.dianerosenbaum@state.or.us



Senator Ted Ferrioli

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1950

Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, S-323, Salem, OR, 97301

Email: sen.tedferrioli@state.or.us



Senator Jason Atkinson

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1702

Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, S-415, Salem, OR, 97301

Email: sen.jasonatkinson@state.or.us



Senator Lee Beyer

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1706

Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, S-419, Salem, OR, 97301

Email: sen.leebeyer@state.or.us



Senator Ginny Burdick

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1718

Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, S-213, Salem, OR, 97301

Email: sen.ginnyburdick@state.or.us



We have a tremendous opportunity to make Oregon government more open and transparent. I hope you will help us win this battle.



Sincerely,



JOHN R. KROGER
Attorney General

What an Absolute Waste Of Time!!

It seems to me that the State of Oregon must lose the notes taken around abuse and neglect EACH YEAR. That is the only possible reason for putting a group like this together ONCE AGAIN. What is described below has been done over and over and over again. They try to make it sound like "This time we're serious!", But I believe it's simply a waste of tax payers dollars combined with the insatiable thirst some people have in seeing their names mentioned on DHS letterhead. Have at it gang! I'm sure you "mean it this time".

Date: April 25, 2011 General questions: Gene Evans, 503-947-5286
DHS Launches Adult Protective Services Safety Team to Improve Safety for Vulnerable Adults in Long Term Care Facilities

Department of Human Services Acting Director Erinn Kelley-Siel has announced the members of a work team charged with making recommendations for improving Oregon's adult protective services system, starting with the safety and protection of vulnerable adults in licensed long-term care settings.

“The safety and protection of our most vulnerable populations is among our most critical functions,” Kelley-Siel said. “Oregonians appropriately expect that their loved ones in licensed long-term care facilities and who are being cared for by foster and in-home providers will be safe.”
The Adult Protective Services Safety Team includes members representing seniors, the caregivers that serve them, law enforcement and prosecutors, the long-term care industry and front-line adult protective service workers.

Kelley-Siel has charged the team with the following major tasks:

a) Review and analyze the most serious incidents of elder abuse/neglect in long-term care settings and in the community between 2009/2010, including a review of the types of abuse and factors that cases involving abuse may have in common. The goal is to identify issues or factors contributing to abuse or neglect and any changes in policy that might be warranted;

b) Map the current adult protective services system, review existing policies and procedures, and identify gaps and opportunities to strengthen the work of adult protective services in Oregon;

c) Develop recommendations on how the adult protective services system can better assist law enforcement in prosecuting abusers; and

d) Review the laws and policies defining elder abuse and make any necessary recommendations to strengthen them.

The team holds their first meeting on Monday, April 25, in Salem, and the team will provide recommendations back to Kelley-Siel by July 1, 2011.
The Adult Protective Services Safety Team members include:

Sergeant Margaret Bahnson, Portland Police Bureau, Vulnerable Adult Unit;

Jerry Cohen, Executive Director, American Association of Retired Persons;
Vic Gilliam, state representative;

Ruth Gulyas, Executive Director, Oregon Alliance of Senior & Health Services;

Regine Goerke, Department of Human Services Adult Protective Services;

Val Hoyle, state representative;

Mary Jaeger, Director, Long-term Care Ombudsman;

Bob Joondeph, Disability Rights Oregon;

Holly Mercer, Board of Nursing;

Lucy Morgan, Governors Commission on Sr. Services;

Meghan Moyer, Oregon Public Employees Union/ Service Employee International Union;

Bill Olson, advocate;

Dr. Laurie E. Powers, Portland State University, advocate;

Lauren Rhoades, Oregon Health Care Association;

Rodney Schroeder, Interim Deputy Director, Northwest Senior and Disability Services;

Sherry Stock, Oregon Disabilities Commission Chair, Brain Injury Association of Oregon;

Matt Smith, Detective, Forest Grove Police Department;

John Thompson, Manager, Northwest Seniors & Disability Services;

Kathryn Weit, Acting Executive Director Oregon Developmental Disabilities Council; and

John D. Wentworth, Assistant District Attorney, Clackamas County

Accessible to Who??

It's hard to think about the idea of accessibility without other words being included. Words like "justice", "equality", "civil rights", and "inclusion". That's because barriers set up by people with pre-conceived notions of "who should have what" often make accessibility much more of a challenge than it should be. I believe that what's accessible to some, should be accessible to all.

