Be it Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, or Disability Rights, at their outset, all of those movements had little to no federal support, legal basis, or even local support. The true broad scope of movements of human rights seem always to begin in the home, family, church and or micro-communities of compassion called ‘the association’. This writer worked in the scope of disability rights up to the ADA. In that time I was inspired by the sacrifices made by mothers, fathers, amazing volunteers, dedicated professionals and the linked small unfunded associations supporting different forms of disability community. Human rights it seems is a concept that works like grit in the engine of power politics. To convince a political entity to embrace a single human right requires bi-partisan political support, enforced, enforceable laws, and a lot of human beings convinced they have a right to exist. Probably most importantly they need to believe in their gifts sufficiently to aspire to exist in the maintstream of life. 

If you are in deep stress about the current efforts to suppress certain peoples aspirations to fully exist, remember that politics and your moment on this planet are the apex of nothing. We cannot help but admit to the reality of history and a future without us. I remember parents with children with disabilities who shortened their lives considerably with the stress of fighting for space for their children with disabilities. In our diversity we can be grit in the engines of power; an anathema to administrations who demand rigid standards so every bearing sings a straight song in a crooked world. In these current challenges we need to pull back to start where everything has always begun. The beginning is from the heart, to the family or nurturance community, to the compassionate community to the local city council, to the state legislature, and finally to the federal government in a bi-partisan shout out. Yes winning a court case will unstick the car from the snow bank, but it won’t drive you home or heat your house. Good is our moral and ethical grit that will grind this latest storm of insults to a hot halt when they are politically required or guilted into admitting the importance of all human rights. Good is remembering no start up for human rights is too humble.