If you go to the hospital emergency room (supposedly) those with the most urgent needs are seen first. Besides that not being the way it really is in the emergency room, this attitude is reflected many places that the comforted and cared for aren't recognizing it.
Right now it's happening in politics in the U.S. presidential race because the people who the candidates don't get votes from are those who are most in need. Non voters become seen as not important, they don't feel any better than the way they are treated, and as a result they are less likely to vote and the cycle continues.
If we keep cutting out the bottom of whats beneath us, that's where we end up.
It's the attitudes that are poisiones that are our worst enemy.
If you want to hear what happening to them, show them you care by listening to the them, finding value in them and what they have to say and empowering them.
Granted, if they become empowered, you won't get to call what you do righteous indignation and what they do whining and complaining....but on the other hand you will be able to access a lot more of the abundant gifts they have to offer so that the (whatever it's called depending on who does it) won't be as necessary from anyone.
Going a long with the theme of my last post, I just saw this from ASAN. This is important regarding this issue:
Media Advisory:
Monday, September 15, 2008
For Information Contact;
Randy Alexander (901) 359-4982
Marsha Katz (406) 544-9504
ADAPT Fights Back re: Nation's Low Income People with Disabilities Left Behind in Election Year Agendas
Who:
ADAPT Community (500 disability rights activists from all over the
country.) ADAPT is the nation's largest cross-disability grassroots
disability rights organization.
What: News conference to announce opening of DUH City.
When: 10 a.m. on Monday, September 15, 2008
Where: The plaza outside the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
451 7th Street S.W.,=2 0Washington, DC 20410
Why:
The 2008 election campaigns have included rhetoric about tax breaks for
middle income families, and media coverage has included stories about
families who have children with disabilities.
Left
out of all the election rhetoric are the candidates' positions on and
commitments to those babies with disabilities who grow into adults with
disabilities who all-too-often survive on extremely low incomes (less
than 30% of the median income). These extremely low incomes are often
the fixed benefit amounts of SSI and Social Security.
In 2006, according to Priced Out in 2006, the federal SSI benefit was $603/month and the average cost nationally of renting a studio/efficiency apartment was $633/month.
There
are not enough AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, INTEGRATED housing units to
handle the current demand in communities across America. When the
Community Choice Act (S 799, H.R. 1621) passes, and older and disabled
people can choose to live in their own homes instead of being forced
into nursing homes and other institutions, the need for affordable,
accessible housing will increase. And as the baby-boomers continue to
age, the demand will grow exponentially.
HUD,
Congress and the Administration have broken promises, cut funding for
housing stock and housing subsidies and enforcement of
anti-discrimination housing laws, and simply ignored the nation's
low-income people with disabilities altogether.
ADAPT
has established "DUH City" (reverse of HUD) to bring attention to and
document the struggle of low income people with disabilities. When the
average rent for even an efficiency apartment is more than your monthly
income……where do you wind up? All too often you're forced out on the street or into a nursing home or other institution. DUH!
ADAPT's tent city will be typical community complete with its own newspaper, TV coverage, and other services.
####
Right now it's happening in politics in the U.S. presidential race because the people who the candidates don't get votes from are those who are most in need. Non voters become seen as not important, they don't feel any better than the way they are treated, and as a result they are less likely to vote and the cycle continues. 
If you want to hear what happening to them, show them you care by listening to the them, finding value in them and what they have to say and empowering them.
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