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 B-NEWS
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Inside This Issue:
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"It is not your part to guide or supervise
the creative process. All you have to do with that is to retain your
vision, stick to your purpose, and maintain your faith and
gratitude." -Wallace D. Wattles |
Hi Folks,
I'd like to apologize for not
getting this edition out sooner. The last time I sent out a newsletter
was March 10th. The month of March was an extremely busy one for me.
Nevertheless, much good has come from the busyness.
We have several new
subscribers since the last edition of B-NEWS was sent out. Welcome.
Please remember that your email address is never given to anyone for
any reason, and you can unsubscribe any time you please.
If you want to unsubscribe and
are unable to unsubscribe yourself for any reason, just send me a note
personally and I'll remove you from this mailing list. One thing for
sure, if you want out, I'll make sure you are removed! My email
address appears as the 'From' address on every newsletter even though
it is sent through a list server. I encourage readers to send their
comments, suggestions, stories and opinions to me also. All
constructive criticism is applied as a method to improve this
publication.
Usually, this newsletter is
sent to subscriber's email inboxes. But time does not permit me to
send it out this time. I've opted to place it on the web only.
Lots of things are happening.
In the public realm, the healthcare budgets are getting cut
everywhere. Disability advocates and service providers are fighting to
stop the cuts.
In my personal life, several
significant changes have brought me face to face with cognitive
dissonance again. My ability to publish this newsletter might be
affected.
A friend and mentor, Chester
White, has been a strong advocate in my life. After telling him of the
serious changes in my personal life last night, he told me this: "When
going through Hell, don't stop."
I've designed this edition of B-NEWS to motivate and inspire. This
edition is a bit off the usual path of information related only to
head injury, concussion and brain injury. I'm unsure of when I'll
publish again. This note might not be
inspiring or motivating, but much of the rest of the content of this
newsletter is.
I felt that I needed to share
some positive, motivational information after watching the
public execution of a woman who had committed no crime. I thought
uplifting material was appropriate and desirable. The in-your-face,
matter of fact, deliberate dehydration of Terri Schiavo to death has had a profound effect
upon me. I needed to focus my attention on some things that are
good.
Read on my friends. And I will
keep doing what I can do to deliver the message of accessibility,
accommodation, inclusion and person-centered, functional need-based
service delivery wherever I am. Like it or not, I'm one-tracked and
non-compliant in that way.
Till next time-
John
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"View a negative experience in your life like you'd look at a photo negative.
A single negative can create an unlimited number of positive prints." -Gerhard
Gschwandtner |
by Jim Rohn
Several years ago I went into the studio and recorded a
56-minute video for teenagers called, "Three Keys To Greatness." Although my
focus was for teenagers, the principles I shared certainly apply to adults as
well.
Recently I was asked to list these three things using one to two sentences for
each. Now for your benefit here they are again.
1) Setting Goals. I call it the view of the future. Most people, including
kids, will pay the price if they can see the promise of the future. So we need
to help our kids see a well-defined future, so they will be motivated to pay
the price today to attain the rewards of tomorrow. Goals help them do this.
2) Personal Development. Simply making consistent investments in our
self-education and knowledge banks pays major dividends throughout our lives.
I suggest having a minimum amount of time set aside for reading books,
listening to audiocassettes, attending seminars, keeping a journal and
spending time with other successful people. Charlie "Tremendous" Jones says
you will be in five years the sum total of the books you read and the people
you are around.
3) Financial Planning. I call it the 70/30 plan. After receiving your paycheck
or paying yourself, simply setting aside 10% for saving, 10% for investing and
10% for giving, and over time this will guarantee financial independence for a
teenager.
If a young person, or for that matter an adult, focused on doing these three
simple things over a long period of time I believe they will be assured
success!
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
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"There are no guarantees. By the way, is there a chance that you could
embark on a challenging goal ... and not reach it? Absolutely. But,
when you set an ambitious objective and give it your all, you are a
winner and can hold your head high regardless of the end result."
-Jeff Keller, Attitude is Everything |
Advisory Committee to the PA Department of Welfare
John Pistorius
I've attended three meetings of the Stakeholder Planning Team (SPT) to date.
The leadership of the SPT has been openly responsive to my requests for
accommodation. I've commented about ways to improve accessibility and the
leaders have made efforts to improve the cognitive accessibility of the
meetings.
A few things can be done to further improve access to the
Stakeholder Planning Team Meetings. I'll be presenting my ideas to the
leadership in the near future.
Please remember that you are welcome and encouraged to attend meetings of the
SPT. All expenses will be paid or reimbursed for those who are not compensated
by their company to attend.
