Keep thinking about this. It means that the people who receive SSDI can literally NEVER be a part of the group legislating the program. I feel genuinely sick to my stomach…because like…that’s the formal structure. We’ve all accepted this??????????
[image description: tweet by Sarah Blahovec that reads “I am passionate about my job, but the absolute worst part of it is having to deliver the news to a disabled person on SSDI that they can’t run for office (usually an unpaid local office) without losing their benefits. Today it was to a disabled veteran. #CripTheVote.” /end description|
I’m seeing a lot of ineffectual discourse about how to shame fascists or get their hearts to work: they’ve got a million body count *for money* in the past 2 years, they don’t care, they barely care when it’s them.
You either commit to what rights you want and understand that it may be uncomfortable for you to apply those rights to all… Then you strike.
General strike: not for background checks for x when y. Get rid of your guns and family guns except for 1 powerless 2 bullet rifle for farmers so that only “bad people” own guns. Then General Strike for Australia-like gun repeal. General strike for the gender equality act, General strike for racial justice, the filibuster, for white supremacy to be considered treason-terrorism and rooted out of all places of power, for seperation of church and state, for free healthcare, better veteran care, full bodily autonomy. And strike for ALL OF THAT AT ONCE: you want to be a first world country? Demand that the charter of human rights supersede all economic interests and your ancient flawed constitution.
Cripple the roads, cripple the tv and internet, cripple the airports, (BTW if you’re a cripple, you probably already have done stunts like occupying an office until you get a document for survival), cripple essential services and serve the poor for free on your employers dime. Not just Washington DC, EVERYWHERE.
And if your efforts reveal that your country is just a junta based on a slave owners document. Then you the people decide what kind of country you want.
Keep thinking about this. It means that the people who receive SSDI can literally NEVER be a part of the group legislating the program. I feel genuinely sick to my stomach…because like…that’s the formal structure. We’ve all accepted this??????????
Not just SSDI, but SSI as well.
And when we’re talking about ‘elected office’ we’re talking about everything from school committee on up.
So we can’t be part of the choices that decide what kids learn about in schools (particularly important right now, in regards to things like race, LGTBQIA+ issues, & other areas of civil rights), or what kind of improvements our cities need (like, say, structural accessibility), or who qualifies for needs-based programs.
We’re not allowed to have direct influence in conversations & decisions regarding the things we literally depend on to survive - things like universal healthcare, which would OBVIOUSLY benefit from having disabled ppl’s voices while they’re being considered. Or the fight to raise SSI minimums, or marriage equality for disabled people: all of those measures are things people disabled enough to require that system can only attempt to influence from the outside, through our elected officials. We cannot be the elected officials.
Systemic ableism is insidious and oftentimes so baked in that ppl don’t even notice.
