Our hastily built elementary school had apparently one large solid wall, in the auditorium, and

we all gathered against that cinderblock surface during duck and cover drills. (When you watch footage of nuke blast damage now, that kind of "protection" seems absurd.)

I tried not to think about the Soviet missiles, and instead focused on being sure I was next to Cathy Duncan when the class huddled next to that wall...

Vote (and work) for whom YOU trust to be best for you and our democracy. That's Bernie for me, but

it sounds like it is Hillary for you. That's okay.

I certainly would not let any of the jerks posting here change my mind. I **might** try to change their mind, but, normally, jerks are not open to persuasion. They are basically so insecure they only are trying to put down others but not listen to them.

Dear Coolest Ranger, your grandfather of course was correct: that jerks are going to be jerks, so try not to take it to heart. Scream back at them for sure, if it makes you feel better, but definitely don't start drinking because of what jerks say...(there are SO many OTHER worthwhile reasons to start drinking!)

Online friends can be good, bad, or they can be complete jerks. That makes them just like face to face "friends" Sometimes, when they are being extra jerky, you gotta just walk away. Or push back from the keyboard. Take a walk. Nature will ALWAYS be your truest friend...

I like that Bernie keeps reminding us it is 'not about him'...

I really admire the parts of Senator Sander's speeches where he reminds us 'it's not about him'

It is really about US. About all the progressive values we hold dear. About the great social movements, some of which we've witnessed in our lifetime, under attack by forces that would strip them away. About those of us who remember that the America they want to drag us back to ("Make America great again&quot was not that great for a huge portion of Americans, like Native Americans, slaves, immigrants, women, people of color, the poor, people with disabilities, LGBTs...

Bernie is just the unlikely guy that is reminding us to hold fast, to not let up in the struggle for progress towards a country that makes good on the lofty promises of the Founders of our great experiment in democracy.

-F2C

My father was born with no arms, similar to the thalidomide babies being born all over Europe,

Canada and the UK in the early late fifties. For a time our family lived in Germany while my father traveled all over England and the Continent speaking to groups of distraught parents, helping them see that a normal life, not institutionalization, would be best for the kids, and showing by his example how they might be inspired to do so despite the hardships.

Dr Kelsey showed great courage to stand up to the big pharma companies and keep the drug from this country. The numbers of affected kids here would have been so many times greater.

Rest in Peace Dr Kelsey.

?w=600

The ADA legislation had traveled many paths, and had many supporters and pioneers along the

way before being signed into law 25 years ago yesterday. One of the oldest parts of it grew out of the original report codifying the need and prescribing the physical changes required to the built environment to allow fuller access for all. The report was by the Committee A-117 chaired by Harold Wilke in way back in 1959.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disability_rights_movement

Harold Wilke was honored to be asked to deliver a "blessing" (a first) before the public bill signing on the South Lawn of the White House on July 26 1990. He is pictured here receiving one of the pens from President George H Bush with his foot (he has no arms) ...

Terrible day for the anti-war movement, free speech, and America. As seniors in high school,

we organized a county-wide protest and walkout from schools for May 8th and beyond. Government troops that had been used to quell civil rights disturbances were now marching on to college campuses and tear gassing and shooting protesters. Nixon, and Ohio Governor Rhodes, had encouraged 'law and order' to declare war on their own children and when FBI'student' informant Terry Norman fired into the crowd, the untrained Guardsmen fired into the gas filled area and things spiraled out of control...




http://www.cleveland.com/science/index.ssf/2010/10/analysis_of_kent_state_audio_t.html

My grandmother had rubella while carrying her middle child - my father- and his birth defects

very much changed the trajectory of his life.

I am glad to hear of this important milestone.

Anti-vaccination nuts should take a trip to any third world country to see how that's working out for those unlucky families.

My great great uncle August enlisted with the 1st Missouri Infantry, Company A, mustered...

out of Franklyn County, Misssouri. Missouri was a divided state and their journey to Saint Louis was nearly stopped by Confederate forces. The account goes that as the train carrying the men of !st Missouri neared a station full of Confederate enlistees, the captain persuaded the engineer - with a pistol to his head - to NOT make this particular regular stop. The train was peppered with gunfire as it continued on through, down along the Missouri River to St. Louis.

The encryption reads on the old brass framed photo we found of him says that he was "wounded in the knee and died later of his wounds". It doesn't say which battle. Or how many he fought before being wounded.

Before we found these photos, we had always wondered why his branch on the family tree drawing ended so abruptly.

Today's 150th anniversary of the peace treaty signing at Appomattox Court House is indeed a good date to celebrate.

My father joined hundreds of clergy when MLK led the return to the Pettus Bridge on March 9th 1965

Bipartisian support is a good -and so rare- thing. The ADA would not have passed without

strong support by Republicans Bob Dole, John McCain, Richard Thornburgh, Justin Dart, Sandra Parrino, Evan Kemp, C. Boyden Gray, and of course President GHW Bush. (In the iconic photo of the signing of the ADA, the lone Democrat on the stage was Reverend Harold Wilke)

Of course 20 years later Republicans like Kansas Senator Jerry Moran helped shoot down Congress ratifing an international treaty expanding the rights of people with disabilities worldwide, even as Bob Dole sat there in front of them in his wheelchair. Their argument? One was that then 'The U.N. would have control over your son or daughter if they happen to wear glasses' !! (I'm not making this up)

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2013/03/23/the-story-washington-gridlock-seen-through-eyes-bob-dole/bicDzPfwy1ta6SgirmDRQP/story.html


Thanks for your posting Omaha Steve.

-F2C