Senate Needs to Confirm Ne'eman

In the wake of the long difficult struggle over health care reform, a large number of President Obama's nominees for administration positions remain in limbo because of holds placed on their confirmation by various senators. The rules of procedure in the Senate allow one lone senator to place such a hold on a presidential nominee, anonymously and for any reason or, sometimes, no reason at all. As reported by Reuters, the White House recently stated that President Obama has a total of 217 nominees pending before the Senate, and 34 of them have been pending for more than six months. Expressing his frustration with this situation, the president announced yesterday that he intends to place some of his nominees in their positions by means of recess appointments, which allow him to avoid the confirmation process by appointing nominees on an interim basis while the Senate is not in session.

It is perhaps not surprising that in this contentious political landscape, the appointment of Ari Ne'eman, founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, to the National Council on Disability (NCD) has been delayed by means of an anonymous hold. It is, however, disappointing to many people in the self-advocate community and the broader disability rights community, who appreciate his tireless work for inclusion and equality of all people with disabilities in society. His record of accomplishment includes advocating for community services and supports to keep people with significant support needs in their homes and out of institutions; for federal legislation to protect students from abuse in their schools; for stronger laws against employment discrimination to better protect autistics and other workers who may experience discrimination because of a disability; and many other public policy issues that fall within the mandate of NCD to guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities and to promote full integration into society.

Under the circumstances, Ne'eman was not able to be interviewed for an article in yesterday's New York Times about the hold on his appointment. The article begins by stating that many families with autistic members have positive feelings about his nomination as the first autistic person to serve on the council. Lee Grossman, director of the Autism Society of America, suggests in the article that any disagreement over autism advocacy priorities "may simply reflect the unmet needs of a growing population, for both research into potential treatments and for programs to support jobs and independent living." Grossman goes on to say, "We need to reframe the discussion. From our perspective, it’s great to have a person on the spectrum being nominated to this committee."

It is to be hoped that the situation will be resolved without much delay and that Ari Ne'eman will be able to take his position soon.

Thank You, President Obama

When I endorsed Barack Obama's presidential candidacy on this blog in early 2007, it was because I judged him to be an enlightened and progressive thinker who would be capable of seeing the autistic population from a multicultural perspective—not as a plague to be fought and eradicated, but as a minority constituency made up of human beings and worthy of the same respect and representation as any other citizens.

I can't think of a time when I've been happier to learn that my first impression was accurate. President Obama made it clear that he is indeed a good friend of the autistic community when, as announced in this White House press release yesterday, he nominated Ari Ne'eman of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network to serve as a member of the National Council on Disability.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:


President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 12/16/09

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts:

•Marie Collins Johns, Deputy Administrator, Small Business Administration
•Gwendolyn E. Boyd, Member, Board of Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation
•Jonathan M. Young, Chair, National Council on Disability
•Carol Jean Reynolds, Member, National Council on Disability
•Fernando Torres-Gil, Member, National Council on Disability
•Chester Alonzo Finn, Member, National Council on Disability
•Gary Blumenthal, Member, National Council on Disability
•Sara Gelser, Member, National Council on Disability
•Ari Ne'eman, Member, National Council on Disability
•Dongwoo Joseph "Joe" Pak, Member, National Council on Disability

President Obama said, “I am grateful that these fine individuals have chosen to serve in my administration. They will bring a depth of experience and valued perspective to their roles, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”


YEE-HAW!!!

Community Choice Act Needs High Priority

During his campaign last year, President Obama promised the disability community that if elected, he would work for prompt passage of the Community Choice Act. This legislation would reform Medicaid to end the current institutional bias and increase access to community-based services and supports. It would provide those in institutions and nursing homes the option to receive community-based services, allowing them to leave the institutions and to live empowered lives within the community, and would address the problem of extremely long waiting lists by providing guaranteed access to a community-based benefit within the Medicaid system.

Instead of working to accomplish prompt passage of the Community Choice Act, however, the Obama administration has indicated that it wants to address health care reform first. This is unacceptable to disability rights advocacy groups such as ADAPT, which protested in Washington on Monday regarding President Obama's failure to keep his campaign promise to take action quickly on this important issue.

There are many people with disabilities who have been on waiting lists for community-based services for years, and in some cases decades. Some people ended up waiting so long that they died in institutions. This is not just another political issue that can be pushed aside, depending on how the winds blow. It is a matter of basic human rights and needs to be treated as such. Write to the President and your members of Congress to make it clear where you stand. For Change.org members, you can send e-mails quickly and easily by going to this action alert.

End of Year Action Items

Here are two opportunities for the autistic community to make its voice heard before the end of the year. Change.org is inviting people to vote on ideas for change, with the top results to be presented to the Obama Administration on Inauguration Day and advanced in Congress thereafter. The competition ends on Wednesday, December 31st. Unfortunately, there are some icky autism proposals that are full of devastation rhetoric. By voting for other ideas, we can make it less likely that one of them will be selected. It is necessary to sign up as a member of Change.org to vote; please consider doing this if you have the time. These three proposals would be helpful to the autistic community and have a reasonable chance of getting into the next round if they can get some more votes:

Fully Fund Medicaid Waivers for the Developmentally Disabled
Replace No Child Left Behind With a Strong Education Policy
Independence and Services for Disabilities and Autism

Also, the Obama Transition Team's outreach efforts include a virtual health care policy discussion to be completed by Wednesday. Details below:


Attendees of the AS Community Health Care Discussion this past Saturday in Staten Island, NY unanimously agreed to extend the opportunity to participate to the virtual domain.

Participation will require about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Participants will be asked to read a five page pdf Participant Guide provided by the Presidential Transition Team. A set of 7 open-ended questions and 3 multiple choice questions need to be answered. In answering the open-ended questions, place an emphasis on health care issues related to AS. Answers to the questions will be used to prepare a report to be reviewed by Senator Tom Daschle and the Presidential Transition Team.

Participants will be encouraged to have a brief telephone conversation with Doug Hanway, the discussion moderator. The purpose of this conversation will be to integrate each individual's ideas and stories with those of the other participants. The role of the moderator is to listen, facilitate discussion, and answer any questions on the process. The moderator is not there to tell the attendees what to do or offer suggestions. The goal of the process is to respect, empower, and include every participant. The Presidential Transition Team has explicitly requested that the discussions are not occasions for "experts" to listen to "everyday people" and then decide what is best. They are an opportunity for attendees to come together to diagnose the health care problems facing their community and propose solutions.

