Bill.Scarborough@p0.f4.n382.z1.fidonet.org ADAPT COLLECTIVE (Bill Scarborough) (05/09/91)
Index Number: 15461
[This is from the Spinal Injury Conference]
-------------------------
From: ADAPT COLLECTIVE
(Thursday) 05/02/1991 08:40
ATTENDANT-SERVICE-FORUM
To : ALL
Day three of the actions topped it all off.
Taking the Metro into DC ADAPT marched to the Health
and Human Services building for the final
confrontation of this action. Lining up in front of
the building, ADAPT activist began chanting loudly and
angrily "WE WANT SULLIVAN!" THe cops strenghtened
their stance. As chants got angrier activists rolled
forward some began to climb down from their chairs and
crawl through the cop cars which had been pulled in to
block our passage. The cops rushed in to reinforce
the cars with people and used their legs to keep the
crawlers out. Several activists were held in knee
locks, around their necks, during the afternoon long
press for entrance to the building. Other ADAPT
members went around to block all the other doors.
Skirmishes continued around the building, and at one
point electric wheelchair users blocked the
underground garage. The building was shut down all
afternoon, and at 6pm we held a press conference
announcing our next action was to be in Orlando in
October.
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!382!4.0!Bill.Scarborough
Internet: Bill.Scarborough@p0.f4.n382.z1.fidonet.orgBill.Scarborough@p0.f4.n382.z1.fidonet.org (Bill Scarborough) (05/15/91)
Index Number: 15640
There is a place for the ongoing education, which we are
also working on. There is also a place for demonstrations,
which we do.
I am reminded of the story in the Book of Acts where Paul
tried to witness to the people of Athens. He made a very brave
intellectual effort to reach out in a positive manner to the
Athenians. The said Athenians mostly wanted to debate and
discuss.
The system has a way of seeing to it that new ideas die in
the official and correct committees. ADAPT is trying to blast
the disability agenda out of committee.
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!382!4.0!Bill.Scarborough
Internet: Bill.Scarborough@p0.f4.n382.z1.fidonet.orgRussell.Hunt@f240.n620.z3.fidonet.org (Russell Hunt) (05/15/91)
Index Number: 15652
GO FOR IT!!!!!!
You can't make an omlet without breaking an egg.
As you so rightly noted it's all about capturing and then using that
agenda. I've seen so many consumer (including groups outside of the
disability field) FAIL because they fall for the trap of entering
the oppositions domain and reacting to their agenda. That will NEVER
work as we don't have the resources and don`t know the rules. Mind
you, lots of us get seduced by what the system has to offer.
At hte risk of being glib, we ought to learn from the Viet Cong. The
beat the odds by doing it their way.
Regards............Russell
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!3!620!240!Russell.Hunt
Internet: Russell.Hunt@f240.n620.z3.fidonet.orgSusie.Lee@f222.n271.z1.fidonet.org (Susie Lee) (05/17/91)
Index Number: 15721
GT> >GT> fixed. How easy is it for folks to hire attendants at
GT> >GT> minimum wage? At least ADAPT is saying SOMETHING. I
GT> >How easy is it for anyone (anywhere in the country,
GT> >anymore) to try and make some kind of living, even in the
GT> >poorest hovel, on mimimum wages? Mimimum wages,
GT> True, very true. I would love to pay my attendants what
GT> thay are worth (considerably more than minimum wage!) but
GT> my SSI check barely covers My living expenses, let alone
And you and I both can thank your lucky stars that you have attendants
willing to go it on Mimimum wages, possibly with the humane understanding
that it *is* all and the best you can do. Those folks are getting to be a
rare and threatened-with-extinction breed. I have a pair of hearing-ear
critters to help me with some of my poor-hearing handicap, and you know dogs
work at the minimal-est wages, just chow and love! So I guess I'm pretty
well off, considering. I wish I could get someone else to do my forgetting
and mistake-making though! (heh-heh! :)
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!271!222!Susie.Lee
Internet: Susie.Lee@f222.n271.z1.fidonet.orgBill.Scarborough@p0.f4.n382.z1.fidonet.org (Bill Scarborough) (05/31/91)
Index Number: 15885
Numerous ADAPT members are called upon for information, the same
as you. ADAPT members write legislative proposals, letters to public
officials, and knowledgeable fact sheets.
Numerous ADAPT members testify before legislative committees, get
calls from senators and representatives, and are considered
knowledgeable people in the disability field.
We do all the things you do, and then some. Of course, the "then
some" includes demonstrations. In doing demonstrations, we create
breathing room for those who do only some of the things we also do.
According to my recollection, I have been uploading INCITEMENT,
the newsletter of ADAPT, to your board. By all means, give it a look.
We're not really so bad once you really get to know us.
You might even think we are the good guys we say we are.
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!382!4.0!Bill.Scarborough
Internet: Bill.Scarborough@p0.f4.n382.z1.fidonet.orgGuy.Thomas@f40.n161.z1.fidonet.org (Guy Thomas) (05/31/91)
Index Number: 15887 In a message to Guy Thomas <05-15-91 11:05> Joe Chamberlain wrote: >>>disabled individual crawling up the steps of the nation's >>>capitol. We rolled into the capitol like men and women. > > GT> You may not have participated in them, but there were >many marches, > GT> sit-in,s, > GT> and other demos going on concurrently with your >activities that >impacted > > I agree and I participated in two marches, one in >NYC and >one in DC. However, we did not crawl....we faced our >opponents >across the conference table and testified before the >subcommittee >as intelligent adults. You really have a problem with this crawling thing, huh? What about feeding oneself? If I need help should I just eat in hiding? So as not to appear child-like? If I want to lay on the beach. Do I get two guys to carry me onto the sand rather than crawl there by myself. I maintain that crawling is more independant. All I'm saying is we use wheelchairs, we are not bound by them. I understand that it may not look pretty, but we can't be limited by what is seemly. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!161!40!Guy.Thomas Internet: Guy.Thomas@f40.n161.z1.fidonet.org