Power Grid Blog
Idealism is Far From Naïve
March 14, 2013 | Jason Mida
Last December the United States Senate failed to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, by falling short of the 66 votes needed. There's no use in pretending it wasn't a bad day for disability rights advocates. Anyone who has been involved in the fight for equality can share stories with you about such days where the pain of defeat is near overwhelming. It can weaken your resolve, but it can also serve as a catalyst for change and galvanization around an issue.
I remember when Proposition 8 passed in California in 2008 and the widespread pain and shock felt in the LGBT community. It was a punch in the gut to equality and, at the time, a huge disappointment for anyone involved in the LGBT movement. It’s been less than five years since this stinging defeat and much has changed. Same-sex marriage is legal in nine states, we have a President committed to supporting marriage equality, and the Supreme Court could rule Prop 8 unconstitutional over the next few months.
When I moved to Washington, DC over 10 years ago, I did so with a naïve sense of optimism and idealism that most have when they arrive. We think that if we fight hard enough, secure enough allies, and never give up that we will somehow accomplish our objectives. I realize now that this sense of idealism is far from naïve, it’s what keeps us going. The idea that the good guys win in the end is not only a motivating sentiment, it’s true. Every fight worth fighting has been filled with enormous disappointments and setbacks, but it’s also filled with comebacks that make you want to play the soundtrack from Rocky.
The United States Senate is not done with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It will be voted on again, it will have its day in the sun, and leaders from both sides of the aisle will ensure that it is ratified. This achievement will not come without continued hard work and dedication, but it will happen. Disappointment is part of life and it is painful. However, without it, we cannot fully enjoy moments of celebration and achievement. At AAPD, we believe that our best days are ahead of us as a movement. We believe this, not because we choose to believe it, we believe this because we know it is true.
We all have our fights to wage. Some come later in life and are unexpected. The fight for disability rights was one I never expected to be part of, not because I didn’t want to be involved, but because I didn’t know I was needed. Just as with LGBT equality, these fights cannot be won alone or on the sidelines. It takes all of us through the thick and thin of it. We will get knocked down, but it’s up to us as advocates to decide whether or not we get knocked down for the count. After all, Rocky didn’t win the first time around.