The final submission needs to be sent to the Transition Team by the end of Wednesday, December 31. Therefore, participants need to complete their input and talk to Doug Hanway by noon on the 31st. The Presidential Transition Team has explicitly requested to strive to incorporate everyone's concerns and opinions in the discussion and submission. Each attendee's views matter – whatever their background, beliefs, or previous political involvement. Even when there is disagreement, we strive to find common ground.

To participate, email Doug Hanway at dhanway75@hotmail.com Doug will send you the Participant Guide pdf. From there, study the pdf and answer the questions. You will also be given a few open ended questions on AS and health care which you may choose to answer. Then set up a time to chat with Doug before noon on Wednesday. He will provide you his contact number in the email. If it is not possible for you to participate by phone, an email chat can be arranged.

Promises and Public Discussion

In accordance with his campaign promise to address autism issues, President-elect Obama has introduced a Senate bill to mandate insurance coverage for autism-related services. Now it's time for us to tell the Obama administration and our Senators what we think about it, and more generally, what we want the federal government to do. Do you think it's a great idea to require coverage for occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy? Send a letter saying so! Do you have reservations about the bill's inclusion of ABA among the covered therapies? Let the government know your views! Do you have other concerns that are not being addressed? Make some noise!

In addition to the change.gov website for making suggestions to the incoming administration, we can also send e-mails to Obama disability issues staffers. Andrea Shettle has written a Call to Action for disability activists, reprinted below:


Change for People with Disabilities: Time to Email Obama!

On November 4, 2008, millions of people with disabilities across the United States and around the world joined our non-disabled peers in watching the United States election results. Obama supporters cheered or wept to learn that the next US president would be Obama. Then we cheered or wept again when Obama mentioned people with disabilities in his acceptance speech. History was made–not only for America, not only for Black people, not only for Kenya and all of Africa, not only for Indigenous peoples, but also for people with disabilities.

But we cannot afford to allow the moment to end here. Whether we supported Obama, McCain, or another candidate, we all know there is far too much work ahead before we can say, “Yes, we have made real change for people with disabilities.”

It is time for people with disabilities, our loved ones, our neighbors, and colleagues to join together, across ideological divides, to reach out to Obama. We should all send an email to Kareem Dale, Obama’s National Disability Vote Director (at kdale@barackobama.com), WITH COPIES TO Anne Hayes, a volunteer on the Obama Disability Policy Committee (at ahayesku@hotmail.com).

First, we should thank Obama — and also Kareem Dale — for mentioning people with disabilities in Obama’s acceptance speech on November 4. Ensure that they understand how much it matters simply for us to be included. How did you feel when Obama mentioned us? Share your story.

Second, we should tell Obama and Kareem Dale that we are aware of Obama’s disability platform. He promised to increase educational opportunities; end discrimination; increase employment opportunities; and support independent, community-based living for Americans with disabilities. And he promised to sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the first international, legally-binding human rights treaty for people with disabilities. Tell Obama and Kareem Dale that we are ready to call Obama to account if he fails us. But more importantly, we are ready to work with him for change for people with disabilities.

It is important to send your disability-related emails to BOTH Kareem Dale AND Anne Hayes (kdale@barackobama.com AND ahayesku@hotmail.com) between now and inauguration day. Kareem Dale’s email address may change between now and January 20, 2009. Anne Hayes can help ensure that emails sent to Kareem Dale are not lost during this time of transition.

Both Kareem Dale and others who have worked on disability issues within the Obama campaign are ready to receive YOUR emails on disability-related issues for US President-elect Obama. Emails are welcome from across the United States and around the world. If you are a US citizen, then please say so in your email.

Learn more about Obama’s plan for people with disabilities at: http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities/

Yes, the video is captioned. And if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you can download Obama’s Full Plan for people with disabilities in PDF format (62 Kb).

Read Obama’s acceptance speech at: http://www.barackobama.com/2008/11/04/remarks_of_presidentelect_bara.php

Want to read someone else’s letter to Obama before you write your own? Come to: http://reunifygally.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/thank_you_obama_disabilities/. Another letter is posted at http://wecando.wordpress.com/2008/11/10/bpks-congratulates-obama/.

Learn more about the CRPD at http://ratifynow.org/ratifynow-faq/

If you wish to contact Obama’s staff on some topic other than disability, then you can send an email via his web page at http://www.change.gov/page/s/ofthepeople

Please circulate this email freely, or post this at your own blog, web site, or Facebook page.

This text was first posted at http://wecando.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/disabilities-email-obama/ The most updated version will be here, so please consult before cross-posting.

“It is the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, DISABLED and not disabled — Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.”
–President-Elect Barack Obama
Acceptance speech, November 4, 2008; emphasis added

Lament of the Apathetic Voter

For those who may be wondering, no, I'm not going to post a virtual tombstone for John McCain because I don't believe that he qualifies for the Curebie Graveyard. Despite his obnoxious remarks about autism, I think McCain is just an ignoramus and panderer. I am, however, giving him a suitably poetic sendoff just in time for Halloween.

Based on "The Raven," with sincere apologies to both Poe's ghost and parrots.


Once an economy dark and dreary, in a country Iraq war-weary,
Preyed on many a voter's mind with dismal gloom like none before.
While I blogged, my keyboard tapping, I heard someone's lips a-flapping,
Politics as usual yapping, yapping I tried to ignore.
"Oh, not this again," I muttered, "what a miserable bore—
Same old lies, and nothing more."

Very clearly I remember it was not far from November,
With Election Day approaching and commercials to endure.
What our leaders were achieving seemed like little more than thieving,
And I sat at my desk grieving—grieving for the land of yore—
For the strong and hopeful country I had known in years before—
I feared lost for evermore.

The unwanted sound of chatter seemed like nothing that could matter,
And I looked around intending to get rid of it for sure,
But I found no radio blaring, and no TV screen was staring
In the house that now was scaring me down to my shivering core—
Noise continued unabated like waves breaking on a shore—
Fear dripped from my every pore.

