Police Arresting Angry Members of the Disabled Community Who Are Picketing White House

I am one of the ADAPT protesters who was at the White house. My husband and I got to D.C. on our own dime that we earned by working very hard every day. We were there because we live with disabilities now, disabilities that are increasing with age (I am 63), and we want to assure that we will be able to stay in our own home with any assistance we need and not be forced into a nursing home just because we need some help each day. For anyone in America, of any age, if you need some assistance in your daily activities, and you are not independently wealthy, you are currently at risk of being forced into a nursing home to get that help because of the way the law is written. It is imperative that we all contact the president, and Congress to insist that long-term care be included in health care reform, so that those of us who are aging or have disabilities can all have a choice in where we live.Home and community-based services are less expensive overall, are what everyone prefers, and they keep people healthier and reduce acute health care costs. along with providing jobs in America's communities from the big cities to the small rural communities. The president needs to keep his promise and tell Congress he wants long term care included in health care reform, and Congress needs to do the smart thing, the fiscally responsible thing...the right thing...and include long term care in health care reform. As for protesting and getting arrested? Well, I'd rather go to jail than die imprisoned in a nursing home where I can't eat what I want, get up or go to bed when I want and have to lie or sit in my own waste waiting for an aide to finally get to me. I don't want to lose the freedom that living in America guarantees.

It goes futher that pay. If you look at the board members across the country they set on the boards for years and are only suppose to set for twom terms. They keep switching around to different titles on the boards so that they can full fill their own angendas. Also the CILS are supposed to employee 52% person with disabilities. This is not happening they say they are but go into any center and just see what the so called person with disabilities are doing in the center and getting paid to do it with our tax dollars. CILS are also not supposed to give money to adovacy groups like ADAPT but just so we all understand everone of those persons in D.C. got there on our TAX DOLLARS this is not a joke. the cneter funnel money to ADAPT in ways that would not only effect the CILS non profit status but how business.

I don't understand why this group is choosing the White House to protest at.

The way a law is passed in our country, it has to go through Congress first and then the President signs it. There isn't anything for Obama to sign yet.
This group should be demonstrating outside of Congress. That is where the votes will enable healthcare legislation to pass and then Obama can sign it into law. I would think a calm presence in front of Congress advertising their cause would be the logical choice.

Wow, I just don't get this. The man supports CCA, in fact, was a co-sponsor of it. He hasn't signed the law yet because there is NOTHING yet to sign folks! When it comes to him, he WILL sign CCA into law, so everyone can unchain themselves and go home now. You're welcome!!

I have seen the pay of E.D. thoughout the movement increase over and over. this has to stop. ILC have board members that are pick by E.D. and that can not even form a thought of direction. Calf. has a lot of ILC and most of the ILC are paying the E.D. 150,00.00 to 200,000.00. This is non-profit for person with disabilities what the hell. where is the money going. all over the country they are killing the movement not the goverment. they are concered about getting and protecting the paycheck off the back of all person with disabilities. shut down the centers and put this money towards free people from nursing homes and it will happen. Keep ILC and it will be money put down the toilet.

See, Liberals are already labeling this disabled activist group as extremist and violent--because they are Inconvenient for The One.

Under the bus they go.

This is a fight the the ADAPT group has been fighting for over 40 years. and they will not stop. the group will not only attack goverment but themselves to get what they want. In Missouri they killed the group the formed. In Rochester, Ny the ADAPT group shut down a Independent Living Center by rushing the board meeting. This Group is run by non disabible person in Rochester and across the US only to try to get our tax dollars to run their Centers so they can be over paid. when person at non-profit get paid over 100,000.00 a year for the so called work for the disability movement as the say. Who realy is getting hosed the TAX PAYER THAT who. Look into the ILC accross the US and stop giveing them money to help us. because they only help themselves whit big pay checks.

It's clear to me.. the only reason the handicapped are mad.. they just can't stand the thought of a black man in the White House.

I was one of the people who met with representatives from the White House and who got arrested. For the Disability Community, probably the single biggest difference between Obama and McCain was that McCain said he would NOT support the Community Choice Act and Obama said he would.

During the campaigns these protesters followed McCain around asking his position and polarizing the issue which clearly increased support for Obama in this community.