For more specific information about this advisory committee, please visit:
http://www.bisga.org/Newsletter/2005/jan_7,_05.htm
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The wise person in the storm prays God, not for safety from danger,
but for deliverance from fear. It is the storm within which endangers
us, not the storm without. -Ralph Waldo Emerson |
by Dr. Denis Waitley
To conquer your fear of rejection, you need to handle the word "no" in a
constructive way. When people turn you down after a presentation, you have to
interpret the "no" as "no this is not right for me now." We also can interpret
"no" as meaning, "I need to know more about this opportunity or the products
before I can say yes."
I look at the service I offer to others as a gift that almost everyone
desires. It's like a nutritious dessert. What if waiters or waitresses in a
restaurant said to customers at their tables: "Would you like our special
strawberry parfait for dessert? It's the best in the world!" And they were
told "no" by their patrons, three out of five times.
Would they go to their manager, throw up their hands and quit, lamenting,
"They don’t like me or my strawberry parfait"? Of course they wouldn't. They'd
go on about their business, thinking the patrons had missed out on something
delicious.
That's why I treat products as a gift, much more nutritious and beneficial
than a fruit dessert. But what is being rejected is the presentation, not the
presenter. When I can separate my self-esteem from offering the products or
business opportunity, I can live with rejection and look for ways to get a
positive response more often.
When you are experiencing rejection, that's the time to network with mentors
and role models. It's also the time to listen to upbeat music and read
articles like this, to attend meetings and conference calls, and to hang
around with optimists and winners.
There are basically four things we do in selling our products and services,
and only four. We use the products and services ourselves, we talk to people
about the products and services, we talk to people about the financial
benefits we offer, and we coach them to refer us to others who do the same
thing. First, we are coachable and willing to learn something new every day.
Then, we become coaches. All you really need to move up to the next level is
have faith in yourself.
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing
sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk involvement. To expose your
feelings is to risk revealing your true self. To place your ideas and dreams
before a crowd, is to risk rejection. To love is to risk not being loved in
return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair. To try is to
risk failure. But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is
to risk nothing at all. People who will risk nothing --- do nothing, have
nothing, and become nothing. They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they
cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love or live. Chained by their certitudes,
they are slaves.
They have forfeited their freedom. Only a person who risks is truly free.
And one last idea you can live and believe, is the more that you give -----
the more you'll receive!
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"You can get everything you want when you begin to see your obstacles as
your opportunities." -Dr. Rae |
John Pistorius
On March 1, 2005, the Pennsylvania Department of Health sent out an email
notice about grant money which was available to promote education and
networking at the grass roots level focused on traumatic brain injury. The
message stated that "funds in the amount of up to $1,360 were available for
five support groups to establish or expand existing support groups."
Upon receiving this message, I wrote to Drew Nagle, President of the BIA of
PA. I asked if Brain Injury Association of PA (BIAPA) was willing to permit PA
Support groups to access this funding via the BIAPA Federal Tax ID number.
Drew promptly replied with, "I will forward your request to the BIAPA
Executive Committee who are meeting tomorrow, and will get back to you after
the meeting."
So I immediately contacted the Grant Administrator,
Becky Kishbaugh, with the following message: "Does the Federal tax ID number
need to be a 501c.3 or can individuals running the groups use a personal tax
ID? We have many group leaders in PA that operate out of their own pockets but
have no Federal 501c.3 ID number." and "Can you give me a more specific list
of items this money can be used for? Or perhaps if the list of prohibited
items is smaller, you could send it instead."
Then I forwarded the original message to other support group leaders with whom
I am acquainted.
Ms. Kishbaugh responded immediately. She told me that we had to "spend the money by
March 31, 2005 on activities, materials, speakers, etc that will help
strengthen existing TBI support groups or create new support groups." She also
said that she was "open to any suggestions as to how the money could be spent
to accomplish this." and "The money must go directly to benefit the group."
She also wrote: "Ineligible costs would include administrative/indirect
costs; purchases or activities mandated by the Americans with Disabilities
Act; new building construction or structural renovation of an existing space;
capital expenses or equipment."
Then on March 3, 2005, I learned that the total amount of $3,000 could be used
by one group! So I decided to make sure that this money was used to benefit
local support groups.
Bruce Marion, a long-time volunteer had a great idea for converting our
videotape library into DVD's. But we do not have the equipment to copy the
videotapes to DVD's, and the grant could not be used to purchase the
equipment. So that idea would not be eligible for the funding.
In my role as the founder of the Brain Injury Support Alliance, I created a
manual for developing or strengthening peer-to-peer support groups. The manual
was available through the
www.bisga.org website, but it did not have
specific information for Pennsylvania in it. After a couple of days of
emailing back and forth with Ms. Kishbaugh, I sent her a copy and received the Ok to have this
manual printed. I began editing this document to make it specific to the
Commonwealth of PA., and began seeking a printing company that would produce
the highest number of copies for the lowest price.