I checked for an open window; —was my neighbor fond of Limbaugh?
But the house was closed up tightly, with a deadbolt on the door.
With no right-wing talk shows hating and no candidates debating,
Could I be hallucinating? But I never did before.
There must be an explanation for this hellish noise, I swore!
Then I started to explore.

I went down into the basement and examined every casement,
But found only crickets chirping and old spiderwebs galore.
Still, from up above came gabbling—neverending pointless babbling—
As if someone might be dabbling in unholy spirits' lore.
What strange evil could be lurking up there on my home's first floor?
It had to be stopped! No more!

Then, still feeling some confusion—could it just be an illusion?
I decided it was time for drastic action to ensure
That I hadn't just been missing a TV or radio hissing
Loud obnoxious talk shows dissing candidates, and nothing more.
So I took a few steps forward and I flung open a door;
Time to end this hideous roar!

Hoping not to meet my Maker, I flipped my main circuit breaker
Plunging me into deep darkness like Hades' infernal shore.
Suddenly there was no talking, but I heard a startled squawking
And the sound of someone walking—huge footsteps!—on my first floor.
I imagined thirsty vampires, or cold ghouls dripping with gore
All parading through my door.

Then I saw a giant parrot, orange-feathered like a carrot,
Wisps of smoke were rising from it where it stood upon my floor.
Hellish flames inside it were stoked, like a cruel spirit invoked,
"Our foes are everywhere!" it croaked. "Bomb Iran! Third World War!
Keep building bases in Iraq for a hundred years or more!
Give our troops tour after tour!"

I was sure I must be dreaming when I saw its red eyes gleaming,
But it cackled ever louder, just as if to underscore
The fiendish cruelty deep inside this monstrous parrot's feathered hide
Deliberate schemes to divide our country from shore to shore.
Flames of hatred burning higher, with more fuel still to pour
Cackling there upon my floor.

"Don't you think so?" it demanded. "If you don't agree, you're branded
As a commie pinko liberal that good people must abhor!
Your friends may lack moderation, or your neighbor's on probation
It's guilt by association—that's how smears have worked before.
You're probably a terrorist Americans should deplore.
Off to Gitmo evermore!

"Now, as to the economy—well, there's no problem I can see.
More big tax cuts for the wealthy will be sure to make it soar.
Its fundamentals are quite strong! There's nothing seriously wrong
That can't be fixed before too long, if we hurry up and pour
All our money into Wall Street, with oversight nevermore!
There's no need to mind the store.

"We’ll make health care just like banking, never mind how much it's tanking,
Just trust us with all the details—thinking for yourself's a chore.
Let us praise deregulation as we sack and loot the nation,
What's best for a corporation is what we should all adore.
Hallelujah for free markets! Joe the Plumber knows the score.
Trickle-down forevermore!"

Its harsh words gave me cold shivers, like a million icy rivers.
No, this couldn't be the future our great country had in store!
Torn to shreds, with hatred sundered—could this really be, I wondered?
Had we all so badly blundered as to be doomed evermore?
Surely it must still be possible for good folks to restore
Our kind, decent land of yore?

Or perhaps that country never had existed—no, not ever—
And the land I loved was just a fantasy, and nothing more.
"No," I said aloud, still thinking, as the parrot's eyes kept blinking
And the reek of brimstone stinking grew much stronger than before.
"Even though we have some problems, we're not rotten to the core
In this country I adore.

"We can take back our great nation from this corporate predation
Build it up and make it better than it ever was before.
Yes, we have the strength to do it if we just get right down to it,
We can help each other through it—that's what good neighbors are for.
So get out of here, you monster; you won't fool me anymore.
You're done preying on the poor!

"I've had quite enough of struggling to pay all these bills I'm juggling."
Then I glared in bold defiance at this fiend upon my floor.
Still the parrot seemed undaunted, as my house it cruelly haunted,
"Well, so what?" the creature taunted. "Did you go vote in '04?
If you didn't, then it's your own fault the wolf is at your door!
Wall Street owns you evermore!"

"Not this time," I answered stoutly; —not again, I vowed devoutly!
"Corruption isn't going to own America any more.
No more tricks of vote suppression leaving us in a recession
Or perhaps a Great Depression like the worst we've known before.
Now I've learned my lesson when it comes to voting, that's for sure.
Me, skip voting? Nevermore!"

"Others will," it kept on jeering, with its twisted beak still sneering,
"That's how Repubs got elected for so many years before!"
Then it vanished, leaving troubling questions deep inside me bubbling,
As my worries kept redoubling—worries I could not ignore.
Could our apathetic voters doom our land for evermore?
I hoped not—but was I sure?

Kristina Chew on John McCain's Autism Policy

…or, as the case may be, on his lack thereof.

As many of us noticed, McCain went out of his way to kiss up to the antivax crowd during the third presidential debate, in addition to his usual assortment of wingnuts and conspiracy theorists. Although McCain gave the distinct impression that he doesn't even know the difference between autism and Down syndrome, his ignorance didn't stop him from declaring that federal spending was needed to find the cause of autism—that is, when he wasn't promising an across-the-board spending freeze. (Obama was quick to point out that very obvious contradiction. You go, Barack! And here's a teensy hint, John—just about everyone whose fashion choices don't include a tinfoil beanie has figured out by now that autism is caused by genes, not vaccines.)

McCain's clumsy attempt at pandering failed to appeal to many parents of autistic children, as reporter Claudia Kalb mentioned in a Newsweek web exclusive interview with Kristina Chew of Autism Vox, who noted that McCain's comments "seem to betray a lack of knowledge or understanding about the kinds of things that autistic children need… He's sentimentalizing the children, but not looking at how we can help them, how we can teach them, how we can make things better." Another topic discussed in the interview was the tendency of politicians and others to overlook the needs and concerns of adults with disabilities.

That observation was certainly accurate. John McCain has overlooked people with disabilities so thoroughly in the course of his presidential bid that—with only two weeks to go before the general election—his own campaign admits that he hasn't even bothered to prepare a disability policy statement. That says far more about his attitude toward American citizens with disabilities than any platitudes spoken in a debate ever could.

