This past week I was in Washington D.C. with ADAPT. It was my first national ADAPT action and it was awesome.  Nothing is more powerful than seeing around 500 people with disabilities hit the streets of D.C. to bring awareness to the issues that effect our lives.

     One of the pressing issues is seeing the community choice act getting passed into law. It would give people more choices of attendant care services in their own homes rather having to go to a nursing home.Check out www.adapt.orgfor more info on the Community Choice Act. Therefore, On Tuesday April 29th about 250 ADAPT activist fillied Sen. John McCain’s office in the Russell Senate building seeking his support of the community choice act. I was one of the 250 that day, and in fact I was one of 24 who made it in his office. I did not exspect when I woke up that day I would put myself in a posistion to get arrested but the leader God has called me to be would not allow me to stay in the back of the marching line. After lunch I prayed about it and went up to my leaders and said I was willing to stay up front with them. We enter the Russell building and at first just a leader and myself made it into McCain’s office. Than about 22  more ADAPTers came rolling in. So why direct actoin? Because it works! Why not writing letters? Because we didn’t get any response back. Protesting is always the last option taken after all other paths have been taken to just get caught in political red tape and empty promises. Why McCain? Because of the three running for President, he has not signed on as an co-sponsor to the community choice act. So, How does He respond to our request for support? He has 40 of us arrested. We were there for more than five hours before the cops started arresting. McCain’s staff kept lying to us about trying to set up an meeting with him,and by the end of the night the cops removed everybody but us 24. We started to chant, ” I rather go to jail, than die in a nursing home!”

           One by one they arrested us, and right before they got to me I prayed,”Father, please let this be worth it. may I not go to jail for nothing.Amen.” And when I thought of all the people with disabilities stuck in a nursing home dying, being raped, and negelected I knew it was worth it. I know some Christians might look down on me, but I only care about what the Lord thinks, and He wanted me there in that room.If MLK Jr. can go to jail I can to.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement:

“At a time when John McCain is on the campaign trail talking about health
care choices, he refuses to explain why he opposes a bill that would let
Americans with disabilities choose how and where to live, work and receive
care.  I am proud to lead a Party that supports the fundamental right of
every single American to make his or her own choices about where to live
and work.  Apparently John McCain and his staff would rather let activists
get arrested outside his office than explain his position on this critical
issue.  John McCain is either profoundly out of touch with the needs and
challenges confronting Americans with disabilities or just doesn’t care.
Either way, he’s the wrong choice for Americas future.”

  I am not endorsing any party on this blog, ADAPT only cares about fighting for civil rights of people with disabilities, and if McCain was a democrat we would of taken the same action.