Called my representatives
May. 17th, 2023 06:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jajalalaI'm not super politically involved person; I'm generally aware of larger controversies and might have opinions on the "big issues" that often get discussed (specifically in the USA) but in terms of direct engagement with my own government, the extent of what I do is just voting. I'm fortunate to be in an area/state/city where the majority aligns with my politics enough to be comfortable without feeling like I need to go out and fight.
HOWEVER I recently saw something about a #StopTheShock protest, which is advocating to end the electric shock therapy (and other types of aversive conditioning) currently in use at the Judge Rotenberg Center. I ended up looking into it a bit further online and discovered that there's a bill in the House right now (H. 180) that is seeking to add an amendment that would prohibit these sorts of human rights violations being committed against disabled folks!
I remember first reading about this issue back around... 2013 or 2014 I think? I was doing a report on autism for a psychology class and discovered the controversy surrounding the Judge Rotenberg Center, as they take in developmentally disabled folk including those who are autistic. I had been shocked at the time upon discovering the human rights abuses that were occurring... and most painfully that they were legal. Just because a person was disabled, they could be repeatedly shocked as a form of "treatment", and this would be violence legally sanctioned by the state. There have been some media shitstorms and attempts to shut it down, but lobbying and technicalities have allowed it to continue thus far.
Recently, sometime last year, I was writing a fic that involved a fucked-up system somewhat analogous and looked the JRC up for a lil research/inspiration to draw from and was disappointed to discover that JRC was not only still operating, but specifically they were STILL operating with aversive conditioning including electric shocks. It made me feel hopeless to see that something I had been disturbed by almost a decade ago had not significantly changed since then.
HOWEVER after hearing that there is a bill seeking to address this, I feel a little hopeful, like "Oh maybe change IS possible, even if it didn't change in 10 years there is still someone pushing to change it (thank you Representative Danielle W. Gregoire who introduced the bill). As it turns out, the JRC is in the state of Massachusetts, and I am currently a Massachusetts resident. That means that this bill is something that my state representative and potentially my senator will hopefully vote on, and that as a constituent I can call them about!
So after investigating a bit, I gathered up my courage and made some calls to my rep and senator (even though I am Very Much Not A Fan Of Phones). I don't know how much it will help, but I've put in my word that I hope they will support the bill. I've never called my representatives before, it was kind of nerve-wracking but I'm glad I've done so, I think it'll be easier in the future if I find other causes I care about to call in.
I'm not sure about going to the protest, it would be physically possible for me to go (I think), but to be honest I'm not sure what exactly it would do. Which perhaps is the enemy of political progress, to think "What difference will one person make?" but I really don't know! I haven't been to a protest since high school, and I struggle to see what the practical value of physically standing around chanting for a bit would do (it's not like it's right outside the JRC or a statehouse or anything either)... deep down I might also just be nervous about going to a protest alone, especially since I don't know what I would actually do at it. A phone call to the people who help push laws/bills feels like actively sort-of putting in a vote... a protest sounds like an awkward social situation XD.
I don't know if anyone who reads this journal is politically minded, but if you happen to have more resources to understanding a bit more about how USA house bills work and such I'd love to know, I'm trying to pay close attention but also I'm paging through websites using terminology I don't fully understand and trying to decipher when/how the bills work. Also if anyone reading this happens to be a resident of the USA state Massachusetts (or New York, as there's a related bill in that state as well) then you can find more info and read some action items here.
Again, I've never been super politically involved (which is partially a privilege from being in places I feel comfortable for the most part so I haven't had to get super involved), and to be honest I don't know if I have the energy or mental capacity to become a super-activist or anything, but I think even getting involved with just one thing is worth something... I can at the very least make two phone calls with the hope it'll maybe, just maybe push forward an actual change.
HOWEVER I recently saw something about a #StopTheShock protest, which is advocating to end the electric shock therapy (and other types of aversive conditioning) currently in use at the Judge Rotenberg Center. I ended up looking into it a bit further online and discovered that there's a bill in the House right now (H. 180) that is seeking to add an amendment that would prohibit these sorts of human rights violations being committed against disabled folks!
I remember first reading about this issue back around... 2013 or 2014 I think? I was doing a report on autism for a psychology class and discovered the controversy surrounding the Judge Rotenberg Center, as they take in developmentally disabled folk including those who are autistic. I had been shocked at the time upon discovering the human rights abuses that were occurring... and most painfully that they were legal. Just because a person was disabled, they could be repeatedly shocked as a form of "treatment", and this would be violence legally sanctioned by the state. There have been some media shitstorms and attempts to shut it down, but lobbying and technicalities have allowed it to continue thus far.
Recently, sometime last year, I was writing a fic that involved a fucked-up system somewhat analogous and looked the JRC up for a lil research/inspiration to draw from and was disappointed to discover that JRC was not only still operating, but specifically they were STILL operating with aversive conditioning including electric shocks. It made me feel hopeless to see that something I had been disturbed by almost a decade ago had not significantly changed since then.
HOWEVER after hearing that there is a bill seeking to address this, I feel a little hopeful, like "Oh maybe change IS possible, even if it didn't change in 10 years there is still someone pushing to change it (thank you Representative Danielle W. Gregoire who introduced the bill). As it turns out, the JRC is in the state of Massachusetts, and I am currently a Massachusetts resident. That means that this bill is something that my state representative and potentially my senator will hopefully vote on, and that as a constituent I can call them about!