Abortion, Disability Rights, John McCain, and the Supreme Court

Since John McCain's recent pick of a running mate, Sarah Palin, who holds very strong pro-life views and has an infant son with Down Syndrome, I've seen a few people in the autistic community arguing that the Republican ticket would be the best choice for us. A prenatal test for autism could be only a few years away, this argument goes, and the only way to save our people from eugenic extermination is to vote Republican so that McCain can appoint more conservatives to the Supreme Court and put the abortionists out of business before they start killing off autistic babies.

Although this argument packs a strong emotional punch, it doesn't reflect what would actually happen under a Republican administration with a conservative Supreme Court. First of all, even if the court were to decide that there was no constitutional right to abortion, that in itself would not outlaw abortion. It would simply allow the states to legislate on abortion as they saw fit. In liberal states such as California and New York, abortion would remain legal. In the most conservative states, abortion would be promptly banned; but these states have very few abortion clinics anyway, so the only difference would be that their residents, most of whom already have to go out of town to get an abortion, would have to drive a few more hours to get to a clinic in another state or in Canada. The overall number of abortions in the United States would not be significantly reduced.

What's more, even the strictest anti-abortion laws would not ban prenatal tests, most of which have legitimate medical purposes. A prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome, for instance, can result in better medical care for the fetus because the doctor can consult with specialists during the pregnancy. If a specialist determines that the baby will need heart surgery immediately after birth, which sometimes happens, there will be a surgical team standing by. Although autistic infants do not have similar medical issues, parent groups reasonably could argue that a prenatal autism diagnosis would help families to get on waiting lists for early childhood enrichment and therapy programs. I think it's highly unlikely that any state legislators would risk their wrath by proposing to outlaw prenatal testing for autism.

That leaves us with the question: If we can't put a stop to selective abortion by legislating it out of existence, how can we protect the next generation of autistic children from being routinely aborted? To find the answer, I believe we need to look at parents' reasons for choosing abortion when they are told their child will have a disability. Most parents who opt to abort are not selfish monsters who just don't want to be bothered with the child; rather, they agonize over the decision and then conclude that abortion is for the best because the child likely would never have an independent and fulfilling life.

And they're not just relying on outdated prejudices and stereotypes in thinking so. It is a fact that people with disabilities face many barriers to independent living in today's society—lack of community services and housing options, in particular, and widespread employment discrimination. These are issues that can be addressed effectively through the political process. When we remove the barriers and build a society in which all people are empowered to live as equal participants in the community, regardless of disability, the rationale for selective abortion disappears.

Therefore, when choosing the presidential candidate whose policies are most likely to bring about an America in which autistic children and others with disabilities are not routinely aborted, we need to consider the candidates' views on disability rights issues and vote for the one who will act to remove barriers to independent living.

That candidate definitely is not John McCain. As I mentioned in a recent post, McCain opposes the Community Choice Act, which would provide funding for community services and housing for Medicaid recipients who would otherwise be forced to live in nursing homes or other institutional facilities. On the employment discrimination issue, let's talk about the Supreme Court again for a moment. The House of Representatives recently passed, and the Senate is now considering, amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act. These amendments became necessary to restore the act's original protections after they were significantly eroded by a series of Supreme Court decisions—authored by those conservative justices Senator McCain so often praises.

When Senator Tom Harkin, a longtime supporter of disability rights, challenged McCain on this point at a community forum in July, McCain asserted that the decisions had nothing to do with the conservatism of their authors, but that Congress was to blame for not being specific enough in drafting the ADA. Uh-huh. Apparently, McCain would have us believe that his pals on the Supreme Court just didn't notice that the ADA was supposed to be an anti-discrimination law. Well, I'm not buying it—and I'm not voting to give McCain a chance to appoint even more conservatives to the Supreme Court so that they can take another whack at our disability rights laws, either.

Comparing the Presidential Candidates' Views on Autism

The Autism Society of America recently invited the presidential candidates to submit statements about their views on autism and posted those statements on the ASA website. Unfortunately, John McCain's response consists mainly of alarmist rhetoric, ignorant stereotyping, and bogus statistics. Here's an excerpt:


More than one in 150 children born today will be diagnosed with autism. It now affects almost 1.5 million Americans, and costs the U.S. $ 90 billion each year. Autism has a significant impact on families -- bankruptcy and divorce rates of parents of children with autism are well above the national averages. Worse, there is no quantifiable way of determining how many future doctors, lawyers, teachers, or scientists autism has taken from society. Autism is a national crisis and the federal government must respond accordingly.


I've written before about how obnoxious it is when politicians ignore the social and economic contributions of people with disabilities and reduce human lives to costs, so I won't go into detail on that point. Rather, I'll move on to discussing McCain's uncritical acceptance of the totally groundless urban legend about autism destroying families. Susan Senator recently wrote a blog post on that topic—take a look at her comments to find several cites to research studies establishing that families with autistic children do not have higher than average divorce rates. This illustrates McCain's approach to national policy decisions: when there aren't any statistics to support a popular prejudice, just make something up.

And yup, he just gets worse when he goes on to portray autism in medieval changeling terms, as stealing children from society. Those of us who are autistic and are employed in professional careers such as those McCain mentioned, or who have autistic professionals in our families (both, in my case), know how wrong and harmful it is to perpetuate the stereotype that we are incapable of professional employment. Apparently McCain is clueless as usual on this point, though. He clearly never considered what happens in the real world as a result of that prejudice when an autistic teenager wants to enroll in college preparatory classes, or when an autistic freshman tells his university advisor that he is considering a pre-med or pre-law major, or when an autistic student enters her senior year of college with high marks and applies to a graduate program, or when one of us emerges from the comparatively sheltered environment of academia and applies for that first professional job.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, made it clear in his statement on the ASA website that he understands the importance of ending disability discrimination. After a paragraph discussing research and education, Obama wrote:


I also support the adoption of a comprehensive plan designed to provide lifelong supports and resources to Americans with ASD and other disabilities. This plan would ensure that their needs are met by:
· Reclaiming America's global leadership on disability issues by becoming a signatory to—and having the Senate ratify—the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
· Providing Americans with disabilities with the educational opportunities they need to succeed.
· Ending discrimination and promoting equal opportunity
· Increasing the employment rate of workers with disabilities, and
· Supporting independent, community-based living for Americans with disabilities.


