Big fat no from Target. Oh well. Taking some time to regroup. I couldn't just spend the whole day in bed sulking yesterday as I had to attend a meeting with Son's adviser at the community college. Also needed to flea dip two cats. Still working on the dogs.
This morning I participated in a meeting with Vice President Joe Biden and senior members of his staff. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the importance of the United Nations treaty on disability for people around the world. The treaty is known as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Last December, President Obama sent the CRPD to the United States Senate for ratification. Ratifying a treaty requires a two-thirds majority vote, meaning that it takes 67 Senators voting in favor of a treaty for it to be ratified. Unfortunately, we fell short of the 67 votes needed to adopt the treaty.
As you may have heard, the Senate is considering voting once again on the CRPD. Vice President Biden believes that we have a good chance of getting the two-thirds majority needed for ratification this year. Many of the members of the Senate who did not support the treaty last year said that they did not believe that it was appropriate to vote on a treaty during a lame duck session, which is the period following an election before new members of the Senate officially take office. This year's vote would not be during a lame duck session, so we hope a number of Senators will support the new effort to ratify the CRPD.
I am writing to ask for your help. Below is a list of the members of the U.S. Senate who have indicated that they are undecided on how they will vote on the disability treaty during this session. If there are any Senators on the list who are from your state, please take the time to write them and encourage them to support the CRPD disability rights treaty.
It is vital that you tell your personal story and include why the treaty will benefit you individually. While it is true that the CRPD will not require any change to existing federal law, the treaty will have an impact on blind people and others with disabilities from the U.S. who wish to study or work abroad, or for that matter, wish to travel or live abroad. This is where your personal story is important. Let your Senator or Senators know that the disability rights treaty matters to you and explain why. Then, get other blind people or other people with disabilities to write their Senators as well. The members of the Senate who are weighing the value of the disability treaty need to know that the treaty is important to blind people and to all people with disabilities.
Please do what you can, and please send a copy of any letters you write to Mr. Jesse Hartle at jhartle@nfb.org so we will have a record of the number of letters that have been sent in.
Thank you for your help. This is why we have been so successful in the past; it is all of us working together and combining our individual efforts to change what it means to be blind.
Sincerely yours,
Fredric K. Schroeder First Vice President NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Undecided Senator List
Senator Alexander, Tennessee Senator Blunt, Missouri Senator Boozman, Arkansas Senator Chambliss, Georgia Senator Coats, Indiana Senator Coburn, Oklahoma Senator Cochran, Mississippi Senator Corker, Tennessee Senator Fischer, Nebraska Senator Flake, Arizona Senator Isakson, Georgia Senator Johanns, Nebraska Senator Johnson, Wisconsin Senator Portman, Ohio
Boy did they write to the right person! Cat, you write so well, I'm sure your story will be compelling and informative! Holding you in the Light as you compose your thoughts. ♥
Just realized a few hours ago that Windycon is NEXT weekend. And I'm less than half way through the book we're supposed to discuss there. Plus, I should take a little time to prepare for the panels I'm on. And would you believe? --- My client has some work he wants me to do.
Plan A was to clean house super good and have some rest today. Ah, but the day's warmth was record-matching (71F in Burlington!), so I went with Plan B...which was to clean house a lot, then spend two hours pruning the bushes (Silky Dogwoods, Red-Twigged Dogwoods, Sand Cherries, Lilacs, a Forsythia and the base of an Ash Tree) and putting the gardens to bed. All is now ready for Winter except that I just couldn't cut the last two garden flowers. Canyoubelieve I still have Wand Flower in blossom and one last BlueBell about to open? These are Rene's BlueBells, and they've never stayed in continuous blossom this long! I think the Wand Flower affords just the right amount of shade. I also ran errands (6 stops including groceries), then came home and made homemade soup and salad and mac & cheese, all for tomorrow. GRANDSON is coming tomorrow with his parents!!! VT*GRAND is coming too! :-D Then on Sunday, after VT*Grand goes home, we are meeting Root*Center*Son for dinner out and then to see the movie Captain Phillips! It's all the buzz here, since he's a local!
Howard's a good first for All Saints. And every other day, too.
ReplyDeleteWe had a bit of rain overnight, but if we had any wind, I slept through it, lol!
Weather was damp and raw here yesterday with occasional spitting rain. Today is mild.
ReplyDeleteBig fat no from Target. Oh well. Taking some time to regroup. I couldn't just spend the whole day in bed sulking yesterday as I had to attend a meeting with Son's adviser at the community college. Also needed to flea dip two cats. Still working on the dogs.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, Renee *hug*
DeleteI'm surprised and bummed they didn't hire you, Renee!
