Paralyzed, 28, and Aiming for the State Senate

[BurtWorm]

Reepers fight dirty at all levels. See below.


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/20/nyregion/20senate.html


Ms. Ellison campaigning at a supermarket in Setauket.


Article Tools Sponsored By
By BRUCE LAMBERT
Published: October 20, 2006

SETAUKET, N.Y. — Brooke M. Ellison, the Democratic challenger for a State Senate seat here, displays an oversize button on her lapel with her slogan, “Overcoming challenges for New York.” Her television commercial opens with close-ups of her talking about those challenges — in health care, schools and the environment.

Then the camera pulls back to reveal the biggest challenge that Ms. Ellison, who turns 28 on Friday, has overcome so far, showing the motorized wheelchair she uses because she is paralyzed from the neck down.

...

Because of Ms. Ellison’s personal narrative, along with the changing political environment here on Long Island, local Democratic leaders say she is one of their best hopes for an upset on Nov. 7. They are also aiming for the adjacent seat held for 34 years by Senator Caesar Trunzo, whose challenger is Jimmy Dahroug, 27, an aide to the popular Suffolk County executive, Steve Levy. (Republicans hold all nine State Senate seats on Long Island, and have a 35-to-27 majority in the Senate over all.)


...

The problems presented by a campaign involving a disabled candidate were underscored when some Ellison supporters took offense at a 30-second Flanagan commercial they called insensitive and gratuitous. In the ad, an unnamed “Democrat for Flanagan” describes herself as a teacher, mother and golfer, then adds: “Huge — I have a huge handicap.”

On a blog, www.nassaugopwatch.blogspot.com, Democrats complained that the ad was “vile and reprehensible” and “in bad taste.”

Mr. Flanagan defended the ad, saying it was simply one of several unscripted testimonials from supporters in the district. Neither the candidate nor his campaign manager could explain why a comment about a golf handicap would be chosen for inclusion in a campaign commercial. They also declined to identify the woman in the ad.

[Ayesha]

1. Awesome!

I am disabled and this is great to see. I'm disappointed about her opponent's nasty and prejudiced tactics, but that's politics for ya.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[alittlelark]

7. Ayesha, w' your 300 or so posts in 6 years..... where are you?

This issue must mean something to you. You chose to post your 300(something) here...........................

You have posted here... where are you?


WHERE ARE YOU????



Just askin.

[alittlelark]

11. HEY!!! Ayesha... where are you?

This issue was important enough to post 1 of your 300+/- posts in 6 years....



Hey Girl, where are ya?


I'm sure your answer has been altered/obfusfated/derailed/F*ed up due to situations beyond your control.

(It's just so much easier that way)


Yeah, man.....

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[fed-up]

13. maybe she was sleeping? why are you hounding her? it lessens the impact

of your "apology"

[Eric J in MN]

2. Here is the ad.

YouTube is so awesome:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3l-LxT3-q8

[BurtWorm]

4. That's bad.

And it tries to look so fuggin' innocent, too. :puke:

[alittlelark]

6. Hidden messages....the actress reeked of fraud

her eyes, her giggles....disgusting......



OH, and she's a DEMOCRAT (you had to catch that in the first 5 seconds) But not really, because she believe the guy that gave her the script to make fun of disabled people should win the election.

[Straight Shooter]

5. Unscripted testimonial?

I smell BS.

Good for Ms. Ellison. I admire her courage and endurance. I hope she wins, HUGE win. :thumbsup:

[alittlelark]

8. I second and third that!

She will make a great representative!

[Pastiche423]

9. No friggen way

that was unintentional. Shame on that "democrat". Repukes are slime.

Huge (<--- intentional) kudos to Brooke Ellison! She is a far stronger person than I.

Several of my friends urged me to run for mayor. I declined, in part, because I can't get to the mayor's seat at city council meetings. I am paralyzed too and the only way to get to the seat is to walk up stairs.

[alittlelark]

10. You need to link to powerful ppl -

ttp://www.kpfa.org/archives/index.php?show=12

here is NOTHING they cannot do.

[BurtWorm]

14. If you won you would have forced them to reasonably accommodate you.

They would have had to move the council meetings downstairs, put in an elevator, or allowed you to attend by video conference. Mainly it would force the city to pay attention and change its mindlessly discriminatory ways.

Here's hoping you run in the future.

:toast:

[Straight Shooter]

15. I will second BurtWorm's sentiments.

I hope you run, too. It's high time people realized how many members of our communities live restricted lives because the rest of us take too much for granted. If we can spend $8 billion a month in Iraq on a futile war based on lies, then we can spend what it takes to equal the playing field here at home.

Go for it, Pastiche. :toast:

[bobbieinok]

18. I walk with a cane + sometimes a walker

Until I got rheumatoid arthritis I had no idea how heavy many doors on campus, in the city library, etc are. It was truly eye-opening.

[dollydew]

16. Let's kick the cripples to the curb

Before I get flamed, I use a motorized wheel chair. I simply have a well developed sense of humor. There will always be those who are insensitive morons. I don't take it personally. Otherwise I'd spend most of my time pissed off.

[Ayesha]

17. What the hell?

I haven't been online all day, and came back to see all this. Holy shit. Obviously several people completely mistook what I wrote, and several others started screaming "where are you" after an hour of no response from me. Some of us do have lives outside of the internet!

I AM in a wheelchair myself, and THRILLED that she is running for office. I am disgusted, but in no way surprised, that her opponent would campaign against her using bigoted tactics. That's pretty much the only thing the Republicans have to run on at this point: racism, sexism, homophobia and now prejudice against disabled people.

Is THAT clear enough for you?

[Nicole]

19. Ayesha

To be fair, it wasn't several people who mistook what you wrote. Or screaming "Where are you". It was one person, who did it over & over. Others came to your defense.

I understood what you meant & agree with you.

[Ayesha]

20. You're right

I just looked again and saw that. Thanks.

[AspenRose]

21. That republican is sick

They think they're so 'cute' with their tongue-in-cheek 'code words' for discrimination and bigotry.

It's disgusting :puke:

I hope that comes back and bites them squarely in the ass. :nuke:

How do they sleep at night.....defending crap like that. *shaking head*