Now that's a lot more like it.

John McCain on Disability: You Cost Too Much

The panelists at the National Forum on Disability Issues had a discussion about how to improve disability services when there are so many competing budget priorities. (A video of the event can be found here.) Enabling people with disabilities to work and contribute to society should be regarded as a long-term investment that would reduce public costs and increase tax revenues over the years, they said. Another point raised during this discussion was that the cost of services would not be used as an argument for excluding other groups of people from full participation in their communities.

Later in the program, Senator John McCain took the opposite view when answering a question from moderator Judy Woodruff about the Community Choice Act, which would provide supports and services to allow Medicaid recipients with disabilities to live and work in their communities. Senator McCain said that he does not support the Community Choice Act because he thinks it would cost too much.

In my view, it's totally illogical to argue that keeping people in nursing homes and institutions for a lifetime is somehow cheaper than it would be to provide the services needed to turn them into productive taxpayers, earning wages and contributing to the economy. But, at the same time, I have to disagree with the claim put forth during the panel discussion that similar arguments would not be made to exclude other minority groups.

We don't have to go back very far in history to see that those in positions of power and privilege have repeatedly complained about the cost of extending equal rights to other groups. Opponents of school desegregation claimed that it was too expensive to build new integrated schools to replace the run-down, rat-infested structures where black students previously had been sent. Employers objected to the cost of keeping jobs open for women on maternity leave. When women first entered universities and workplaces that had been exclusively male, there were some men who complained about the cost of building women's lavatories. Those who didn't want to see a menorah next to a crèche in municipal holiday displays said that it was an unnecessary expense. And if we go back a bit farther, a common argument made in favor of slavery was that it would be prohibitively expensive to free the slaves and pay wages to them. In short, the argument that we can't afford to integrate various groups into full community participation has been made throughout American history by scoundrels and bigots.

Now, I don't mean to imply that Senator McCain is prejudiced against people with disabilities. His grasp of economic issues is poor, as he has himself admitted, and it's possible that he may genuinely believe that it is cheaper to keep people in institutions than to enable them to live in the community and earn wages. However, it is an unfortunate fact that Senator McCain is not in good historical company in making that argument.

The Squeaky Wheel

The way that the presidential candidates decide where to make their campaign appearances is interesting. They don't have the time to visit all of the places they're invited, so their campaign staffers decide which events have the potential to generate the most votes, based in part on the level of enthusiasm shown by those who want the candidates to attend. When a candidate's campaign headquarters gets a lot of phone calls, e-mails, etc., in support of a particular event, the candidate is much more likely to show up there.

Now that I'm back to a regular work week after the Independence Day holiday, I've been fantasizing about what it would be like if a major labor shortage occurred and the corporations were forced to woo potential employees in much the same way, rather than having the luxury of discriminating against anyone who doesn't fit their fossilized norms.


Imaginary Employer: Please, pretty please, come and work for our company! We're so very thrilled that you are considering us! You can leave early every Friday, and it's just fine with us if you take blogging breaks during the workday. Just let us know if there are any accommodations you would like; we don't care if you have a diagnosis or not, because we want all of our employees to be as comfortable and productive as they can be.


Yeah, okay, it's a fantasy. But maybe we'll get there in 50 years or so, after all of the developing countries are fully industrialized, birthrates fall drastically all over the world, and the corporations discover that there are no more desperate peasants grateful for the chance to work for pennies.

In the meanwhile, there's a presidential campaign event that can help to raise the candidates' awareness of what it's really like for many workers with disabilities in today's abysmal economy. The National Forum on Disability Issues, which is sponsored in part by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and The Autism Acceptance Project, is scheduled to take place in Columbus, Ohio, on July 26, 2008. To make sure that the candidates show up, we need to contact their campaigns and make sure they understand the importance of addressing disability issues. Here is the contact information:

Sen. Barack Obama
Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680
Call: (866) 675-2008
Fax: (312) 819-2089
Email: Alyssa Mastromonaco, amastro@barackobama.com (Chief Scheduler); Heather Higginbottom, hhigginbottom@barackobama.com (Policy Director); David Plouffe, dplouffe@barackobama.com (Campaign Manager)

Sen. John McCain
John McCain 2008
P.O. Box 16118
Arlington, VA 22215
Call: (703) 418-2008
Faxes: (703) 752-2515, (703) 413-0740
Email: Steve Schmidt, sschmidt@mccain08hq.com (day-to-day operations); Carla Eudy, ceudy@mccain08hq.com (National Scheduler); Doug Holtz-Eakin, dholtz-eakin@mccain08hq.com (Deputy Policy Director); Donna Jones, djones@mccain08hq.com (National Coordinator, Americans with Disabilities for McCain Coalition)

For those who are planning to attend other campaign events in the next two weeks, holding up signs about the disability forum at those other events also would help to get some attention.

Also, Sen. McCain's campaign needs to be contacted regarding the Community Choice Act, which will give states much more flexibility in providing community services to Medicaid recipients who might otherwise have no options but institutional care. At present, Sen. McCain opposes the Community Choice Act, and he needs to be made aware of the error of his ways.

Sen. Obama is a co-sponsor of the Community Choice Act and has spoken about its importance to the civil rights of people with disabilities.

Edit, July 10: Those who write to Sen. McCain regarding the Community Choice Act should do so SEPARATELY from any communications about the disability forum, as we would not want to give him the impression that it would be an unfriendly forum.

No Satisfaction for Hillary

I was planning to post this entry about three months ago, when it became obvious to everyone but Hillary Clinton herself that she had no chance of winning the Democratic nomination, but her campaign just kept on stumbling around like a dinosaur that had such a rudimentary nervous system it didn't know it was dead after its head got cut off. But finally, the time to put her in the graveyard has come. So without further ado, and with a generous sprinkling of garlic cloves and holy water around the gravesite to keep the undead creature from rising, I present Hillary's tombstone:





For her eulogy, I've chosen the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction."


