How Unhinged Rhetoric Sank a Disabilities Rights Treaty in the Senate

[SpartanDem]

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities failed to capture the 2/3 vote needed for ratification in the U.S. Senate today due to fierce Republican opposition. Many Republicans and their allies in the conservative movement claimed that the treaty codifies abortion into law, even though that preposterous claim was rejected by the National Right to Life Committee and Sen. John McCain. Along with the false charges about abortion, opponents of the treaty claimed it will undermine U.S. sovereignty and harm children. Critics like Rick Santorum warned that the treaty may kill his disabled daughter; Glenn Beck said it could create a “fascistic” government and Sen. Jim Inhofe alleged the treaty would help groups with “anti-American biases.”

One of the lesser-known but extremely active opponents of the bill was homeschooling activist Michael Farris.

During an interview with Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, he claimed that the treaty will prompt the United Nations to ‘get control’ of children with glasses or ADHD and remove them from their families.

Farris: They’re called living documents, just like the disgraced living Constitution theory, which means the treaty doesn’t mean today what it’s going to mean tomorrow what it’s going to mean ten years from now. So you never know what you’re signing up for, that by itself is a good enough reason to leave it alone and to never enter into one of these things. But in particular, you hit the nail on the head Tony, the definition of disability is not defined in the treaty. My kid wears glasses, now they’re disabled, now the UN gets control over them; my child’s got a mild case of ADHD, now you’re under control of the UN treaty. There’s no definitional standard, it can change over time, and the UN, not American policymakers, are the ones who get it decided


http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/how-unhinged-rhetoric-sank-disabilities-rights-treaty-senate

[AverageJoe90]

1. I have ADD myself.....

And FUCK these wannabe fascist dickheads. Seriously, when are the rest of the American people gonna wake up to this tomfoolery, eh?

[Laurian]

2. They are a sick bunch, aren't they? Just

downright hateful.

[underpants]

5. "My kid wears glasses, now they’re disabled, now the UN gets control over them; "

just whacked out sickos

[patrice]

3. ALWAYS the lowest-common-denominator assumptions. This shows their DISRESPECT for

autonomous self-determination. Everyone NEEDS Daddy-Santorum or some other fascist to identify themselves and to take a stand for their own rights, since they obviously CAN'T prevent the definition of disability from being extended to "wearing glasses".

Reductio ad absurDUMB is so absurd, but, I guess, therein lies it's ability to create a reaction, which is what Santorum wants more than he wants anything that actually functions effectively for the Disabled, domestic or anywhere else.

[EC]

4. Really?

How do these people get elected? Doesn't their stupidity show during the elections? For God's sake I don't know how they can hide such idiotousy. The law doesn't give the UN rights OVER anyone with disabilities, it gives the person with the disabilities the right to make sure there is equal access anywhere in the world.