ADAPT Makes A Triumphant Entry
144 Mile March Ends In A Loud Cry For MiCASSA
 (WASHINGTON
DC) After 144 miles and 14 days together, the Free Our People March successfully
entered Upper Senate Park 'loud and proud.' Beginning at 10:30 today the march
triumphantly made its way through the Capitol to the destination.
Following are some of the thoughts of the people in the march.
Michael Heinrich – I feel wonderful I finally get to go with the
crowd (Michael worked on the crew behind the scenes for the entire trip).
Weasel – Kinda’ sad it is over ready to go home to a few consecutive showers and go to bed for a week.
Lowell Aird – I am excited to see all the advocates and get MiCASSA passed. None of us have suffered as much as people incarcerated in nursing homes.
Jon Cannon – Piece of cake today. I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.
Adam Nielsen – I don’t want this to end.
Mike McCarty – I can’t wait, I think we got the message across.
Peggy Dourghty – We better have gotten the message across after all we have been through.
Karen Burrison – Today is my wedding anniversary. My husband is alright with me being here, I called him last night and we will celebrate when I get home.
LaTonya Reeves – I don’t think Tennessee will change, they have not in the 14 years I have been gone. I hope they change so I can go back to Tennessee. I can’t even go back to visit because there are no attendant services.
Gail Hafner – I am so proud.
Tom Cagel – This is good, this is good. I hope this stirs things up. I think it will be more difficult for the nursing home industry to outreach in a retail way.
Ursula Manley – This son of a bitch made it (possibly referring to her scooter).
Dawn Russell – No one would take the risks that ADAPT would.
Jennifer McPhail – There is something about marching with this group of people that makes you feel good even after 140 miles. For all the gnarlyness of this trip we are very beautiful when we want to be.
Cecil Walker – Glad to be able to march today, proud and honored to march with this group of people; but, scared like hell to talk at the rally.
Cecil Walker – Between Tony’s snoring and farting I didn’t get any sleep. He is louder than the generator.
Nancy Salandra – We are going to make it no matter what.
Stephanie Thomas – This is not about any one person, but how we work together. We will do it and it will be pretty great.
Barbara Toomer – Stay to the right! Let the photographers get killed, just keep to the right.
Observer on the side of the road – I saw you all down the road and thought I was looking at the largest, fully integrated work-release gang.
Bob Liston – (on day two) I have one goal in mind: Getting out of Pennsylvania.
Lopeti – People setting around complaining doesn’t get anything done.
Elaine Kolbe – Even my mother supports MiCASSA.
Jim Etzel – (on day one) I hope we don’t get too wet.
Spitfire – I am so proud to be part of ADAPT.
Lee Sanders – Where could you find volunteers that will do this?
David Wittie – For some people this will be a walk in the park, for others it will be the hardest thing they have ever done. I just want to be in somewhere in the middle.
Kurt Breslaw – All the bad things that you have heard about nursing homes; they are all true, and then some. You just don’t know unless you were in there.
John Donnelly – I want all people with disabilities to have the same opportunities I have in the community.
Karen Burrison – I want a life, and you can’t have a life in a nursing home.
Frank Lozano – Thank the creator.
Read about the Rally.
|
September
17, 2003
