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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Politics as Usual

Former Senator Bob Dole, at right in a wheelchair, entered the Senate with his wife to support a United Nations disabilities treaty.

In late November of this year, a news story appeared in USA Today that received very little attention elsewhere.  The Senate rejected a United Nations treaty banning discrimination against people with disabilities.  This failure to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was purely political.  It was essentially done in by a coalition of Republican legislators who balk at anything that has to do with the UN.  This unfortunate happenstance represents a lost opportunity for the United States, who has led the way in creating greater opportunities for people with disabilities, to be seen as a champion for the rights of people with disabilities in the rest of the world. 

I contacted Bruce Knotts, Director of the Unitarian Universalist Association United Nations Office.  He responded promptly and informed me that..."we very much support U.S. ratification of all UN treaties.  It was shameful that the senate failed to ratify the UN Convention on the rights of people with disabilities."

While the Senate vote is disappointing, it is heartening to know that our UUA-UN office is advocating for people with disabilities and serving as our voice in speaking out on this critical issue.

Mark Bernstein


CERG Growth Consultant and UUA Liaison to Equual Access

Monday, December 17, 2012

Mental Health and People of Faith - Responding in a Time of Crisis

Dorothea Dix
Equual Access believes that associating mental illness with violence is harmful, especially for a religious organization.

First, it is not consistent with the facts regarding the origination of violence in our society.

Second, many people in a congregation are living with a mental illness in themselves or a loved one and come to church in part for hope in dealing with the situation. Hearing a religious figure immediately jump to the conclusion that violence must have been due to their mental condition may well keep them from seeking out help in a crisis situation as well as make them afraid of themselves or their loved ones. We do not need to make it harder for them to receive hope and support from their religious community.

Third, such comments continue the stigmatization of and discrimination against people with mental illness and violate our Unitarian Universalist principles.

The website of Equual Access offers a 3-Point Plan for Unitarian Universalists to use for reflection and action to counteract the harmfulness of dehumanizing and scapegoating people who have a mental illness.