| THE OBSERVATORY
By Bill Clarke
“This is your first warning,” exclaimed the cop bellowing though the bullhorn he brandished. “You must disband. Immediately!” The officer had just dismounted the black and white police bicycle he used to follow the line of wheelchairs that forged ahead on Constitution Avenue up Capitol Hill in the nation’s capital. I was in that line, along with dozens of others marching on behalf of ADAPT, the disability rights organization.
At the top of the hill, we had a rally. “In our homes, not nursing homes!” the crowd chanted. Tension was building. A warm, slightly humid temperature began circulating. Federal employees in their business suits could be seen quickly walking between granite government buildings. The police officer took a handkerchief out of his breast pocket, wiped his sweating brow, and adjusted his aviator sunglasses.
Earlier that day, a line of wheelchairs began forming outside the hotel where we stayed before preparing for the journey up Capitol Hill. We were supporting the passage of the CCA (Community Choice Act) bill in Congress. I was proud to be part of advocating for The Community Choice Act, and I joined the line of wheelchairs that was growing in number. The passage of this bill would free people in institutions who would rather live in the community with home care. The rally was very emotional, with 99 people getting arrested. Another action had disabled people climbing the Capitol’s steps to prove they believed in this cause. On Monday, 91 disabled people handcuffed themselves to the White House’s fence as they practiced civil disobedience.
We were risking arrest. I knew there would be two more warnings before anyone got arrested. I knew this because my friend Nadina, a veteran ADAPT member, had advised me. She told me that I should avoid getting arrested. “It’s not a good idea on your first action” she cautioned. Nadina has been arrested for other issues concerning the disabled, so I look to her for advice.
After the second warning, the white plastic hand restraints came out. People were going to start getting arrested. I looked at Nadina and she shouted, “Go now!”
I didn’t need her to repeat herself. I wheeled out of the line in unease. An entire squad of Washington’s police force assigned to keep things peaceful stepped forward and started handcuffing people. Some 99 people hung around after the third warning and intentionally got arrested.
After the action which ended around 2:00 p.m., my aide Kywa (pronounced “chow”) and I decided to do some sightseeing. It was a warm and sunny, spring afternoon, so we took advantage of it. We covered a lot of ground in those four hours. Kywa chose to walk rather than take the bus or subway. That way, we could see more sights. Basically, we had a whirlwind tour of the city. I never visited Washington, so it was a good time to check out the Capitol, the White House, and the Washington Monument etc. D.C., in a word, is cool!
At six, we met up with the ADAPT group to recap the day’s event in the meeting room at our hotel. I made sure I got there on time so I could get the whole story of the action. There was a feeling of victory I shared with the other members. Later that evening, back at the hotel, I and some others in my group cheered on the arrested members as they were released after a day of processing. One woman among them later told me the police treated people with respect but the conditions where they were weren’t great. Offenders were led down to dank, dark quarters for fingerprinting.
We all felt we made a difference in the rights of the disabled; we each had stories to tell, stories that were closely listened to by the others.
More information on ADAPT can be found at their website, adapt.org.
Bill Clarke, a retired financial analyst and futures trader, lives in Brooklyn.