Several years back, I was working with a group of people who have profound developmental disabilities. Many of these people also use wheelchairs to get around. There was a park a mile from where we hung out, with a beautiful water fountain; surrounded by thousands of rose bushes. On warm, spring afternoons, there is no lovelier place in Portland. This park was created many years ago, before any thought was given as to WHO should get to enjoy it.

In order to get down to the fountain, you negotiated 30 steps, and there was no wheelchair ramp, which i found troublesome. One afternoon I began making phone calls to see if the City would consider building a ramp. When I brought up the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the idea of accessibility for ALL citizens, I was told they weren't required to, because the park was an historic landmark. After haggling, I asked the city employee if they personally believed that an excuse was more important than allowing ALL citizens the same RIGHTS. There was a brief silence on their end, until they finally said (quietly); "I'll see if there's something we can do".

Shortly after, a new job that I'd wanted for a long time opened up, and I moved on. As time passed by, I lost contact with the people from those days. A few years later, on the first warm and sunny day of spring, my wife exclaimed "Let's do something outside on this beautiful day!" I suggested we take a long walk to the park where the fountain and roses would surely be a treat. As we walked toward the fountain, I noticed there were now 2 wheelchair ramps beside the steps! I was beyond myself with a feeling of accomplishment. I also realized that we don't always see the fruits of our labors. The most important thing we can do is speak up about the many barriers that get in the way of REAL accessibility.

Autism Speaks (Again...)

Once again the Autism Speaks folks are fund raising to find a "cure" for autism. They seem to think autism is the scourge of the 21st century. I wonder if they ever speak to people (there's a hell of a lot of us out here) who don't ascribe to their false claims about divorce, poverty, and destroyed lives; a direct result of autism? Seems to me they're mainly a bunch of lazy Hollywood types, unwilling to do the work it takes to support someone with autism! Maybe I'll do a fund raiser where the money I take in can go to getting them free training on how to do so. What do you think? What follows is how many others think.


"Autism Speaks" (For Themselves)


Have you seen the ad from "Autism Speaks" on tv? They seem to be working hard to hold back people with autism, along with their civil and human rights. There are many in the disability community (including me) who have taken issue with their message...


'Poetic' autism film divides campaigners


17:36 29 September 2009 by Celeste Biever


For similar stories, visit the Books and Art and The Human Brain Topic Guides


http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17878-poetic-autism-film-divides-campaigners.html


"I have no interest in right or wrong… I will plot to rob you of your children and your dreams."


These words come from a short film called I Am Autism, which has sparked a spat between people with autism across the US and a charity that aims to represent them.


The film contains clips of children with autism and their parents backed by a voiceover that suggests autism has no morality and breaks apart families (read the transcript here). The charity Autism Speaks, based in New York, first screened the film on 22 September at its annual World Focus on Autism event.


I Am Autism was made by two fathers of children with autism: Billy Mann, a Grammy-nominated songwriter, music producer and Autism Speaks board member, and Alfonso Cuarón, an Academy award-nominated film director. The narration is a "personal poem" written by Mann, says Marc Sirkin, chief community officer at Autism Speaks.


'Embarrassing and offensive'


But some people with autism say the film projects a damaging image of them. They are protesting online with a spoof video on YouTube and a Facebook group. A few have also taken to the streets to protest.


"This makes people afraid of us. What will people think about me and other autistics if they have watched this damaging video?" says Elesia Ashkenazy, director of the Portland, Oregon, chapter of the Autistic Self Advocacy network (ASAN). She helped organise a protest against the video in Portland on 26 September.


Ari Ne'eman, president of ASAN, based in Washington DC, says the film is "embarrassing, offensive and inaccurate". "It has practical consequences," he says. For those with autism and looking for a job or a relationship, or trying to fit in at school, he says, "this adds to the fear and prejudice and stigma".


Ne'eman particularly objects to one segment of the video, in which the narrator, representing autism itself, says: "And if you're happily married, I will make sure that your marriage fails."


Ne'eman points to a 2008 survey that contradicts this notion, carried out by the disabilities charity Easter Seals, based in Chicago, Illinois. Looking at 917 parents who have children without any special needs and 1652 parents whose children have an autism spectrum disorder, the survey found that that 30 per cent of parents of people with autism spectrum disorders were divorced, compared with 29 per cent of parents whose children didn't have special needs.


Profit motive?


Sirkin admits that he knows of "no evidence that having a child with autism spectrum disorder in the family leads to higher rates of divorce" but says the film is "a personal statement based on the viewpoint of the two parents who created the film".