By March 11, 2005, I found a printer that said they could make twice as many
as the next lowest cost printer. After finding the printer and arranging to
have the printer receive payment directly from the PA DOH, I finished the
editing and sent the document to the printer. They sent me the proof March 17th.
After making a minor change, I sent it back to the printer. The Dept. of Health
paid the printer directly and the printer sent me a revised proof March 23rd.
The printer delivered the manuals two days before the deadline, March 29th.
While proofing the manuals, on March 18th, I learned that no other groups had
used the funding that was available. Another grant was offered to me to be
used for the Pittsburgh Area Brain Injury Alliance. Remember that the deadline
was March 31st. So we had to act fast. I proceeded to do what I could to prepare documents for several
PABIA affiliated groups
to use while finalizing the BISGA grant process and Ten Insider Tips Manual
printing. Since I already had the tools in their generic state, I simply
needed to insert the specific contact information for each group. It
took a few days of telephone calls and email messages to get the correct
contact information for the seven groups I was working with.
Glitches
After editing the 21 projects, one group leader told me that he
wanted to change the Meeting Notice Poster templates that I sent him to
proof read. He completely revised the poster and with my help, included
tear-off tabs. Then he had them printed separately.
Then, just two days before the deadline, another group leader called to tell
me that she was no longer interested in leading the group. So I had to remove
that project from the list.
At about the same time, I received the quote for the printing of the multiple
projects. I was dissatisfied with the quantities that we could receive. So I
drove to the printer to negotiate the numbers. I decided to have two brochures
printed and five meeting notice posters printed. Each of the meeting notice
posters were personalized for each group. One of the brochures was
personalized for the Pittsburgh Area Brain Injury Alliance and the other was
not personalized. It contained a space where each group leader could place
their personal contact information.
This strategy proved to be the most cost effective. We were able to have
10,950 PABIA brochures printed and 10,950 of the other brochures printed too.
This was because the printer could use larger stock paper to accommodate both
brochures and run one printing press. Each group has 200 meeting notice
posters with tear off tabs containing contact information. These projects were
ordered March 31, 2005. Right on time to beat the deadline!
The paperwork for the BISGA Support Group Training
Manuals needed to be completed and submitted and Ed Crinnion had to complete the PABIA
paperwork. So I jumped in my truck, drove to Ed's house and we filled out his
paperwork, and faxed it to Becky Kishbaugh. Then I drove a copy of the
documents to the Post Office and mailed them by 9 PM, March 31st!
This was an exhilarating experience. There were times when I thought I'd fail
to get anything done at all. But in the end, the projects were printed,
funding secured and support groups are beginning to receive the materials that
will strengthen their position in their communities by giving the members a
way to reach others who can benefit from peer support. And that's what really
matters.
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An unconstitutional act is not a law; it confers no rights; it imposes
no duties; it affords no protection; it creates no office; it is in
legal contemplation, as inoperative as though it had never been passed."
Norton v. Shelby County, 118 US 425 (1885) |
A new mini-ebook gift for you ...
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the topics I get the most questions about. So now I've got a nifty little
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If you've ever felt unsure about WHAT action
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What's more, inside it you'll find something else
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Mac users: Click and hold.
This ebook is an Adobe PDF file (just like the
SOGR ebook). You can also left-click to open the ebook online, then click
the little disc icon in Adobe Reader® to "Save A Copy." If you need help with
downloading or printing or need to get a free copy of Adobe Reader®,
click here for the
Tech Help page.
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|
There are two ways of meeting difficulties. You alter the
difficulties or you alter yourself to meet them." -Phyllis Bottome |
John Pistorius
Last year, with the help of others, I assisted in the creation of a support
group that met in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh.
Eventually, this group stopped meeting. But not before I directed Nicole
Jezowicz and her family to it. I attended a few meetings with Nicole and her
family members. The group met their needs. They were only sorry that a similar
group was not available in Erie, PA where Nicole lives.
When Nicole expressed her concern about driving two hours into Pittsburgh to
attend the meetings, I offered to help her start a group there. She willingly
accepted the challenge and we immediately got to work.
We met several times in Erie. Nicole found a place to meet, secured
refreshment donations and notified the press as I had instructed her. She was
not interested in taking control of this meeting and doing things her way.
Instead, she deferred to my experience and knowledge. Nicole studied the
materials that I provided and followed the example of successful peer-to-peer
support groups as illustrated in the Ten Insider Tips training manual.
