|
by Leroy Moore and Pam Fadem/Illin n Chillin
After being bombarded with dreadful and able-ist
commercials for Yes on Prop. 71, seeing the faces and
reading the and stories of white, wealthy disabled men
(i.e. Christopher Reeve and Ronald Reagan), I wonder
as a Black, disabled activist living on SSI, would
this proposition reach my people and other people of
color who are wheelchair users because of police
brutality? Can Randy M, who became a wheelchair user
after an Oakland Police officer threw him over a fence
thus breaking his neck benefit from Prop. 71? I guess
Randy would not be a good spokesperson for a cure
compared to Christopher Reeves. After reading the
bill's summary and list of sponsors, it is interesting
to see that some traditional organizations of color
signed up to push for the passage of this bill even
though many of these organizations have little
connection with the growing disabled people of color
movement and our organizations. It is also funny that
I don't see a Black Christopher Reeves coming out for
this proposition in the mainstream news. Where is
Teddy Pendergrass, who became a wheelchair user way
before Christopher Reeves because of a car accident?
Have you checked out the list of DISEASES? They list
Developmental Disabilities. As some of you know this
includes Cerebral Palsy (which I have) and Mental
Retardation, among many others. This is stretching it
too far. Of course the old argument comes up, THE
$$$$ SAVE SAVE SAVE argument. People with
disabilities are always linked to $$. Our capitalist
system has always tried to get rid of us and the laws
that protect us. We always cost too much, but with $ 3
billion (what Prop. 71 calls for) going toward this
research, how much will go toward social programs,
health care and the run down hospitals in our cities?
Let's be clear- the Yes on Prop 71 website
(www.yeson71.com) says that research grants will be
guided by medical experts." This fits into the
medical model of disability, not the social model that
the disabled community has been shouting for.
I don't want to stand in the way of a cure for
anybody, but I want to offer an invitation to those
who sponsored this bill and those who will receive
research grants to put their organizations on the list
to support disabled organizations, programs, services,
arts, legal rights etc., which are drastically under
funded and
unsupported in our diverse communities in California.
Additional comment by Pam Fadem
I also share the concerns expressed by Leroy Moore in
the previous opinion piece. Additionally, I hope that
everyone will read the fine print and understand that
while California taxpayer money will support stem cell
research under Prop. 71, the patents for any research
results will belong to private individuals and
corporations. This means the patent holders will be
free to make significant profits, making treatment so
expensive that it will effectively restrict the
benefits of their research (again, remember that the
taxpayers will have paid for this research!) to those
who are rich enough to pay out- of- pocket or who have
insurance that will pick up the bill. California is a
state with huge numbers of uninsured working people,
where people with disabilities are disproportionately
poor, under- or uneducated, and under- or uninsured.
And California is also cutting Medi-Cal services. All
of these problems affect people of color, immigrants
and the poor within our own disability community more
than others. Vote no on Prop. 71 and tell the Governor
wed rather he put that $3 billion towards housing,
healthcare, education and training, and other
desperately needed services for people with
disabilities.
|
