Politics is one of the subjects best not discussed with people you don’t know well, the common notion goes. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in situations where the wisdom behind that idea became very clear very quickly.
Nevertheless, politics is a major fact of life in a democracy. Without it, nothing would ever get done. It is especially important for a constituency like people with disabilities, who can’t take consideration by the nation’s lawmakers for granted, to be savvy about how politics is done. Besides, it’s not politics in itself that’s so dangerous to the public peace, just partisan politics.
This issue of Action was inspired by the idea that it’s possible- even important-to discuss politics without being partisan. So we asked Peggy Hathaway, our vice president of Public Policy, to give us a picture of how the lawmaking machinery works by using the example of legislation that will benefit all of our members, no matter their party affiliation: the ADA Restoration Act of 2007.
We hope this article will give you an idea of the part United Spinal plays in turning the hopes and dreams of our members into legislative reality.And if you learn nothing else, we hope you will take away this important message at least:You play a key role in our efforts.Your voice in the ear of a legislator or staff member is a powerful instrument for change, and moreso when it works in concert with those of other United Spinal members.
To learn more about how you can participate in this process, see Peggy’s article here.
Christofer D. Pierson
Managing Editor