DeleteHave a little wallow, then see what's next. ♥
Holding you in the Light. XOXOXXX
Well, not everything works out. But if one thing doesn't, here's hoping the next thing will.
DeleteFrom the Inbox
ReplyDelete[Nfbnet-master-list] CRPD Call to Action
Dear Fellow Federationists:
This morning I participated in a meeting with Vice President Joe Biden and
senior members of his staff. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the
importance of the United Nations treaty on disability for people around the
world. The treaty is known as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities (CRPD).
Last December, President Obama sent the CRPD to the United States Senate for
ratification. Ratifying a treaty requires a two-thirds majority vote,
meaning that it takes 67 Senators voting in favor of a treaty for it to be
ratified. Unfortunately, we fell short of the 67 votes needed to adopt the
treaty.
As you may have heard, the Senate is considering voting once again on the
CRPD. Vice President Biden believes that we have a good chance of getting
the two-thirds majority needed for ratification this year. Many of the
members of the Senate who did not support the treaty last year said that
they did not believe that it was appropriate to vote on a treaty during a
lame duck session, which is the period following an election before new
members of the Senate officially take office. This year's vote would not be
during a lame duck session, so we hope a number of Senators will support the
new effort to ratify the CRPD.
I am writing to ask for your help. Below is a list of the members of the
U.S. Senate who have indicated that they are undecided on how they will vote
on the disability treaty during this session. If there are any Senators on
the list who are from your state, please take the time to write them and
encourage them to support the CRPD disability rights treaty.
It is vital that you tell your personal story and include why the treaty
will benefit you individually. While it is true that the CRPD will not
require any change to existing federal law, the treaty will have an impact
on blind people and others with disabilities from the U.S. who wish to study
or work abroad, or for that matter, wish to travel or live abroad. This is
where your personal story is important. Let your Senator or Senators know
that the disability rights treaty matters to you and explain why. Then, get
other blind people or other people with disabilities to write their Senators
as well. The members of the Senate who are weighing the value of the
disability treaty need to know that the treaty is important to blind people
and to all people with disabilities.
Please do what you can, and please send a copy of any letters you write to
Mr. Jesse Hartle at jhartle@nfb.org so we will have a record of the number
of letters that have been sent in.
Thank you for your help. This is why we have been so successful in the past;
it is all of us working together and combining our individual efforts to
change what it means to be blind.
Sincerely yours,
Fredric K. Schroeder
First Vice President
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Undecided Senator List
Senator Alexander, Tennessee
Senator Blunt, Missouri
Senator Boozman, Arkansas
Senator Chambliss, Georgia
Senator Coats, Indiana
Senator Coburn, Oklahoma
Senator Cochran, Mississippi
Senator Corker, Tennessee
Senator Fischer, Nebraska
Senator Flake, Arizona
Senator Isakson, Georgia
Senator Johanns, Nebraska
Senator Johnson, Wisconsin
Senator Portman, Ohio
Boy did they write to the right person! Cat, you write so well, I'm sure your story will be compelling and informative! Holding you in the Light as you compose your thoughts. ♥
DeleteBoth Illinois Senators already support the treaty, which lets me off the hook. [grin]
DeleteJust realized a few hours ago that Windycon is NEXT weekend. And I'm less than half way through the book we're supposed to discuss there. Plus, I should take a little time to prepare for the panels I'm on. And would you believe? --- My client has some work he wants me to do.
ReplyDeleteMurphy's Law, Bill, eh? Hunker down and all good luck!!
DeletePlan A was to clean house super good and have some rest today. Ah, but the day's warmth was record-matching (71F in Burlington!), so I went with Plan B...which was to clean house a lot, then spend two hours pruning the bushes (Silky Dogwoods, Red-Twigged Dogwoods, Sand Cherries, Lilacs, a Forsythia and the base of an Ash Tree) and putting the gardens to bed. All is now ready for Winter except that I just couldn't cut the last two garden flowers. Canyoubelieve I still have Wand Flower in blossom and one last BlueBell about to open? These are Rene's BlueBells, and they've never stayed in continuous blossom this long! I think the Wand Flower affords just the right amount of shade. I also ran errands (6 stops including groceries), then came home and made homemade soup and salad and mac & cheese, all for tomorrow. GRANDSON is coming tomorrow with his parents!!! VT*GRAND is coming too! :-D Then on Sunday, after VT*Grand goes home, we are meeting Root*Center*Son for dinner out and then to see the movie Captain Phillips! It's all the buzz here, since he's a local!
ReplyDelete