Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Why Fetterman's Senate campaign is a teaching moment greater than this election
John Fetterman could have skipped this debate due to his medical condition but showed up and got some good lines in. Many senators have had strokes and it is wrong to attack John Fetterman for his medical condition
Link to tweet
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/pennsylvania-oz-fetterman-senate-race-n1299344?cid=sm_npd_ms_tw_ma
When Mehmet Oz, the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, was trailing his opponent in polls and fundraising a few weeks ago, he resorted to a desperate tactic to get the upper hand in an ever-tightening race: leveraging ableism against a person with disabilities.......
If having a stammer or a hearing impairment disqualifies someone from running or holding office, are we living up to the promise of democracy and government by the people? President Joe Biden’s stutter has been the subject of ridicule and has been used to discredit him, but don’t we want children with speech challenges to grow up knowing they can aim for any job, even the presidency?
Disabled Americans have the right to be represented, and most importantly, to work, and that includes working for the U.S. government. An employer wouldn’t be allowed to refuse to hire a person because they have a hearing or speech difference, so why is it acceptable when it comes to holding office?
People with disabilities are one of the most underrepresented populations in local and federal government. You don’t have to look far to understand why, when demeaning and discriminating them based on their disability is the accepted status quo. News outlets shouldn’t be endorsing the idea that someone who has a speech or hearing impairment is less fit to serve. They should be questioning that logic. Replace disability with any other identity and the prejudice is clear.......
There are many reasons besides Oz's blatant ableism that make this tight race even tighter, with both campaigns ratcheting up the attack ads as Election Day approaches. But we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that disabled Americans shouldn’t be scorned from running for office, they should be encouraged to. Strong candidates don’t need to rely on ableism to win. If Oz wants a fair fight, he can stick to attacking his opponents’ policies rather than his disabilities.
If having a stammer or a hearing impairment disqualifies someone from running or holding office, are we living up to the promise of democracy and government by the people? President Joe Biden’s stutter has been the subject of ridicule and has been used to discredit him, but don’t we want children with speech challenges to grow up knowing they can aim for any job, even the presidency?
Disabled Americans have the right to be represented, and most importantly, to work, and that includes working for the U.S. government. An employer wouldn’t be allowed to refuse to hire a person because they have a hearing or speech difference, so why is it acceptable when it comes to holding office?
People with disabilities are one of the most underrepresented populations in local and federal government. You don’t have to look far to understand why, when demeaning and discriminating them based on their disability is the accepted status quo. News outlets shouldn’t be endorsing the idea that someone who has a speech or hearing impairment is less fit to serve. They should be questioning that logic. Replace disability with any other identity and the prejudice is clear.......
There are many reasons besides Oz's blatant ableism that make this tight race even tighter, with both campaigns ratcheting up the attack ads as Election Day approaches. But we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that disabled Americans shouldn’t be scorned from running for office, they should be encouraged to. Strong candidates don’t need to rely on ableism to win. If Oz wants a fair fight, he can stick to attacking his opponents’ policies rather than his disabilities.
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
