Disabled Activists and the Great Boycott: When Walking Requires Strategy
This Monday's job action will, in most likelihood be the biggest strike, the biggest mass action in U.S. history. Many of us are giving up a days pay to support the boycott. Not to be able to attend could be very isolating, but to participate with a disability could be extremely problematic. For those of us who are disabled, participating in the demonstration takes extra planning. Coordinate rides with friends if walking or rolling long distances is an issue. Do not depend on public transportation or anyone's employment (busses, taxis, access paratransit) or any of the programs that usually allow us to access our society. There's a good chance the busses won't be running, the trains won't be running and that access programs will also not be running, as the workers that perform these services will probably also be on strike. Be careful not to get stranded somewhere waiting for a bus or ride that never comes. Plan for this contingency. What would be an inconvenience for the able bodied could be a safety or a health threat for many of us. You may want to bring extra medication, water and food. Traveling long distances, negotiating huge crowds (they could exceed one million,) parking, etc. are very problematic for me. But like many disabled activists, the isolation of staying home, can be overwhelming. I don't want this just to be a day without pay. I want to be in the heart of it, feel the beat of it, the pulse of it. I've been organizing my whole life and it's painful to sit these mass demonstrations out. So, I plan to join the mass action without walking, by painting the windows of my car with statements of solidarity, driving near the demonstrations honking my horn. (Anyone care to join me? [EMAIL PROTECTED]) Just some thoughts. Peace with justice, Emma (from occupied Aztlan) -- "I must fight with all my strength so that the little positive things that my health allows me to do might be pointed toward helping the revolution. The only real reason for living." -Frida Kahlo emma rosenthal is a disabled artist, writer, educator, activist and consultant, living in southern california. emma rosenthal po box 1664 baldwin park, ca 91706 [EMAIL PROTECTED] emma's web page: http://home.earthlink.net/~emmarosenthal emma's blog: In Bed With Frida Kahlo http://inbedwithfridakahlo.blogsource.com/ The writing empowerment project http://home.earthlink.net/~theweproject -educational and organizational consulting and dialogue. cafe intifada http://home.earthlink.net/~cafeintifada -art for social justice [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