I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no satisfaction
'cause I try and I try and I cry and I cry
I can't get no, I can't get no

When I'm panderin' for votes
and kissin' up to Autism Speaks
and they're tellin' me more and more
about some research that could affect 'em
supposed to cure and prevent the spectrum
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say

I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no satisfaction
'cause I try and I try and I cry and I cry
I can't get no, I can't get no

When I'm workin' on policy
and the Wrights come by to tell me
how pure the gene pool can be
Autistics can't be human 'cause they don't have
the same kind of brain as me
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say

I can't get no satisfaction
Can't get past the voters' gut reaction
'cause I try and I try and I cry and I cry
I can't get no, I can't get no

When I'm campaignin' all around
and I'm doin' this and I'm promisin' that
and there's not a vote to be found
I got my overconfident butt kicked into next week
How did I get on this losing streak?
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say

I can't get no, I can't get no
I can't get no satisfaction
No satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction

Advice for Pandering Politicians

Yeah, you know who you are. And if you want to get credit for being a good guy and supporting increased funding to help people with disabilities, you're going to have to do a hell of a lot better when it comes to explaining your message.

We may be living in a sound-bite society, but that does not justify using alarmist language and characterizing any group of people as a burden, or worse yet, as a "devastating burden." At best, such language is grossly insulting; and at worst, there's a foul stench of eugenics to it.

What's such a big deal, anyway, about the simple fact that it costs money to educate us and to provide the services and products that we need? Guess what, the same is true of your family, pal. The only difference is that society has categorized your family's educational and other needs as "normal," while arbitrarily excluding others from that privileged caste. You're no more deserving and no less expensive than anyone else—you just have the home field advantage.

Also, you're not making yourself look any better when you try to bolster your bigotry with lifetime cost statistics purporting to show that everyone who has a particular disability label is going to cost some exorbitant amount of money in lifetime care. That is just as wrong, and just as prejudiced, as claiming that every child born into a racial minority group is going to cost society huge amounts of welfare money.

This may come as a shock, but a lot of us go to work every day, just like you. Quite a few of us are living "in the closet," keeping our differences hidden in the workplace for fear of losing our jobs. Many others who have more obvious disabilities remain unemployed, not because they aren't capable of working, but because of hiring managers' prejudices. When you pay lip service to the need for more enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, while at the same time you make dehumanizing statements that suggest we're not really capable of productive work and just need someone to take care of us forever, you are definitely not helping.

And if you expect us to vote for you anyway just because you're throwing us a few crumbs—think again.

Rumpelstretchspin

Once upon a time, in a mythical kingdom by the sea, there lived a humble and downtrodden people suffering under the evil rule of King George the Second, a corrupt and bloodthirsty tyrant who was always starting wars and oppressing his peasants.

The tyrant knew that his days were numbered, however, because an enchanted apple tree grew in the center of the kingdom. It was guarded by fairies, and no mortals could pick the magical apples. Legend had it that if a person were to bring a crowd of followers to the enchanted tree and inspire the crowd to shout for justice, the fairies would pick some apples and give them to him or her; and when a person got enough apples, he or she would become the next ruler. Although King George had tried several times to burn the tree or chop it down, he had never been able to do so.

A tall, dark, and handsome knight rode into the country one day. Before long, the people were flocking to him to listen to his words of hope and inspiration. "Go to the enchanted apple tree and save us from the tyrant," the people urged him.

But a wicked witch called Rumpelstretchspin already was planning to try to become the next ruler. She got her name from her rumpled ethics and her extraordinary talent for stretching and spinning the truth at every opportunity. She had no idea what hope or justice meant, but she was a pretty good rabble-rouser, and she thought that she might be able to get some of the magical apples if her followers yelled enough.

So both Rumpelstretchspin and the handsome knight went to the enchanted apple tree. The knight's followers spoke of his goodness and beseeched the fairies to give the magical apples to the knight and make him the next ruler. The fairies were greatly moved by the knight's capacity to inspire his followers, and they gave him a huge pile of apples. It seemed impossible that Rumpelstretchspin could get as many, but she was undaunted. She told her followers all sorts of ugly lies about the knight, until they were screaming furiously. The fairies pelted her crowd with rotten apples to shut them up.

Rumpelstretchspin greedily gathered up her rotten apples, declaring that it was her destiny to become the next ruler! There was just one problem, though. The knight's pile of apples was still much larger. What could she do? She thought about it for a moment and decided to stretch and spin some weeds into the shape of apples. Perhaps the spirits of the enchanted tree would pick her as the next ruler before anyone noticed the difference.

Before long, Rumpelstretchspin had a big shiny pile of something that looked like apples, and the people were all muttering about the great loss that the knight had suffered. However, she got too gleeful about her scheme and cackled a bit too loudly, and all of her weed-apples blew away on the wind from her noxious breath. The enchanted tree then made both King George and Rumpelstretchspin disappear, and the people lived happily ever after, guided by the knight's great wisdom.


Edit, March 6: Once again, the Clinton campaign has been caught in another dirty trick, as reported by MSNBC.com.

Crabs in a Barrel

I was reading a discussion on a listserv where the people were bashing various presidential candidates. Of course, that's not at all unusual around this time in a presidential election year; but I noticed one rant that argued Obama should not be taken seriously because he was like "Superman… wearing his armor suit of ethnicity."

Probably your first thought was that the author of that rant must have been a bigoted, cranky white guy. But I'm familiar with the guy, and in fact he is not white, and he has a history of being a very outspoken advocate of civil rights. So I was disappointed to see that attitude from him. Disappointed, but not surprised. That sort of thinking has been so common in the African-American community over the years that it has a name: Crabs in a barrel. That name comes from a fable that goes something like this:


A bunch of crabs were sitting in a barrel at a seafood restaurant, waiting to be cooked. One of them said to the others, "Hey, you know what, if we all climb to the top and push on the lid, it'll come off and then we can escape."

The other crabs all laughed. They knew it was impossible to escape. What could this foolish dreamer be thinking? It was nonsense. Couldn't be done. Not even worth trying.

After a few minutes, when it was clear he wouldn't be getting any help, the one hopeful crab climbed up and started pushing on the lid alone. The other crabs just laughed harder, until they heard a faint creaking noise and realized that the lid was starting to shift a little. Then they all got angry. How dare one crab try to escape by himself? He was just another crab, and he needed to be shown that he was no better than the rest of them.