The first meeting was held April 6, 2005 in a meeting room at the Christ
United Methodist Church, 32nd St. at Zuck Road, Erie, Pa. It was a success
with ten persons in attendance. The parents there discussed ways in which they
supported their loved ones through the recovery process. The individuals who
survived TBI talked about the importance of having support.
The attendees talked about the need for peer support in Erie, PA. One woman, an
employee of the local rehabilitation hospital was upset that she was unable to
find a support group within that facility. She learned that a group once
existed but had fizzled out. I’ve been told recently that this facility-based
group might be resurrected.
Rita Parks, a former long-time support group facilitator, commented about
whether this new group would be for parents and individuals who experience
tbi. It was agreed that this new meeting was open to all concerned persons and
the meeting place could be divided to accommodate two distinct groups. She
also raised the question about individuals with mobility devices attending. I
responded with, “It is my opinion that all persons interested can attend.” If
the need arises to diversify and spin off different smaller groups to better
accommodate individuals, then that is what will be done.
In my experience, I've learned that several meetings can be held in the same
town. I believe this new meeting will succeed because it is being led by a
woman who is committed to leading the group. She is willing to do what needs
to be done and has shown her commitment to following a well designed plan of
action. If the need arises for additional peer support groups, I believe
Nicole will rise to the challenge and encourage their development.
The next meeting is scheduled for March 4, 2005. Anyone interested in
attending can contact Nicole Jezowicz at (814) 835-3082 or email:
NIKDSULLY@aol.com.
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.
(Editor's note: Please remember that anyone interested in starting a
peer-to-peer support group can contact me at jp@pabia.org or (412) 481-0443 to
receive free assistance and tools to get a group started in their area.)
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"In Britain, more babies with Down syndrome are
aborted than are allowed to be born. In America, more than 80 percent of
the babies diagnosed prenatally with Down syndrome are aborted. This is
dismaying to, among others, the American Association of People with
Disabilities, whose premise is that "disability is a natural part of the
human experience.""
-George F. Will, washingtonpost.com, Thursday,
April 14, 2005; Page A27 |
by John Pistorius
I met a family a couple of weeks ago who told a story that I'll share. In my
opinion, it uncovers one of the very real motivations behind killing people with
disability labels.
The mother tells how her 22 yr old son was in an auto accident. He sustained a
brain injury and was taken to the hospital. The family was told by the
professionals that he was in an irreversible state and was expected to die.
They were asked to give permission for organ harvesting. They refused to give
up on him.
The mother’s eyes fill with tears as she tells the story. She explains that
while she was praying with others for her son, another mother was there for
her own son. They offered to pray with the woman for her son. But the other
woman refused. The mother told me that she learned later that the other
woman's son was waiting for a heart transplant. The hospital was trying to get
this mother to let them harvest her son's organs while promising the other
mother a "new" heart for her boy.
I realize that this is an isolated incident. It is probably a unique
situation. But it points to a problem that is rarely, if ever, looked at.
Human body parts have become a commodity. One person has to die in order for
another to receive a part they need to continue to live or function. And
sometimes doctors practice deciding who lives and who dies.
Even without the above information, the mother whose son sustained the brain
injury stayed firm in her resolve to keep her son alive. She refused to part
him out. He survived that night and many more since. However, the mother told
me that when he was in the hospital that "somehow he was going to fall out of
bed" while she was not there. The medical company employee, who stopped the
fall, grabbed the shunt and feeding tube to pull him back to the bed, thereby
ripping these devices out and causing additional injuries. (Appalling?)
Because of the unofficial shunt removal and damage, docs decided to drain
fluids via spinal taps. On one such occasion, again when the family was out of
the room, instead of draining 10 cc of fluid, the nurse forgot to check and 60
cc's were drained. This was equal to sucking his brain dry. The mother tells
me that his brain stem was injured by this negligent act. She tells how he was
violently shaking and his eyes were completely bloodshot when she returned.
And how the so-called professional casually apologized because she forgot to
check on him! (Angering?)
He is now receiving therapy in a rehabilitation facility. But the insurance
company representative has told the family that they are not willing to spend
any more money on him. This insurance company employee stated that he was
concerned that he could lose his job. The mother has fought successfully to
have the son's therapies continue. But how many mothers lose? Will you win for
your loved one?
This story brought some things together for me. I know that many individuals
are pushing euthanasia for a lot of reasons. I believe the insurance industry
is pushing this for their reasons too. Perhaps the human body parts doctors
are pushing this also. I know that money is the motivating factor behind
euthanasia. It’s about BIG money.
Euthanasia Wants You
Each and every citizen of United States of America is eligible for euthanasia.
I've met countless numbers of people who would be food for worms right now if
not for the efforts of caring parents or spouses and funding for services.