Ne'eman also accuses the charity of using "fear and pity-mongering" to raise funds. Sirkin responds that Autism Speaks did not pay for the film to be made, and that the film is not intended as a fundraiser, only to raise awareness.


The soundtrack to the spoof online video, I Am Autism Speaks, goes, "I work hard to make people believe your children are suffering worse than cancer or AIDS victims," and, "Your money will fall into my hands and I will bankrupt you," and "Your advocates don't have the money to fight me."


Right to speak


Meanwhile the Facebook group page set up in protest against the film calls it "a grotesque travesty of a film, filled with falsehoods, bigotry and hate… It does not represent our views on autism and autistic people. It vilifies autistic people, and we will not stand for it."


Sirkin says this is all par for the course. "We have received both positive and negative feedback. Some parents have found the video inspiring and have thanked us for showing it. Others have been offended by it. We believe that all perspectives are valid and need to be heard and respected. No one perspective can ever be the definitive voice of autism."


Morton Gernsbacher, an autism researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says the film could be destructive. "Any organisation that claims to support individuals with disabilities and those individuals' families should familiarise itself with the decades of research which has investigated the deleterious effects of fear-eliciting messaging," she says.


It's not the first time that Autism Speaks has provoked anger from people with autism. In 2008, the charity demanded that an autistic blogger take down a parody of its website because it infringed copyright. This sparked outrage from ASAN and many autistic bloggers.


I Am Autism: transcript of video


I am autism.


I'm visible in your children, but if I can help it, I am invisible to you until it's too late.


I know where you live, and guess what? I live there too. I hover around all of you.


I know no colour barrier, no religion, no morality, no currency. I speak your language fluently, and with every voice I take away, I acquire yet another language.


I work very quickly. I work faster than paediatric AIDS, cancer and diabetes combined.


And if you are happily married, I will make sure that your marriage fails. Your money will fall into my hands, and I will bankrupt you for my own self-gain.


I don't sleep, so I make sure you don't either. I will make it virtually impossible for your family to easily attend a temple, a birthday party, a public park, without a struggle, without embarrassment, without pain.


You have no cure for me. Your scientists don't have the resources, and I relish their desperation.


Your neighbours are happier to pretend that I don't exist, of course, until it's their child. I am autism.


I have no interest in right or wrong. I derive great pleasure out of your loneliness. I will fight to take away your hope. I will plot to rob you of your children and your dreams.


I will make sure that every day you wake up, you will cry, wondering, "Who will take care of my child after I die?" And the truth is, I am still winning, and you are scared, and you should be.


I am autism.


You ignored me.

Musical Chairs for Dropping the Ball? Really?

I really hadn't planned on blogging about this story. It's a significant story, related to the abuse of elderly people in Oregon. However; when I tried to comment on it on the Oregonian website, a message popped up saying "This appears to be a duplicate comment" (hmm....), so I was left with no choice but to write here.

Back in November, 2007, the Oregonian ran a story about abuse in group homes and foster care homes in our state. I blogged about the story then. I made my concerns about that situation very clear, and became involved in a lot of work in an attempt to "stem the tide" of abuse in Oregon. Of course, I did it in my usual way of being forthright and transparent which pissed some folks off, but I believe as MLK said; "If you can't stand for something, you'll fall for anything".

One of the projects I became involved in was in Salem, the state capitol. I was invited by a State Legislator to participate in a workgroup, where we would design and craft legislation to deal with the issue. For months, I spent time driving to and from the capitol, sitting in meetings, and brain storming with others to come up with some comprehensive legislation that could become law. Finally, in 2009 the laws were passed, and I was comfortable knowing we'd accomplished our goal.

Last Sunday, in an article in the Oregonian, I found out that my comfort was mis-guided, and things weren't as peachy as I'd thought. The article follows...


State Rep. Sara Gelser said Oregon would do a better job protecting the elderly in long-term care facilities if Department of Human Resources complied with existing law. A state representative who sponsored legislation to protect the elderly and developmentally disabled from rape and other crimes says the Oregon Department of Human Services hasn’t been following that 2-year-old law.

Two stories in The Sunday Oregonian detailing failures in Oregon’s ability to safeguard elderly and mentally impaired adults in its 2,400 long-term care facilities sparked outrage and lively discussion among lawmakers, but Rep. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, said the most obvious solution is to get DHS to comply with existing law.


For one, DHS’ Seniors and People with Disabilities Division hasn’t been notifying long-term care facilities if applicants to job openings have a substantiated history of sexually, physically or financially abusing vulnerable adults in past jobs. But Gelser said HB 2442 — the law she pushed through in 2009 requires DHS to do so — with the exception of nursing homes.


