Local
Kerry / Edwards Supporters "Getting Out the Vote"
by
Lance H. Hegland
The political conventions
are behind us, ad campaigns abound, the debates have begun -- this
year's presidential election is drawing near. Have you chosen your
preferred candidate? How did you arrive at your decision? Were
you able to find accurate and reliable campaign material? In this
day and age of attack ads, overwhelming information, and numerous
complex issues, making an informed voting decision is a challenge.
Figuring out which are the most important issues and identifying
the candidate who most closely reflects your views can be a difficult
task. As we gather information from news coverage, rallies, and
debates, some of us may be doing a little of our own "flip-flopping" between
candidates. But for many in the disability community, the choice
is seems clear: the John Kerry and John Edwards team.
For Deborah Whitman and Bob Freeman, two unwavering Kerry/Edwards
supporters, the choice was so clear that they spearheaded the Minnesota
Disability Community for Kerry/Edwards and began talking with like-minded
community members over the summer. Whitman is the mother of a child
with disabilities and Freeman has been a member of the disability
community for the past several years.
“Our two main objectives are to ensure that Kerry/Edwards
events are accessible and to get out the disability vote,” says
Whitman. In addition to providing a vehicle for people to get involved
in raising awareness of campaign issues and candidate positions,
the group also informs the Kerry/Edwards campaign team about disability
community issues. When Senator Kerry, Senator Edwards, or their representatives
have visited the Twin Cities, they have met with members of the group
to get a feel for local disability community needs.
As Minnesota is a "swing state" (i.e., a state whose population's
support is nearly equally divided among candidates), every vote counts.
Therefore, the Minnesota disability community vote could have a big
impact on the state’s election results. If a significant portion
of the disability community voted for a particular candidate, say,
Kerry, they could "swing" his share of the vote from 49
percent to 51 percent, helping him win our state’s electoral
votes. In order to "get out the disability vote", the Minnesota
Disability Community for Kerry/Edwards has held several informational
meetings in recent months to give information about the Kerry/Edwards
platform as well as opening doors for us to get involved.
The Kerry/Edwards team
has done an excellent job of helping people understand their position
in more personal terms: their website is broken down not only by
specific political issue, but also by demographic group. So whether
you’re a mom, teacher, nurse, senior, member
of a particular ethnic group, or an individual experiencing a disability,
you can discover "what's in it for you."
The campaign website states
clearly “John Kerry and John Edwards
believe that all Americans, including those with disabilities, have
an inherent right to be treated as first class citizens of our nation.” John
Kerry plans to strengthen Medicaid and Medicare, fully fund the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and construct creative solutions
for the transportation, technology, and housing needs of individuals
with disabilities, all of which are programs assisting us to live
more independently in our communities. Kerry believes that the government
should not be investing in tax giveaways for the wealthiest Americans
while IDEA is inadequately funded and Medicaid is in danger of being
weakened. He states he will fight all efforts to undermine the Americans
with Disabilities Act. Furthermore, Kerry will push for health insurance
coverage for mental illnesses that is equal to the health insurance
benefits covering all other illnesses, an issue that was close to
the heart of the late Senator Wellstone.
For more information about
the Minnesota Disability Community for Kerry/Edwards, please contact
Mark Siegel, 612-305-0972 or msiegel1@mn.rr.com. The group's next
meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 14th at 7 p.m. in the
Communication Workers of America Local 7200 Building, 3521 East
Lake Street, Minneapolis.
For more information about the Kerry/Edwards stance on disability
issues, check out the Americans with Disabilities section of their
website at http://www.johnkerry.com/communities/awd/
As Justin Dart said, “Get into politics as if your life depends
on it, because it does.” GET OUT AND VOTE!!!