Citizens of other countries were looking to us to set a positive example in
favor of life regarding Terri Schiavo. We let them down. Not only have we
failed this one woman, but we have failed millions of human beings all over
the world. In third-world nations where human life is considered cheap, we
have affirmed their stance. We have proven to the world that the citizens of
these great United States of America do not value human life. Not truly.
Brain injury does not discriminate. It comes without warning in most cases
like a thief in the night. Usually with little or no notice, it robs
productive people of their ability to defend themselves from others who
perpetrate all sorts of crimes. No one is immune. Not even YOU. And now death
has been sanctioned as a response to brain injury. Terri Schiavo was not
terminally ill. Her murder was not performed secretly. It was done in the
public square with all cameras focused on the event. It was broadcast all over
the world. You cannot say that you were not warned.
Maybe you are one of the people that I've heard say "I wouldn't want to live
like that." or "Who would want to live like that?" or "Those people cost a lot
of money to keep alive." or any number of other derogatory statements and
comments.
One person wrote to me, a pastor, who told me that removing the feeding tube
was only permitting nature to take its course. I didn't disagree. Anyone could
simulate the inability to speak by having a rag stuffed in their mouth. They
could have their hands tied and stop themselves from consuming any food or
water. Nature will take its course with them too. Death will be as
excruciating and drawn out for them as it was for Terri Schiavo. And with or
without disability, death will probably not take any longer to come to them
than it did for her.
I have faith in the goodness of this nation. It is indeed the greatest place
on earth. Yet our country is sick. The sickness is not being treated. It is a
moral disease that causes people to be divided. On both sides of the line, we
have hypocrites. On both sides we have agitators who further the divide. If
human life is not sacred, then nothing is.
Automobile Lesson
Everyone in modern society lives at the mercy of motorized transportation
systems. Even the persons who are homeless eat food that has been transported
by petrol-fuel based transportation systems.
The personal automobile machines that we use are designed to move us from one
place and point in time to another place, forward in time. They offer some
degree of comfort, style and usability. However, their useful life has
functional limits. These limits can be influenced by many factors.
When an automobile has reached the end of its useful life, we have recycling
centers that process these machines. Some people call them junkyards. The
operators of these recycling yards are keenly aware of the value that remains
in a “used-up” or “broken-down” personal transportation machine. And they are
adept at extracting the remaining value from these machines.
One of the ways in which this remaining value is harvested from our discarded
automobiles is by disassembling them and selling off the useable parts. A
certain demand exists for many parts because manufacturers sometimes use
identically designed mechanical parts for many years. These parts are
interchangeable between many models and many years of manufacture. Of course
everyone knows that the color of the paint used on these machines does not
affect the usability of the parts from that machine. Therefore, every personal
transportation machine that ends up in the hands of the professional auto
dismantlers and recyclers can be converted into money for these pros. These
dismantlers remove parts from discarded units and sell them to others to
repair other vehicles. This can be a very lucrative business, especially
when legislation is enacted to stiffen the rules governing safety, emissions
and usability of the machines.
Laws insure the addition of newer models to the recycling yards’ storehouse of
parts by making it cost prohibitive to maintain the damaged vehicles. Those that
can be dismantled are looked at as parts and profit. The others are looked at
as disposable, crushed, and melted down to be used as feed stock for new
materials in the manufacturing process. And this fills the recyclers’ pockets
with lots of loot!
There is another side to this automobile recycling business. It is one of
profound greed. Autos that could continue to function are routinely dismantled
because they are more valuable to the dismantlers that way. Some auto
mechanics are tied to the recyclers. They feed customers to their affiliates.
This type of collaboration terminates the life of countless machines every
year.
On the dark side of this business, some recyclers accept perfectly good autos
from unscrupulous suppliers who bring perfectly functional units to them. Many
of these units are stolen. Some are made to disappear by insurance fraud.
Others are deliberately disabled by the mechanics who are tied to the
professional dismantlers.
Profiteering on Humans
Once upon a time, judges and legislators were united on slavery in this
country. Human beings were labeled as non-human by external criteria. Those in
power used specific terminology to devalue human life and to use humans to
benefit and profit their selves. Based on external criteria that had nothing
to do with intrinsic value, humans were routinely killed, maimed and enslaved
by others who were able to reap huge profits by disempowering this group of
people. However, we overcame this type of human abuse with enlightened
language choices and a determination to end the inhumane treatment of human
beings.
I believe the persons who were most affected by slavery were those who had
been enslaved all of their lives. They just couldn't see a way out. They were
disabled by their inability to even imagine freedom. But scores of people were
able to see a way out and they were able to fight for freedom.
I also believe many of the people with disabilities caused by brain injury are
like the slaves who had lived disempowered lives. They cannot envision
freedom. They are bound by invisible chains. Some of these bindings are only
in their minds. Others are a part of the way they are excluded from
participating in life.