So after investigating a bit, I gathered up my courage and made some calls to my rep and senator (even though I am Very Much Not A Fan Of Phones). I don't know how much it will help, but I've put in my word that I hope they will support the bill. I've never called my representatives before, it was kind of nerve-wracking but I'm glad I've done so, I think it'll be easier in the future if I find other causes I care about to call in.
I'm not sure about going to the protest, it would be physically possible for me to go (I think), but to be honest I'm not sure what exactly it would do. Which perhaps is the enemy of political progress, to think "What difference will one person make?" but I really don't know! I haven't been to a protest since high school, and I struggle to see what the practical value of physically standing around chanting for a bit would do (it's not like it's right outside the JRC or a statehouse or anything either)... deep down I might also just be nervous about going to a protest alone, especially since I don't know what I would actually do at it. A phone call to the people who help push laws/bills feels like actively sort-of putting in a vote... a protest sounds like an awkward social situation XD.
I don't know if anyone who reads this journal is politically minded, but if you happen to have more resources to understanding a bit more about how USA house bills work and such I'd love to know, I'm trying to pay close attention but also I'm paging through websites using terminology I don't fully understand and trying to decipher when/how the bills work. Also if anyone reading this happens to be a resident of the USA state Massachusetts (or New York, as there's a related bill in that state as well) then you can find more info and read some action items here.
Again, I've never been super politically involved (which is partially a privilege from being in places I feel comfortable for the most part so I haven't had to get super involved), and to be honest I don't know if I have the energy or mental capacity to become a super-activist or anything, but I think even getting involved with just one thing is worth something... I can at the very least make two phone calls with the hope it'll maybe, just maybe push forward an actual change.
no subject
Date: 2023-05-18 05:28 pm (UTC)And that's an excellent thing to call in about because fuck, that's horrifying
I remember seeing you post about wanting to expand your irl social circle, and if you do also want to get more involved in something, maybe you could dovetail those two goals by getting involved with some sort of activist group? A lot of them are interconnected and they'll all go to each others' protests. Not only having safe people to go to protests with IF that's what you're interested in - but getting in touch with people who have the same sort of political mindset can be a good jumping off point to find people who become friend friends.
Otoh it can backfire if it gets too intense or you get sucked into NGO drama... but since you're aware of not having the energy/mental to get too deep, that's a good place to go in from and be mindful about it
and tbh a lot of super-activists need people in their life who AREN'T super-activists so they can recharge and just talk about normal stuff. So even if you aren't going to protests and just call in on things you have the energy for, being a chill friend can empower someone who's really committed.
(also hope that's not overbearing/unsolicited advice XD it just struck me as I was reading and I wondered if it was worth considering)
no subject
Date: 2023-05-20 03:02 pm (UTC)I think the right/good thing for me to do IS to go to this protest, even alone, so that I can both support the cause and potentially meet new people in general.... so you're absolutely right, I could be killing two birds with one stone XD but throwing that stone is kind of intimidating. There are a few logistics on that day, so I might end up making a decision day-of to see what happens. Deep down I think I know what the better decision for my life would be, it's a matter of mustering up the will on the day. Thank u for the encouragement!
no subject
Date: 2023-05-18 05:32 pm (UTC)I think protests are great, and for me they're easier than phone calls! You just have to stand there and your presence shows that you care. Or I'm not sure if it's a vocabulary difference, but I attended rallies several times this year, for the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine (and my Ukrainian friends were moved to see how many people turned up when they could have just stayed home or done anything else). And also, there are more and more anti-refugees protests here, and I make sure to attend the solidarity rallies whenever I can, because if 200 people show up to shout "go home!" at refugees who've lost everything, but 10,000 people show up to a solidarity march with "refugees welcome!" signs, well. I think if you were one of the people unable to leave your accommodation because of the first protest, it would be a little reassuring at least. And it shows others that this is not an isolated way of thinking. Maybe I'm missing the point, though. But if I was someone who'd suffered the kind of treatment you talk about, it would mean a lot to see many people show up to say "enough of this." Maybe you can go with your housemate or a friend? We usually catch a meal or cuppa together before or after we go :) Good luck whether you go or not, and to many future productive phone calls to your representatives :)
no subject
Date: 2023-05-20 03:09 pm (UTC)That's true, I don't know how much media presence the protest will have, but I can imagine there will be some disabled folks there (and potentially even survivors of the JRC) that might appreciate a stronger presence.... I think I know what the right choice is, but am still mustering up the courage to do it. I kind of want to ask my roommate to go along because she is a dear friend, but I rely on her a lot and it might be good for my own development to go alone and really branch out. Thanks for the encouragement!
no subject
Date: 2023-05-20 03:16 am (UTC)I am in MA as well so I'll be taking a look at your link and passing it around. Thanks for posting about this!
no subject
Date: 2023-05-20 03:15 pm (UTC)If you or anyone you know in MA is near Boston, here's the info for the protest on May 22nd: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stop-the-shock-jrc-protest-tickets-617856323897. I said in the post I wasn't sure the purpose since it's not even outside a statehouse, but upon reviewing I've discovered that it actually IS outside the MA statehouse!! So perhaps the reps will take some proper notice at a stronger presence