So they grabbed the crab who had been trying to escape and dragged him back down to the bottom of the barrel. They all got cooked and eaten soon afterward, but at least they had the satisfaction of knowing that no other crab was able to achieve more than they had.


Of course, I don't mean to suggest that this kind of self-destructive envy is in any way unique to the politics of the African-American community. It's not. Just about every disadvantaged minority group has some version of it. I see it in the autistic community, too, with all the carping about "shiny aspies." Some people seem to think that if a talented, well-educated autistic professional accomplishes something worthwhile, it shouldn't even be mentioned because it might give the wrong impression. Just who does this shiny aspie think he is, anyway? He's just another crab.

Granted, there are a few high achievers in the autistic community (just as in any disadvantaged minority group) who try to distance themselves from the group by claiming to be much more intelligent and capable. That false claim does need to be challenged, in the strongest terms; but when some in our community mock high achievers generally, for no other reason than the fact of their accomplishments, that's wrong. It's just ugly, corrosive envy, and it is harmful to the community as a whole.

Former Clinton Officials Endorse Obama

Several former Clinton Administration officials who worked on disability policy issues endorsed Barack Obama and issued an open letter on Wednesday discussing Senator Obama's deep understanding of the barriers and discrimination faced by people with disabilities and his plan to create change and empowerment.

They are asking readers who agree that Barack Obama is the best candidate on disability issues to pass this open letter on to others. Please feel free to copy and post it elsewhere.


FORMER CLINTON ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS ENDORSE BARACK OBAMA

“Barack Obama is the disability community’s best choice for change.”

February 6, 2008

Dear Friends:

We were privileged to work for President Bill Clinton in senior appointed positions related to disability policy and programs. We are proud of the progress made during the 1990s on behalf of the disability community and all Americans.

Yet, in 2008, we believe that Barack Obama is the disability community’s best choice for change. We support Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. We urge you to join us in voting or caucusing for Barack Obama.

Every day, people with disabilities face unimaginable barriers and blatant prejudice that most Americans never encounter. As a result, people with disabilities are employed at a much lower rate than other Americans. They have a higher poverty rate and a lower home ownership rate. Students with disabilities are less likely to earn a high school diploma and even less likely to get a four-year college degree. The number of people with disabilities who depend on Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income is rising while fewer and fewer are able to live independently and support themselves.

These challenges did not arise for the first time when George W. Bush entered the White House. The problems are stubborn and long-lasting. Certainly, the empty rhetoric and lackluster policies of the past seven years have made a difficult road more difficult for Americans with disabilities. We believe change --- dramatic change --- is necessary and possible. We deeply believe that Barack Obama is the best candidate to lead our nation and to help us change our world.

Barack Obama’s goal is our goal --- a world free of barriers, stereotypes, and discrimination. He has proposed a Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities that sets the right agenda for achieving that goal. We urge you to read his Plan by going to www.BarackObama.com, clicking on the “Issues” tab, and then clicking on “Disabilities,” or going directly to http://www.BarackObama.com/issues/disabilities. Even more important than the specific details of the plan is the fact that he has a plan. He has focus.

Barack Obama’s understanding of the hopes and dreams of Americans with disabilities and their families, and his knowledge of the barriers they face, run deep. He knows what it means to be denied health insurance because of one’s pre-existing condition: his own mother worried about whether her new health insurance policy would deny her coverage as she lay dying from cancer. He learned about the every-day barriers people with disabilities face from his father-in-law, Frasier Robinson, who lived with multiple sclerosis. From his wife Michelle, he learned what families must overcome when supporting a loved one with a disability. Barack Obama has faced down and helped others topple bigotry all of his life. As a community organizer, a civil rights attorney, a state legislator, and a U.S. Senator, he has constantly reached beyond what divides us to forge a working majority for hope. He believes our nation’s best days lay ahead of us --- not behind us. He helps us believe in the most powerful American dream --- that together we can build a more just and perfect union, that together we can change the world. For Americans with disabilities, this is the kind of leader we need. Barack Obama has the experience we must have in the next President of the United States of America.

As President, he will bring us together --- all of us --- to build a society in which every person can feel that they belong, each person can achieve to the limits of his or her abilities, and all people can make a difference. We hope you will join us in supporting Barack Obama for President of the United States. Thank you very much.

Sincerely yours,

Seth Harris, Former Counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Labor, and Former Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Policy

Paul Steven Miller, Former Commissioner, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Former White House Liaison to the Disability Community

Sue Swenson, Former Commissioner, Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Robert R. Williams, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

More Clinton Dirty Tricks

The results of the Super Tuesday primary elections were split almost exactly down the middle on the Democratic side, which has thrown Hillary Clinton into a panic; she was so overconfident going into the primary season that she expected to have a lock on the nomination by now. So, what is her campaign doing? Has she started listening to voters more, trying to improve her understanding of their concerns, or otherwise becoming more responsive to the people?

Not a chance.

Instead, the Clinton apparatchiks, resorting to their same old corrupt political business-as-usual ways, are sneaking around in the proverbial smoke-filled back rooms and trying to twist Democratic Party rules to give their candidate extra delegates to the nominating convention. Several months ago, the Democratic National Committee stripped both Michigan and Florida of their convention delegates in response to their disobedience to party rules in changing the dates of their primary elections. Accordingly, the presidential candidates, including Senator Clinton, pledged that they would not campaign in these states. Barack Obama, John Edwards, and several minor candidates removed their names from the ballot in Michigan (but were unable to do so in Florida) and honored their pledge not to campaign.

Hillary Clinton promptly broke her promise by leaving her name on the ballot in Michigan. She also visited Florida and pretended that she wasn't campaigning there. Now, having won a majority of the votes cast in these two states by campaigning unopposed, she's trying to convince Democratic National Committee officials to change the rules in the middle of the game and allow Michigan and Florida to send delegates to the convention.

Here is a link to a petition condemning this underhanded tactic:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Give-Us-Fairness

If you are concerned about the subversion of America's political party system by Hillary Clinton's sneaky, cheating schemes, please sign the petition and let the Democratic National Committee know about your views.

Plenty of sympathy, Hillary, but none for you

The pundits have been saying that Hillary Clinton’s better than expected performance in the New Hampshire primary, in which she narrowly edged Barack Obama in the popular vote and earned the same number of convention delegates, was the result of a much publicized teary-eyed conversation in which she declared her deep feelings of concern for the country. Supposedly, women were moved to vote for her because she was under such great stress and they felt sympathy for her.

