...at a rally in D.C. on Saturday. This is coverage from the Columbus Dispatch of a protest rally for and against health care reform in Washington, D.C. today.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/multimedia/video/video.html?video=949486
To summarize, in the video, a man is sitting on the ground in front of protesters against the health care bill with a sign that states that he has Parkinson's and that he would be served by the health care bill.
Several protester tell the man that "this is America," that you have to work here in America to get what you want, and that there are no handouts here. Then, another man walks up and throws a dollar at the man sitting on the ground and tells him, "Here. Here's some money. Have a dollar. Want another one? Here."
I'm so disgusted. Some days, it's hard to believe that "this" is my America.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Testing, testing, testing...
MRI, EEG, psychological evaluation, TAKS... Tobey's been one assessed young man as of late.
Why all the tests? Tobey has been having some "Tourette's like ticks" for the past year and his neurologist wants to see whether there might be something else going on with Tobey. Is there something else going on? I don't know... After all, it doesn't really change anything. Tobey is still Tobey, regardless of the label they put on him. His needs remain the same.
And, this year, I've come to terms with the realization that his needs are going to be significant. He's been moved into the self-contained classroom and he's officially one of the kids on the "short bus." Gawd, how I hate that joke, and I cringe a bit when I hear it used as an insult.
Still, I'm reminded of a passage from Roy Grinker's book Unstrange Minds when he is putting his daughter to bed and he realizes that he will be doing this for the rest of his life. That he has the privilege of doing this for the rest of his life. When other parents worry about their children going out on dates, moving away to college, flunking out of college, Grinker will have his daughter at home with him.
And, I will have Tobey. He may live in an independent living facility; he may not. But, I will always have him with me in some capacity.
And, that is okay.
Why all the tests? Tobey has been having some "Tourette's like ticks" for the past year and his neurologist wants to see whether there might be something else going on with Tobey. Is there something else going on? I don't know... After all, it doesn't really change anything. Tobey is still Tobey, regardless of the label they put on him. His needs remain the same.
And, this year, I've come to terms with the realization that his needs are going to be significant. He's been moved into the self-contained classroom and he's officially one of the kids on the "short bus." Gawd, how I hate that joke, and I cringe a bit when I hear it used as an insult.
Still, I'm reminded of a passage from Roy Grinker's book Unstrange Minds when he is putting his daughter to bed and he realizes that he will be doing this for the rest of his life. That he has the privilege of doing this for the rest of his life. When other parents worry about their children going out on dates, moving away to college, flunking out of college, Grinker will have his daughter at home with him.
And, I will have Tobey. He may live in an independent living facility; he may not. But, I will always have him with me in some capacity.
And, that is okay.
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