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September 10, 2003

Free Our People March Crosses the Half-Way Mark.

(FREE OUR PEOPLE City, Maryland) At some point today the Free Our People March crossed the half-way point in their March on Congress. Marchers celebrated this milestone in both Aberdeen and at the endpoint campsite. At about noon the marchers stopped in Festival Park in downtown Aberdeen and were welcomed by city councilwoman Gina Bantum and the Council President Myra Fender.

“From the mayor and citizens of Aberdeen,” said Ms. Fender, “you speak for all of us. We are glad to have you.”

Gina Bantum told of the relationship between Aberdeen Maryland and their “sister city,” Aberdeen Scotland. She read an e-mail from her contact there: “I read about the … planned march on Washington. Here in Scotland, legislation was passed to allow all who require home-care, to obtain it free of charge. Pass that on to the folks concerned. If it can happen in this Aberdeen, why not yours?”

“At this rate we will never get to Washington,” joked Dawn Russell of Mississippi, “Every mile or so we have to stop and get another proclamation or public statement of support.”

Harford County caught up with the marchers that evening. Because of the state’s doggedness to ferry marchers on buses across the Susquehanna River bridge, Sharon Grzanka missed the marchers yesterday with a beautiful Certificate of Appreciation from the county and signed by the County Executive. Tonight before dinner Ms. Grzanka dropped off the Certificate that states: "As you Travel though Harford County, know that we are committed to the full participation of all citizens, with and without disabilities, in our community and we support the services that make the choice of independent living possible. .

The growing list of supporting agencies and those coordinating to get the marchers across Maryland include the Maryland State Highway Department, The Maryland Transit Authority, the Maryland Transportation Administration, the Maryland State Police, the Aberdeen Police and the Harford County Police.

Last night Bob Kafka told of other support efforts happening around the nation. The most impressive seemed to come from Ruthie Beckwith of Tennessee. She reports that over 1000 faxes have been sent from Tennessee to Sen. Bill Frist asking him to support MiCASSA.

“The reason we are marching is because Harry Caulder is stuck in a nursing home,” said Michael Heinrich of Memphis ADAPT, “and he can’t get out because of a simple lack of attendant care.”

Michael is on the tent crew and does not actually walk from site to site, however, the people working behind the scenes on this march are just as passionate and essential to getting the job done. 

“The message I would like this march to send back to Tennessee,” said Michael “is that people are unnecessarily being warehoused in institutions, and they are spending my tax dollars unwisely.”

Harry Caulder came with ADAPT to Washington DC this past May because MiCASSA is essential to him. He came to the ADAPT Action from a nursing home bed. Harry and thousands of others in Tennessee are inappropriately institutionalized because they can live in the community, but the Medicaid bias only pays for services in the most expensive and least desirable setting: the nursing home.

MiCASSA will change that. Harry has every right to live in the community, but Tennessee wastes state resources to continue the stereotype that people with disabilities are weak, feeble, dependent and should be removed from society. MiCASSA will end the Medicaid bias that prioritizes funding institutions and will give people a choice. MiCASSA will get Harry out of the nursing home.

That is what we are marching for.

- Tim Wheat

Get the official ADAPT Free Our People T-Shirt.

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ADAPT’s FREE OUR PEOPLE “Songs of Freedom.” 

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Original artwork from the Free Our People March - By Sher Stewart.

Photos of her work.