Gah. Spare me. I have plenty of sympathy for women who are feeling stressed and are deeply concerned about the country, but the women I have in mind don’t include Senator Crocodile Tears. Rather, I have a mental image of an 18-year-old autistic first-time voter who—like many female teens—imagines that she will someday have a beautiful wedding and a happy marriage and, perhaps, a child somewhat like herself. She may feel enthused, at first, about the historic candidacy of a woman—until she diligently does her research on the candidates and discovers that Sen. Clinton supports the eugenic agenda of Autism Speaks, right down to putting the entire autistic population in the history books. What a way to discover that a democracy, even in the 21st century, cannot be trusted to protect its minority groups—and that certain politicians who claim to care deeply about children and families would have no problem taking part in the extermination of the less popular sorts, if a few votes could be gained by doing so.

More Bogus Autism Promises from Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton is up to her old tricks, shamelessly making conflicting promises to all of the cure groups, while ignoring the views of autistic people entirely. While campaigning in Iowa on Saturday, she characterized autism as an environmentally caused health crisis:


"I believe there are environmental triggers," she said.

Clinton said people are exposed to thousands of chemicals. "They are in the carpets. They are in the paints. They are in the clothes we wear," she said.


If you've been wondering what sort of political experience the second-term junior Senator from New York has been touting when she goes around claiming to have 35 years of experience, well, I'll have to admit that her skills at equivocation and triangulation are right up there with the best of Washington's career liars. It's not easy to pander to the biomed crowd and the behaviorists at the same time, while also sucking up to Autism Speaks and advocating eugenic "prevention," but she manages it:


Clinton’s plan would include a task force, that would include people from the autism community, that would be charged with identifying gaps in evidence-based biomedical research, behavioral treatments, and services for children and adults with autism.


It's all too obvious that her idea of "people from the autism community" does not include any actual autistic people. Looks like she still hasn't noticed that there are over one million autistic Americans who are of voting age. Or perhaps she thinks that we have so little money and influence that we can be ignored, marginalized, and eugenically exterminated without any political cost to her.

To contrast Hillary's smarmy pandering with the principled views of Barack Obama, who cares deeply about the civil rights of minority groups, take a look at these comments posted by Kassiane on the Autism Vox blog:


...Obama listened in the summer of 2004 when a pigtailed dripping wet kid who’d been in an outdoor fountain (designed for the purpose) nearly tackled him at an Event to talk about autism, just before voting in her first big election...

Before then he said he hadn’t heard anything about autistic adults except the inaccurate bits in college & in the awareness campaigns. And in 2004 Obama said he would respect all diversity, that the idea that differences in brain wiring are valid ways of being made sense…


Respecting diversity may not get as much media attention as making phony promises to combat a staged epidemic of mass hysteria, but it certainly shows which candidate would best represent America's autistic citizens.

The Starkest of Choices

'Tis the season for doing our civic duty as Americans—that is, buying Christmas gifts to keep our relatives happy and the economy afloat, while getting ready to vote in the primary election. I know I'm not the only one who dreads going into overcrowded shopping malls with loudspeakers blaring "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" for the umpteenth time. But fortunately, in this age of convenient websites, we can do all of our holiday shopping from the comfort of our desk chairs.

Voting is also quick and easy in the Internet era. Some folks haven't registered because they mistakenly believe that it might be too hard or a nuisance. If you are one of them, I have some good news for you: Voter registration forms are available online, and you can also avoid the nuisance of going to the polls by voting absentee (that is, filling in the ballot at home and mailing it in) if you prefer. Like Christmas shopping, though, it has to be done soon; every state has different deadlines for how many days before the election you must register, and those deadlines are fast approaching.

In past years, some of us might have skipped the primary election, thinking that one candidate was as good as another. That is most emphatically not the case in the 2008 election. In the two leading presidential candidates, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, we are faced with the starkest of choices for the direction of the country and our own personal futures.

Barack Obama, who was a civil rights lawyer and constitutional law professor before he went into politics, understands the struggle of autistic people (and others who are affected by disability prejudice) for recognition of our basic rights as human beings. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, blatantly pandered to Autism Speaks' bigotry earlier this year by suggesting that it would be desirable to prevent and cure anything along the autism spectrum. Her idea of making health insurance more affordable seems to consist of eugenically "preventing" any group of people who might have higher than average medical costs.

If you prefer a different Democratic candidate, or if you are registered as Independent or Republican, please give some thought to voting for Obama anyway. You can always change your registration back to Independent or Republican after your state's primary is over. And if you're leaning toward another Democrat, well, this is how I see it: Edwards has good intentions, Biden and Dodd are respectable elder statesmen, Richardson is a capable governor, and Kucinich is a man of strong convictions. They're all decent guys—but this is clearly not their year for winning, and we all know what happened in 2000 when a few people in Florida decided to vote for the guy they liked (Ralph Nader) instead of the guy who could actually win the election (Al Gore). Let's not make that mistake this time around!

Getting back to Christmas shopping for a moment, the Obama campaign (which, unlike the Clinton campaign, does not take money from lobbyists) needs to raise funds from individual contributors to compete effectively in the primaries. If, like most of us, you don't have a lot of extra money to give to a political campaign, you can still help the cause by going to the Obama Store to shop for holiday gifts. You can get good quality T-shirts and other merchandise with Obama '08 campaign logos. They make great Christmas presents for Obama supporters, and all proceeds go to the campaign. Buy some for yourself while you're there!

Also, in some states (Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia) a person who is 17 years old on the date of the primary election, but who will turn 18 by the general election, can vote in the primary. If that's you, or if you have a 17-year-old friend or relative who lives in one of these states, it's time to get registered! You can find more information about your state's specific voter registration requirements and get a registration form online by visiting the voter registration information page on the Project Vote Smart website. It's as easy as a tasty slice of holiday pumpkin pie.

(Edit, Nov. 19: The above list of states where 17-year-olds can vote in the primary may not be complete—thanks Kassiane for pointing that out. To be sure, check with your local election officials to determine if your state is one where 17-year-olds can vote.)