They are chained to an inaccessible world that denies their humanity. They are
shackled to undignified treatment that is promoted and sold as dignity. Few
are able to speak out about the abuse they are subjected to. Many are unable
to fight because of the nature of their disabilities. These facts make them
vulnerable in ways that slaves could never have imagined.
In this new model of slavery, the wealthy “plantation owners” have lost their
original profit motive. The paradigm is shifting. The disempowerment of human
beings being perpetrated upon those who have functional limitations has just
reached a new low with the well-publicized lynching of Terri Schiavo. People
with disabilities are fair game for all manner of discrimination. The open
murder of Terri proves it. They might as well have wrapped a rope around her
neck and tossed her over the side of a bridge.
Profiting from the delivery of minimized services and institutionalization and
incarceration of individuals with disabilities has long been fought by persons
who themselves experienced impairments that were labeled disabilities. But how
can a dead girl fight back? How can the millions of people who live with
impairments that are classified as disabilities fight the recycler’s
mentality? In our image conscious society, many persons with disability labels
are perceived to be junkyard material. Those that can be dismantled are looked
at as parts and profit. The others are looked at as disposable. After all, we
do live in an overpopulated world where natural resources are endangered.
We live in a society that has grown up on disposable products that are made to
be consumed. We have objectified human beings. As objects, humans only have
value insomuch as they can serve us in some capacity. Once we label people
"disabled" or when they no longer serve our purposes, we want to dispose of
them like yesterday's newspaper.
While persons with disabilities fought for freedom from oppressive,
inaccessible systems and services to be accommodated into mainstream society,
the new “plantation owners” were fighting for the money. Persons with
disabilities are expendable because in the eyes of these plantation owners,
they are chattel. And they have become a liability instead of an asset. What
better way to raise the bottom line of companies than by cutting liabilities
and improving access to profitable materials? It makes good business sense.
Die Hard
You might be cut next. One bump on the head and you can get demoted from human
to vegetable status. Maybe you think you wouldn't want to live like that. But
think about whether you want to die like that. Just for kicks, go one day
without food and water to get a feel for it. If you can get through one day,
push for two. Dehydrate yourself and feel how "natural" death would feel under
those circumstances. Then, those who told me that this was "letting nature
take its course" and those of you who said that this was the "best thing" for
Terri Schiavo can tell me how natural it feels. But I doubt it because when it
comes down to it, no one would ever ask to be murdered the way that Terri
Schiavo was.
My hope is that parents, siblings and spouses fight for the lives of their
loved ones to keep them from being made dead. If not, God help us.
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Alternate Medical Definitions
Secretion.............Hiding something |
Motivational
Tip For The Day
by Jan Tincher
In his book, *The Science
Of Getting Rich,* Wallace D. Wattles says, *You cannot retain a true and
clear vision of wealth if you are constantly turning your attention to
opposing pictures, either external or Imaginary.*
Are you constantly thinking of, or telling others, about your past
financial troubles?
Stop it.
Do you talk about your overdue bills to others?
Stop it.
Do you talk about how your gas bills are so high, you can't afford them?
Stop it.
Do you talk about how the interest rate on your charge cards are killing
you?
Stop it.
I am not saying the problems will go away, I am saying that if you make
a conscious effort to focus on the good in life, the good will come to
you. If you focus on your problems, it won't.
It's that simple. What are YOU focusing on or thinking about?
-----
Be a success! Let Jan Tincher, Master Neuro-Linguistic
Programmer, help you! Great articles, great strategies you can
implement immediately! Go here now:
http://www.tameyourbrain.com/success/index1.htm
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|
Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better. - Richard
Hooker |
*
The Eyes of Truth (Song Lyrics)
By ENIGMA
If you understand or if you don't
If you believe or if you doubt
There's a universal justice
And the eyes of truth
Are always watching you.
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"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly
endless." - Mother Teresa |
Like Medicaid, SSI also is in serious jeopardy in the budget bill
conference negotiations. A paper explaining the issue is now posted on
the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities website at:
http://www.c-c-d.org/SSI%20Threat4c.pdf.
(Editor's note: The Consortium
for Citizens with Disabilities is a coalition of approximately 100
national disability organizations working together to advocate for
national public policy that ensures the self determination,
independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and
adults with disabilities in all aspects of society.)
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Where rights secured by the Federal Constitution are involved, there can
be no rule-making or legislation which would abrogate them." Miranda v.
Arizona, 384 US 436 (1966) |
Is your microwave oven a mess? Well, here is an easy method of cleaning it.
Put two tablespoons of lemon juice in a cup of water.
Microwave this mixture of lemon juice and water in a microwave-safe bowl for
about 7 minutes.
