Damn Those Cripples Worldwide, I Say!

I just have one question, which I'm afraid I have been asking over and over again for some time: what is wrong with these people? These crackpot ideologues of the Republican party who cannot bring themselves to approve a treaty that in essence makes the U. S. American with disabilities act, which this country passed years ago, the gold standard, the standard for the rest of the world. But our crazy Republicans could not bring themselves to ratify this treaty. 

On July 26, 1990, President George Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act. The bill had passed the House and the Senate with only 34 legislators combined opposing it.

This week, 38 Republican senators voted nay on a U.N. treaty that would extend the ADA to the rest of the world. They included six senators who had voted yay on the original bill in 1990.

The treaty was adopted by the United Nations six years ago and has since been ratified by 126 countries … just not the United States.

Even a last-minute appeal by former Sen. Bob Dole, himself a disabled veteran, as well as every major veterans group and even the Chamber of Commerce, could not sway Senate Republicans. (source)

The arguments they marshal against this humane treaty are basically two. First, it's a lame duck Congress and it shouldn't be voting on important matters. It should wait for the new Congress. That is just so bogus on its face. These people are dealing the fiscal crisis of the ages, are they not? It's just bullshit, like so much else the Republicans deal out.

Second argument is the fear that passing the treaty will enable the United Nations to assume all sorts of powers over the U.S., such as forcing it to do certain things and voiding its laws. This argument is specially designed for lunatics, Tea Party nuts, and court jesters. It doesn't even deserve a response, and I'm embarrassed to have repeated it.

So before the world, we once again advertise what fools we are. It's pathetic. 

Related articles

• Republicans Kick Cripples (boomantribune.com)
• Mary Sanchez | With treaty vote, senators betrayed Bob Dole (kansascity.com)
• Watch: Why the Far-Right Scuttled the United Nations Disability Treaty (alternet.org)