Now that Obama is in office and can actually DO something about this issue, he apparently is doing nothing. Health care reform gives the administration an opportunity to give people a REAL CHOICE where they receive long term services and supports.

At the meeting in the White House, a middle aged woman with a disability explained how she was forced to leave her husband and home. She is currently "placed" in a nursing home, but made the trip to DC to ask the Obama administration to help. When they said they had other priorities, she suggested that the Obama health czar should come back with her to the nursing home to stay there and see what it's really like.

She came to the White House full of hope and left with only Obama's broken promise. Then she was arrested fighting for the right to live in freedom like every other American.

Until today, she had not broken any law, but was treated worse than criminal back in her home state. Today, she was arrested and celebrated her temporary "freedom".

She'll be back in the nursing facility on Thursday.

Go ADAPT!!!! As a Democratic voter, I voted for Obama. I am so disappointed with this news.

I agree with the person who felt the Community Choice Act (CCA) legislation is a civil rights issue as proven in the Supreme Court decision OLMSTEAD v. L.C. (98-536) 527 U.S. 581 (1999).

In Pennsylvania, the unions and the disability community are working together to increase and improve home and community based services. Direct care workers would much prefer to be employed for individuals in their own homes than in institutional settings. We need ability to offer them comparable living wages and benefits.

According to recent figures, it's three to four times less expensive and much more cost effective to provide attendant services in our homes than in nursing homes and other institutional care settings. Most people don't know that the average nursing home resident only receives 1.0 to 2.5 hours of actual one-on-one care per day. Instead, many people have this false perception that folks incarcerated in nursing homes and other institutional care settings receive 24 hour care 365-1/4 days a year. This just isn't the case!

We need to support SB 683/HB 1670 and get the Community Choice Act (CCA) legislation passed now!

Why were they being arrested? If they were blocking the sidewalk I could see it...others have a right to view the White House as well.

As for chaining themselves...well, it is D.C. and the fence belongs to the People.

Look people, Obama inherited these poor disabled people from Bush and he's doing the best he can! If Bush hadn't cippled them then they wouldn't be chained to that fence...hey did you see the First Dog, he's so cute..and look, Michelle's tomatoe planst are getting so big...YAY! Anyway, what were we talking about? I forget...

"In the update Senator Harkin promises that the National Health care bill, that advocates rationing (read architect tom daschle's book)"

ROFLMAO!

This is the new meme after paid hack Betsy McCounaghey got caught making things up that were not in the stimulus bill.

Now its "read Daschle's book versus the actual bill presented.

But the lesson as always? Right wingers lie.

Seems to me as if these protesters are jumping the gun. I sympathize with them and support their cause, but there are a few other things to be tackled at the moment, and no health care legislation has even been written so I'm not sure they have a valid point to protest at this juncture. Unless, of course, it's simply to ensure they aren't, as they have come to expect from this country, neglected again.

In the update Senator Harkin promises that the National Health care bill, that advocates rationing (read architect tom daschle's book) is somehow going to provide increased levels of service, in a home setting, which will be far more expensive.

I don't begrudge anyone those services but you may as well stay chained to the fence... It ain't gonna happen.

Thanks for doing this story. I see you have both a scoop and an exclusive. The other MSM ignor us and our issues. We are the new invisible man.

What is really incromprehensible is that is is much less expensive to respect people's civil rights, and allow community choice, than to incarcirate them in institutions when their only "crime" is to be living with a disability.

best way to cut overspending in health care is to pass the community choice act.

ryan...The Most Wanted Terrorist List is published on a periodical bases like the FBI's Most Wanted List...both are distinctive in it's own way,...You mention a 'terrorist list' which is different from the Most Wanted Terrorist list again that is published periodically and holds the "most wanted" and not just a laundry list of those wanted ......AND A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE....ENOUGH ALREADY

"However, he did make their MOST Wanted Terrorist List, not their Terrorist List as you stated..."

I said Wanted Terrorist List.

That list is different than the famous Ten Most Wanted List.

However, he did make their MOST Wanted Terrorist List, not their Terrorist List as you stated...

"ryanc...April 21, FBI added Daniel Andreas to the "Most Wanted Terrorist List."

Which is different from what I said how?

"While the FBI has added a left wing animal rights guy sought for a number of arsons to the wanted terrorists list, he did not make the famous FBI Most Wanted List."