ADA Attack

Thomas Cagle (nh-adapt@juno.com)
Tue, 21 Jul 1998 18:41:17 -0400 

--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: coyotejb@erols.com [mailto:coyotejb@erols.com] 
Sent: Monday, July 13, 1998 5:20 PM
To: Stephanie Thomas (Bob Kafka)
Cc: jbpccd@aol.com; marcie@erols.com; crippower@aol.com
Subject: ADA Attack


Hi folks! Hope you're doing well-know you're all fighting hard. Helms and

Thurmond are at it again. Could you please forward this e-mail letter? 
Can't believe I've moved so far away from writing on a yellow pad. Love 
Janine

Dear Friends in the Disability Rights movement,
	Last week Senators Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms introduced SB 
2266 - a bill to remove state prisons from coverage by the Americans With

Disabilities Act.  Talk on the hill is that the bill probably won't make 
it through in its present form but it could be attached as an amendment 
to the appropriations bill as early as this week in an attempt to quietly

sneak through this attack on the ADA.
	PLEASE CALL AND/OR WRITE YOUR SENATORS TODAY AND TELL THEM YOU 
WANT S 2266 STOPPED NOW- BOTH AS A FREE STANDING BILL AND AS AN AMENDMENT

TO THE APPROPRIATIONS BILL.  (Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska is key and 
could probably stop it if he chose so if anyone has Duane French's 
e-mail, write me and/or forward this to him). 
	As you know, the Supreme Court recently ruled unanimously that 
the ADA applies to prisons. Helms and Thurmond are attempting to nullify 
that ruling through this legislation. 
	While I'm of the "an injury to one is an injury to all" 
philosphy, I know there are some in our movement who believe that people 
who commit crimes and are locked up don't deserve the protection of the 
ADA.  Make no mistake, if this bill is allowed to pass, it will, as Steve

Gold said, "open Pandora's box."  
	Congress will not stop at carving out one piece of the ADA. There

is still pretty constant pressure that they receive from businesses and 
state and local governments to weaken the ADA. First prisons will not be 
covered, then other parts of state and local governments will be exempt, 
then other public accomodations ... Pretty soon we'll have no ADA 
protections at all.
	We worked too hard for the ADA and full societal integration for 
all people with disabilities to let two powerful Senators pull a sneak 
attack and take it away from us.
	PLEASE ACT NOW AND STOP S 2266! TOGETHER WE CAN SAVE OUR 
HARD WON FREEDOM!!!
				In love and struggle,
				Janine Bertram Kemp
Senate Address:  U.S. Senate/Washington, D.C. 20510
Congressional Switchboard (ask operator to transfer you to your Senator's

office) 202-224-3121


Support MiCASA HR 2020
Tom Cagle
nh-adapt@juno.com
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/6482
ICQ 7555286