Last week, in anticipation of The Oregonian’s investigation, DHS’ new acting director Erinn Kelley-Siel sent an email to all staff and lawmakers announcing the agency would begin notifying employers April 15 of the most serious sexual or physical offenders. It’s unclear whether Kelley-Siel and her staff were aware that the agency was already required to do so.


Kelley-Siel could not be reached for comment for this story, and a DHS spokesman said it could be weeks before she may have time to talk to the newspaper.


Gelser also said she noticed early last year that DHS wasn’t enforcing provision that requires long-term care facilities to tell residents and their guardians when DHS substantiates that a fellow resident has been abused. The law requires care facilities to give written notice. (Again, nursing homes, which care for as many as 12,000 vulnerable adults, are exempt. )


Administrators from the Seniors and People with Disabilities Division of DHS apparently were still unaware of the law because they told The Oregonian last week there was no such requirement.


“What we should be doing instead of racing to adopt new legislation is holding the department accountable for implementing legislation that we passed in 2009,” Gelser said, while also acknowledging that DHS staffing is “thin.”


The Oregonian’s review revealed a public safety net riddled with large holes. The newspaper reported that DHS investigators determined that the vast majority — or about 80 percent — of more than 350 reports of possible sexual abuse since 2005 in long-term care facilities couldn’t be substantiated. Often, the elderly or mentally impaired victims were found to be unreliable witnesses because they had dementia or were heavily medicated. But they exhibited signs of abuse that included sudden bouts of crying, victims declaring “it hurts” and bleeding from their genitals.


DHS investigators substantiated 73 of the 350-plus reports, but police said neither DHS or the long-term care facilities called them to investigate in at least 28 cases. The newspaper found evidence of 14 arrests and eight convictions.


DHS’ acting director, Kelley-Siel, said she plans to form a work group to better understand what’s happening.


After meeting with Kelley-Siel earlier this week, Rep. Carolyn Tomei — D-Milwaukie, who is co-chair of the House Human Services Committee — said she would schedule a hearing in May or June to look at the scope and severity of the problem.


“I obviously had no idea that it was going on,” Tomei said. “I’m horrified, but it had to be written. It will spur us on to do more.”


Tomei said she hopes the springtime hearing also will address other solutions. Suggestions include requiring national criminal background checks of all applicants to care facilities, eliminating exceptions in existing law for nursing homes and finding ways to ensure better reporting, investigation and ultimately prosecution of suspected abuse.


A national criminal check could cost about $30 per person. Idaho runs a national query, and the screening caught nearly 100 applicants with disqualifying pasts last year. Illinois has expanded its background checks in a different direction. In addition to checking criminal histories of employees, it checks for the criminal histories of residents — who along with caregivers and intruders, prey on the most vulnerable residents.


Sen. Chris Edwards, D-Eugene, has introduced a bill that could help uncover sexual abuse and aid prosecutions. Senate Bill 557 would require all hospitals to employ a certified sexual assault nurse examiner by the end of 2013 — or send possible sex abuse victims to hospitals that do.


That was a problem encountered by family members of 59-year-old Ruth DeLong Black. Their quest to bring the man they thought was responsible for raping Black to justice was featured in The Sunday Oregonian. The story recounted the failure of a doctor at Santiam Memorial Hospital — which employs no sexual assault nurse examiners — to conduct a complete rape exam, including internal swabs. A complete rape exam could have helped prove a case of rape — or helped clear the defendant’s name.


Aimee Green

So, back to my thoughts... I had 3 questions that I wrote in the comment I told you about earlier. They are...
1.) Who is responsible for alerting DHS workers that there are new laws they are supposed to follow? I believe that would be the Director of DHS (Bruce Goldberg) and the Assistant Director who heads up Seniors and people with Disabilities (James Toews). Interestingly enough, both of these guys were reassigned to new jobs at DHS around 1 month ago. Hmm...
2.) Who is responsible in the legislature for making sure laws are known, understood, and followed? It has to be SOMEONE'S job!
3.) When it became clear that DHS wasn't following the law that was 2 years old, exactly whos' head(s) rolled? Please don't tell me a reassignment without a true reason why, fits that bill.

On Developmental Disability Awareness Month

Ladies and Gentlemen, here we go again! As many states (including Oregon) slash needed services, may I proclaim that March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month!! A time to reflect on this oft' overlooked class of the citizenry! A time to praise the accomplishments in our country on behalf of these struggling people! And a time to celebrate those accomplishments!

