50. Stump Speech
Advocating for Care
Hi there!
So, my big plans for a 50th issue of It’s Like This in celebration of my son’s 25th birthday fizzled out.
We vacationed and celebrated. He’s older, so am I. And, here we are, still.
Consider yourself caught up. 😆
I’ve been distracted from writing by the unrelenting desert summer heat (coupled with this new hot flash thing, which is a fun combo), the glorious gift of tooth pain and a root canal, and purple-state politics.
Yeah, sorry, I gotta talk about the p-word…
I know some of you would take blistering heat or sadistic dentistry over listening to campaign rhetoric any day—but I am one of those people who “does politics.”
I watch the speeches, research the positions, and try to get to the sources behind the talking points when I can. I have voted in every election since I came of age.
I rarely write about my political views here. I hesitate because voting is personal, issues are complicated, and geez—aren’t we all tired of the never-ending “urgent” texts and emails, the promises without clear plans, and a government that can’t seem to ever find reasonable compromise? Yes.
But the reality is, my elected officials make decisions that affect my daily life.
Like funding for Home and Community Based Services and Social Security benefits (These are both calls to action you can click to sign 😊).
I write here for myself, but also to help others understand my son and what it’s like to care for him. Part of my job as his caregiver is making sure our representatives at the local, state and national level know about us, too.
My son can’t vote. I must advocate on his behalf.
One of my favorite morning reminders is scribbled on a Post-it at my desk:
today we are possible. … as the day arrives with all its clumsy blessings what we will become waits in us like an ache. —Excerpt from “birth-day” by Lucille Clifton
I love the promise these words hold for me and my son at the start of each day.
In this election season, they hold hope for our country, too.
After the U.S. presidential election in 2016, I broke my usual silence on politics to lament:
I believed, in Hillary Clinton, that my family would have a true advocate in the White House.
[The Democratic Party’s platform] gave me hope that her administration really would “make supporting individuals and families with autism a priority.”
But now, we’ve elected a man who has publicly made fun of differently-abled people, on multiple occasions. A man who gleefully insults those he deems “less than” himself (and his list appears quite long).
I already advocate for my son every day. I already fight against just this kind of ignorance and meanness so that my son can live happily, safely, and with confidence in his own self-worth.
I hoped that after the election, my job as his advocate might feel a bit easier... just knowing that someone in the highest office understood my son’s worth without my having to argue for it.
I really, really don’t want to write something like that again this November.
I agree with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, who said at the DNC (in a nod, perhaps, to Taylor Swift): “Bro, we broke up with you for a reason…there’s no reason for us to ever get back together.”
A vote for care…and competency
I was relieved when Biden won in 2020 for many, many reasons, only one of which was his belief in the importance of care work in our communities.
Although his care infrastructure plans—that aimed to “Solidify the infrastructure of our care economy by creating jobs and raising wages and benefits for essential home care workers”—did not come to fruition during his term, I believe this vision will be carried forward in a Harris administration.
Granted, voting this year is an easy decision for me, since I happen to agree with much of the Democratic Party’s platform. It doesn’t hurt that the Dems specifically call for support of autism, Medicaid, HCBS, FAPE, and all the other acronyms we know and love.
But I also believe that, in this election, Democrats have more serious, skilled people running for office, folks who are willing to do the actual work of governing. I hope others in my state will listen to Republican mayor John Giles of Mesa, AZ, who says:
“I think the time has come for us, as Arizona Republicans, to admit the obvious, and to start saying the quiet part out loud, which is that our party's nominee is not qualified for office, and that we need to vote for the adult in the room, and that is Kamala Harris.”
Between now and election day, my creative energies will be partly focused on helping to get out the vote.
I’d rather write enthusiastic postcards to likely voters now than agitated letters of protest after the election (like this one I sent out in 2017 to help save Medicaid funding).
I know some of you aren’t as eager as I am for a “Blue Wave,” but if you’re inclined to return sanity to our elected offices up and down the ballot, I’ve got a few links for info and action below. ⬇️
I’ll leave you with this call for respectful dialogue in politics from Disagree Better Arizona:
(If you’re reading this in your email, the link below takes you to YouTube or click HERE to watch the video on my Substack page.)
That’s a hopeful message. Oh, and we also really like this promo video because they’re using my talented husband’s artwork as their backdrop (Shimmer was on exhibit this summer at the Tempe Center for the Arts)!
That’s very cool—I love that piece.
But my favorite artist’s newest work, titled Reclaim, is even better:
Today, we are possible.
Now, go register to vote!
Thanks, as always, for being here!
Links for taking action:
Register to vote and/or get more info:
Vote the Spectrum — This new AZ non-profit is helping those with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities access the right to vote.
Advocacy groups for care workers and parents:
Arizona:
Keep Arizona Blue — A student coalition mobilizing Gen-Z voters
Arizona Republicans Who Believe in Treating Others with Respect (what a great PAC name for AZ Republicans for Harris!)
Civic Engagement Beyond Voting — Follow the CEBV Substack to help return sanity to AZ state politics!
It’s so sad that in this day and age the rights, services, and funding for people with disabilities can still be in jeopardy depending on who gets into office.
It’s good your out there advocating Robin. Best of luck. :)
As always, I enjoyed your post. I'm Canadian so I can't help any United States cause but I can agree with you. To remove Trump is paramount to the wellbeing of us all and for more reasons than the pertinent ones you stated. I think we'll all be watching come election time.