AN UNEXPECTED POWER: Voters with a Disability

By Don  C.  Reed

The  challenge of every Democrat today is to elect Kamala  Harris to the office of the Presidency. To do that,  we must defeat former President  Donald J. Trump– with the help of an unexpected  power:  voters with a disability.

That community,  when roused, can do amazing things.

Let me show you.

Thirty years ago, Roman  Reed was playing college  football when an accident occurred on the  field.  In an instant my son was paralyzed from the shoulders down.

But having a disability did not stop him.  With the help of friends and relatives, he inspired legislation: the Roman Reed Spinal Cord  Injury Research Act of 1999.

Patient  advocates wrote letters, visited committee members,  and spoke before meetings.  Roman drove his hand-controlled van  to Sacramento so many times he could have done it in his sleep.

We received unexpected assistance. Christopher Reeve, the paralyzed  movie Superman, gave me a great quote, saying:  “One day, Roman and I will stand up from our wheelchairs and walk away from them forever.”

Martial  arts movie star Bill  “Superfoot” Wallace (he fought Jackie Chan in the movies) gave us his endorsement,  as did U.S. General “Stormin’ Norman” Schwarzkopf.

Before one committee hearing,  so many letters of support were stuffed through an  Assemblywoman’s mail slot,  it was hard for her to open the door.

‘Romans law” funded Dr.  Hans  Keirstead, who used stem cells to help paralyzed rats walk again. (That same  technique later restored hand and  arm control, when given to newly-paralyzed human patients.)

More funding was needed, for many conditions. Patient advocate Bob Klein, inspired by his diabetic son Jordan, led a citizens’ initiative. Proposition 71,  the Stem Cells  for Research and Cures Act, which raised $3 billion for research.

Children’s lives were saved. Fifty kids  had a terrible disease called Severe Combined Immune Deficiency or SCID,  the “Bubble Baby” disease .  The same gene therapy which saved them  may one  day end the agony of sickle cell disease.

And when our program ran out of money?  Bob Klein and the  citizens with disabilities    offered a new initiative (Proposition 14) authorizing up to  $5.5  billion  through the sale of bonds. We put it on  the  ballot– and  California said “Yes!”

And this was done during the COVID pandemic…

Today we face a potential disaster:   the possible re-election of Donald Trump. This is the man who promised to end Obamacare. Most citizens with disabilities regard low-cost medical care as their number one priority–  and he wants to end it?

Most Americans past a certain age have one or more chronic diseases or disabilities. I have four: a  fracture of the spinal column, peripheral neuropathy of legs and feet, a double hernia, plus I am a cancer survivor. There are a lot of folks like me. Add us together  and we are  power.

How do we influence national elections?  We reach out to  natural allies in the disability community.

Neighbors, relatives, friends and groups– especially groups! What  organizations do you belong to? Ask  them to send out  a bulletin to staff and supporters. We cannot  tell any group who to vote  for, (they might lose their tax exemption) but we can absolutely ask that  they do vote..

Use your strengths. If you have a weblog, communicate the virtues of  Kamala and the defects of Donald.

As Michlle Obama said, “Do something!”And  then do a little bit more.

Are you registered? Know someone who is not?

Here is a useful phone number:  866-OUR—VOTE  (866-687-8683).  This will connect you to clear and accurate voting information.

Outreach to your friends, offering a ride to the voting polls. Did  their vote-by-mail packet arrive? Here is that number  again—write it down?

866-OUR—VOTE  (866-687-8683).

Can you volunteer a couple hours? Contact your local branch of the  Democratic  party.

Let nothing distract you.

Some will say we are close to winning ; leave it to someone else—NONONO!!!!!  We don’t  dare leave the work somebody else. If  we are close to a win,   that makes it doubly imperative that we push as hard as  we can and go over the top;  and win.

We must make a  tidal  wave of progress—a  tsunami for  good– one little ripple at a time.

P.S.  I have no connection to the Kamala  Harris for President campaign,  except  I support it.  I signed up to donate  $25  a week  to it, every week until  the election.

I am proud to be a “small dollar donor”—I can’t do much, but still  I can do something– would you consider  helping similarly?

Just Google “Kamala for President”,  and  you  will find it easily.

Help  however you  can: financially or physically— “sweat equity”, knocking on doors to hand out  fliers, or making phone calls to people we have never met – that takes courage, and is  quite wonderful. Think of it this way. If you persuade one person to register and  follow through, you have just doubled the  power of your vote.

This is the challenge of our lives.

We can and must prevail.

www.stemcellbattles.net