At some point this month there will undoubtedly be a day commemorating people with developmental disabilities in all 50 state capitols. This will need to occur BEFORE the announcements are made of how the states plan to take away the pittance of "services" these heros receive. In a massive conspiracy designed to absolutely not require the wealthy to hand over some of their wealth, the idea is to "LET THEM EAT CAKE!!" Here in Oregon, the plan is to do the following, according to the DD Coalition...


Proposed DD Budget Cuts 2011-13
The following reductions in the DD Program are proposed in the Governor’s Budget:

This budget proposal cuts almost $100 million in total funds out of services to people with Developmental Disabilities.

 These reductions will impact the health, safety, and quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
 Services for people with developmental disabilities have moved from an expensive model of service (Institutions) to more cost effective service models (Support Services and Comprehensive Services) designed to provide the least amount of support necessary for an individual to live successfully in the community.
 Reductions in current services will result in some individuals going into crisis and requiring more expensive services.

Reduction in 24 / 7 Comprehensive Service Rates ($43 TF)
Will impact the quality of care for over 6,500 adults and children. Continued rate reductions and lack of COLA mean that more programs will be unwilling to serve an increasingly complex population of individuals with developmental disabilities.

Eliminate Alternative to Employment Program ($17.1 TF)
Over 2,400 individuals will lose access to day services. This reduction will require increased staffing for residential programs and individuals will lose important services.

Eliminate Family Support ($3.7 GF)
Eliminates support to approximately 1,200 families caring for a child with disabilities. Program provides respite and other disability related supports that assist the child to remain at home.

Cut Fairview Trust by 50% ($7 other fund)
Elimination of funding source that improves health and safety of individuals living at home, keeps individuals out of the 24 /7 comprehensive system, and assists family caregiving by providing home modifications and technology. Violates the promise made at the time of the closure of the state institution to support Oregonians with developmental disabiltiies living in the community.

Eliminate access to Support Services for individuals who are not Medicaid eligible ($6 GF | $15 TF)
Individuals who are not Medicaid eligible currently receive only the General Fund portion of their Support Services funding. This reduction would eliminate access to a Personal Agent who assists them to navigate systems and purchase supports. For many, the loss of both the support service dollars and access to a personal agent will put them into crisis that will result in more expensive services.


Reduce Support Services to individuals 18-21 ($4.7 TF)
Reduction in access to Support Services at a point that youth are transitioning from education may result in more youth and their families going into crisis and requiring more expensive services or a cost shift to education.

10% Reduction in case management and personal agents ($9.8 TF)
Increased caseload and inability to respond quickly to needs of individuals and families. Reduces ability to monitor health and safety. Creates delays in critical eligiblity and other Medicaid processes.

10% Reduction in administration of DD Programs and Support Brokerages ($2.6 TF)
Decreased staff at a time of increased administrative workload and more complex population.

Eliminate the Quality Assurance positions in the County DD Programs and Brokerages ($2.9 TF)
Risk of not meeting the Medicaid requirements for the Home and Community Based Waivers.

Reduce Crisis Diversion ($.7 TF)
Reduces the ability to stabilize a crisis situation quickly and reduce the need for more expensive services.

Reduce In-Home Supports to Children ($.5 GF)
Provides In-Home Support to families who are in crisis and on the verge of seeking more expensive out of home placement for their children. All budget savings will be lost if even a small number of families must give up their children.

Do you wonder why I'm such a frustrated person? Not only do i have a family member (Joseph) with a developmental disability, but I've spent 1/2 of my life trying to ensure their experiences as human beings is equal in quality to the rest of us!

If Health Care Is A HUMAN RIGHT

If Health Care Is A HUMAN RIGHT

If Health Care is a human right
For ALL humans NOT to have it is in fact, a crime
If Health Care is a human right
Those who withhold it should be dragged into court
Prosecuted to the full extent of the law
If Health Care is a human right
OUR government is guilty of murder and crimes against
HUMANITY
Hate Crimes against those less fortunate
If Health Care is a human right
There are no excuses
If Health Care is a human right
It MUST be so... should we ask?
I’m tired of hearing the stories
Of reading about those neglected unto death
Of the pain I bare in My Heart for My fellow man
Who has seen My Tears
Waiting and waiting and waiting for their needs
To be met

JOIN ME!
Do not shrink away on this
It is far too important
The MOST important issue
Of these times