Allow the heated mixture to cool.
Check to make sure it is cool enough to touch. After carefully removing the bowl, wipe the microwave
down with a soft cloth. It's that easy. Repeat as often as necessary.
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"If you fail to direct your subconscious mind, it produces under a
law of averages, and you are a nice, ineffective, sweet person."
-Raymond Charles Barker |
Mail Bag
Dear John,
Thank you for your newsletter and above all, for your caring. I live in
Zimbabwe - a country afflicted by political and often violent disruptions. It
is not an easy place to live in. But, euthanasia is a crime here and that is
the only reason my son, Steve, remains alive to this day following a lightning
strike to his head in 1997. Steve's case is very similar to the Schiavo case
and what is happening in the United States of America to Terri is being
closely followed in Zimbabwe by Steve's wife (who has also 'got on with her
life' and lives with another man). Surreptitious activities have taken place
to end my son's life - ranging from acute starvation, to leaving fissured
catheters in place and causing extreme agony. On one occasion a surgical
procedure (digging into bedsores with a scalpel) was carried out without any
form of pain killer being applied and one can only imagine the suffering.
Steve cannot speak, or move. He has less than an hour's therapy once a week,
which is of little if any benefit. He was even pushed off the bed (albeit
accidentally) and no x-rays acquired for three days until I discovered from
facial grimaces, and hand squeezing what had occurred. Even then, they refused
to x-ray his whole body, only those areas where I could see deep bruising. I
was told by the person in charge of the hospital that he would be better off
dead - and he was withdrawn from all medication.
The reason I am writing this to you - is not about Steve specifically - but to
alert the people in the United States of America that your country is the
'role model' for the third world and what is being done there will be
considered 'civilised' in Africa. I am fighting for my son's life with the
same determination and desperation of Terri's parents - and I will lose that
fight, if Terri's life is taken 'legally?' away from her, for definitely the
decision to end Terri's life by the courts and the medical system in the USA,
will be the 'starter's gun' for mass execution of helpless patients in a
continent where human life is cheap and AIDS and other diseases are already
taking a terrible toll.
Please don't let America make this a precedent. Fight on against this terrible
murder mentality for the sake of people around the world, who look to the USA
for guidance and compassion. If they kill Terri, then they will kill my son
also.
Susan.
Harare Zimbabwe
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*
"IT IS MURDER IF THIS WOMAN MUST DIE"
(Article in Beeld/Pretoria on 24/3/2005/Philip de Bruin)
Translated by Elna
Rudman
"It is murder. God help the sorry society where she lives!" Mrs. Elna Rudman
of Wingate Park, Pretoria talks candidly over the fight in America over the so
called brain dead Mrs. Terri Schiavo of Florida.
Rudman is entitled to an opinion. Her son, Roald, was as a 2 year old
declared brain dead by a police officer on 6 October 1997 after falling into
the family's swimming pool. Now she is as the founder of and unofficial
leader of the only support group in South Africa for parents with children
that suffered severe brain damage. She is also a member of overseas
organisations: Parents of Near drowns, Neurotherapy Group & Traumatic Brain
Injury Group on a warpath.
She fought as one woman alone from South Africa for Terri Schiavo's life. She
already contacted every senator possible who she could obtain details for, via
e-mail to help the fight for Terri's life. Yesterday she also send an e-mail
to CNN. In this e-mail Rudman says she is "highly upset that the American
public support a man (Schiavo's husband) that is a murderer in my opinion."
Mr. Schiavo wants to stop all medical treatment to his wife but her parents
asks for her to live en that they will take care of her. "Is Mr. Schiavo now
all of a sudden God? Why does he not divorce her and let her parents take
care of her? She is a self-breathing living human being," says Rudman in a
e-mail to CNN.
Yesterday she told Beeld : "Terri laughs, she smiles. She is not in a coma
or connected to a respirator. She does what my child does - says a word
here and there. How on earth can they say she is vegetative or brain dead?"
"It is easy for people outside of the situation to say : Let her die. It is
totally a different story if you live a brain injury 24/7, like us with Roald.
Terri reacts just like Roald and if I think of the love and dedication that
we have looked after Roald for the last seven years, I am appalled that such
a thing (as is happening with Terri) could happen to my son." Roald, now 10
years old, is today "his mothers angel that only gives her pleasure on a daily
basis."
e-mail address of correspondent :
pdebruin@beeld.com
(I translated from Afrikaans to the best of my ability!!!!!)
Elna Rudman
Pretoria/South Africa
elnar@netactive.co.za
(Editors note: I was privileged to introduce Elna (from Pretoria) to Sheila
(from Cape Town) after meeting them independently through email. They have
since joined together to form the only peer support group in South Africa for
parents of children who survive near drowning accidents.)
