Just less.

I’m not linking the story, but there’s a lawsuit out of NYS that a school bus driver used zip ties to restrain a non-verbal kid, and when that kid acted out, the bus driver beat him WHILE HE WAS RESTRAINED.

I bring it up because we’re really worried about queer rights and BLM and a few other things that seem like they’re super-immediate issues b/c of how they’re in play in the media. But there’s a reason that you don’t see politicians defending the right of adults to hurt kids with disabilities: it’s because that right is still largely unchallenged. Wait! you say. WHAT? you say. But wait for it.

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FUCKING ASSHAT HAS COVID-19

Yep, the October Surprise has already happened before large hunks of the country were even able to finish October 1st.

Technically though, we should add some clarity: we only know Trump has been exposed to coronavirus. No news has yet been released as of 1:30am EST / 10:30pm PST about the President’s symptoms (or lack thereof), but the president’s Twitter account did announce that he and Melania had both tested positive and were entering quarantine. Apparently the white house has also known for days that Hope Hicks tested positive and after she was positive was traveling and interacting with Trump, White House staff, and the White House Press Corps. There is as yet no guarantee that Biden was not directly or indirectly exposed, so watch for updates on that front.

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Police Violence is Racialized And Racist, But That’s Not All

About 15-20 years ago now, I first encountered studies whose data found a person’s disability to be a stronger predictor of police shootings than race. It is tragic, it is racist, and it is utterly predictable that the US law enforcement system would kill Black men disproportionately. I’m very, very glad that issue is getting attention and hope that the even more disproportionate killings of indigenous and First Nations men get the same attention. Our racism must end, and the NFL protests among other avenues are fruitful efforts to bring attention to racist killings by police officers and the utter lack of accountability for them.

I hope, however, that there is room enough for us to discuss not only the racism of police, but other things as well. The increasing militarism of the police gets some attention, though it is frequently (and wrongly) framed as an alternative reason for concern, as if it’s not okay for white people to care about racist killings of Black men, but if we concern ourselves with police militarism generally then we’re being “fair” or “reasonable” by devoting ourselves to an issue that affects all of us. But receiving very little attention is the slaughter of persons with disabilities.

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