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E-MAIL BULLETIN
NOVEMBER 1, 2004
www.DeafRepublicans.com
Independent Minds, Informed Votes
DISPELLING THE ADA MYTH!
Excerpts from DeafRepublican's NEW webpage on the ADA:
http://www.deafrepublicans.com/ada.html
It was the passage of this law, Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”), that spurred the transformation of an entire community of Americans with hearing loss. We began to see, at first slowly but then quickly, millions upon millions of disabled Americans rise up on their own footing, and shake from their limbs the cobwebs of a long restless slumber.
The playing field was effectively leveled that day for us, and thanks to this law, and to former President George H.W. Bush, Sr., many of us are now leading prosperous and fruitful lives. The son of this former President, our current President George W. Bush, has continued his father's legacy of supporting disabled people and ensuring that they lead independent lives, and remain free to make their own individual choices and exercise their own free will.
What so many Americans do not realize, and what many liberal partisan activists will not admit, is that the philosophy and approach of the ADA, and that of Republican presidents since the passage of that law, is a wonderful model of a classic Republican principle; a principle that stands for the proposition that a disabled individual who no longer needs to rely upon the government, taxpayers, or the mercy and compassion of others for his or her everyday life, will be empowered to lead a life of opportunity, economic growth and prosperity with the dignity, freedom and responsibility that comes with being an American.
Fortunately, in an amazing testament to the fundamental decency and integrity of our President George W. Bush, from the very beginning of his administration President Bush has made disability issues a cornerstone of his administration.
Under President George W. Bush's administration, and that of his father, President Bush, Sr., we have seen more gains in our Deaf community than under any other Presidential Administration in history, Democrat or Republican.
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MYTH: Presidents Reagan and George Bush Sr. were against the ADA did not care about people with disabilities! President Bush Sr. was forced to sign the ADA!
VERDICT: FALSE!
False statements such as the above is one of the most disappointing and unfortunate untruths circulated in our community. Not only do these statements refuse to give Presidents Bush and Ronald Reagan the credit they deserve for nurturing the ADA as it passed through Congress to become law, the partisans that are making these statements are engaging in flagrant historical revisionism in a mean-spirited effort to exclude the contributions of all individuals who supported and participated in the development of the ADA solely on the basis of their political party.
Go to http://www.DeafRepublicans.com/ada.html to learn more!
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MYTH: Republicans didn’t support the ADA! It was a Democrat bill!
VERDICT: FALSE!
Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee who voted for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): "Disability is not a party issue. It is not a Democrat issue and it is not a Republican issue."
Unfortunately, many partisan Democratic activists in our community do not see it that way. Because these partisan activists have stubbornly persisted in circulating deceptive claims and statements that falsely criticize Republicans, the American Association of People with Disabilities, a prominent disability advocacy group, found it necessary last year to remind people that Republicans have historically played an important role in improving the lives and protecting the civil liberties of Americans with disabilities. Andrew J.
Imparato, President and CEO of the AAPD noted in a statement last year that the criticism by these activists “are not even-handed or fair in our assessment of the contributions being made by Republicans to advance the quality of life and civil rights of children and adults with disabilities in the U.S. and around the world.”
When the ADA was passed, an astonishing number of senators and congressmen voted for it. Contrary to deceptive statements by partisan activists, a large majority of Republican members of Congress voted to support the passage of the Bill. Yet these activists would have you believe that “only Democrats supported the ADA”, and that Republicans “fought against the ADA”.
As Lex Freiden remembers:
“In the end, it was passed by an overwhelming majority. Only two members of the Senate failed to vote for it, and in the House, it was passed by one of the largest majorities ever recorded.”
Go to http://www.DeafRepublicans.com/ada.html to learn more!
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MYTH: President George W. Bush does not support the ADA! President Bush and the Republicans want to repeal it!
VERDICT: FALSE!
As the National Association of the Deaf observed in a recent statement last week, “There has been a flurry of emails and websites that have not been accurate -- demonizing or glorifying each party or candidate.”
We wholeheartedly agree. We urge the leaders of our community to rise above partisanship and recognize the contributions of Republican leaders in advancing the cause of disability rights. By placing the political fortunes of the deaf community in the hands of just one political party, the effectiveness of our public policy objectives are reduced by 50% percent!
The important contributions of Republicans continue today, and should not go unnoticed.
President George W. Bush made disability a priority early on in his administration, carrying on the tradition set by his father. The President, like his father, made a point of mentioning the importance of advancing disability policy in his very first address to Congress on February 27, 2001, using the address as an opportunity to unveil an ambitious program to do so:
The New Freedom Initiative.
President Bush, through his New Freedom Initiative, has asked federal agencies to develop new strategies to educate employees about the ADA and the benefits of hiring qualified individuals with disabilities.
The Bush Department of Justice filed several new suits and briefs to uphold the constitutionality of the ADA and filed a brief in support of Lane and others in the "State of Tennessee v. George Lane and Beverly Jones."
This decision was later upheld by the Supreme Court earlier this year in a huge victory for ADA advocates. Many of you will be surprised by this; We have been led by partisan activists in our community to believe that President Bush has sought to undermine the ADA, or incredibly, that he wishes to “repeal” the ADA.
As you can see in Tennessee v. Lane, when it comes to protecting the original intent of the ADA, there is no question as to where President Bush stands:
squarely on the side of people with disabilities.
Go to http://www.DeafRepublicans.com/ada.html to learn more!
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