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|
"Those who won our independence believed that the final end of the
State was to make men free to develop their faculties; and that in
its government the deliberate forces should prevail over the
arbitrary. They valued liberty both as an end and as a means. They
believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the
secret of liberty. They believed that freedom to think as you will
and to speak as you think are means indispensable to the discovery
and spread of political truth; that without free speech and assembly
discussion would be futile; that with them, discussion affords
ordinarily adequate protection against the dissemination of noxious
doctrine; that the greatest menace to freedom is an inert people;
that public discussion is a political duty; and that this should be
a fundamental principle of American government...they knew that
order cannot be secured merely through fear of punishment for its
infraction; that it is hazardous to discourage thought, hope and
imagination; that fear breeds repression; that repression breeds
hate; that hate menaces stable government; that the path of safety
lies in the opportunity to discuss freely supposed grievances and
proposed remedies; and that the fitting remedy for evil counsels is
good ones." - Justice Louis Brandeis, Whitney v. California, 274 US
at 375 |
Free Help for
anyone Starting or Running Peer Groups
The Ten Insider Tips manual is ready for release. Anyone interested in
receiving a copy of the manual and tools can visit
http://www.bisga.org/tools.html or write to John Pistorius at
jp@pabia.org or call (412) 481-0443 to receive a free CD with the
support group tools created so far.
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|
"It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving."
-Mother Teresa |
Please visit
http://www.pabia.org for a complete
listing of Pittsburgh Area Peer Support group meetings. Please mark your
2005 calendar for each month in advance as an ongoing reminder.
We do not have any control
over the people who are responsible for directing these meetings.
Therefore, if you are interested in attending any of the meetings,
please contact the person listed for that meeting to confirm the date,
meeting place and time.
For more complete information please visit the directory of meetings at
http://www.pabia.org/Support%20Groups/Support%20Groups.htm
For a list of State Brain
Injury Associations and the groups in those states, please visit:
http://www.biausa.org/Pages/state_contacts.html
We have two email support
groups you can join. One is through Denise Patterson. Contact Denise at
deenomad@aol.com
to be added.
The other is through Yahoo
Groups. You can join at
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Brainstormers101/
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|
A man can fail many times, but he isn't a
failure until he begins to blame somebody else." - John Burroughs |
B-NEWS Contributors-
your insight, articles, poems and comments are vital to the success of
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B-NEWS
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'When the morning's freshness has been replaced by the weariness of
midday, when the leg muscles give under the strain, the climb seems
endless, and suddenly nothing will go quite as you wish-it is then
that you must not hesitate.' - Dag Hammarskjold |
We aim to inform, inspire and empower people to be their best. We value
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“I
believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge, that myth is
more potent than history, that dreams are more powerful than facts,
that hope always triumphs over experience, that laughter is the only
cure for grief, and I believe that love is stronger than death”.
-Robert Fulghum |
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"Don't wish it was easier; wish you were
better. Don't wish for less problems; wish for more skills. Don't
wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom." Jim Rohn |
Till next time, Seek to be and remain Barrier-Free. You have the power.
|
'The only competition you will ever have is the competition between
your disciplined and undisciplined mind.' - James A. Ray |
Thank you for subscribing and
reading this newsletter. It is yours. This newsletter may contain
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Required Disclaimer:
Nothing contained herein is intended to be substituted for medical,
legal, accounting or other professional advice. The information provided
herein should not be taken as a health-care diagnosis, treatment, course
of therapy or as any other approved or prescribed health-care advice or
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provided herein are believed to be accurate and sound at the time of
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However, readers who rely on information in this publication to replace
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The contents of this E-zine may be copied, reproduced,
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freely copy, use and distribute for non-profit purposes only.
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|
Thomas Edison said: "If we all did the things we are capable of
doing, we would literally astound ourselves." |
|
|
It recently
occurred to me that Love is action that improves another person's life.
Not just words, but action. Doing something, anything, that positively
impacts other people's lives and leaves them even just a little bit
better off physically, emotionally, psychologically or spiritually,
that's love.
-John Pistorius
Do something to leave someone a little better off today.
The Beauty of Love:
The question is asked, "Is there anything more beautiful in life than a
young couple clasping hands
and pure hearts in the path of marriage? Can there be anything more
beautiful than young love?"
And the answer is given. "Yes, there is a more beautiful thing. It is
the spectacle of an old man and an old woman finishing their journey
together on that path. Their hands are gnarled, but still clasped;
their faces are seamed, but still radiant; their hearts are physically
bowed and tired, but still strong with love and devotion for one
another. Yes, there is a more beautiful thing than young love. Old
love." -Unknown Author
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