Friday, October 31, 2008

A Letter from the Murphy's

October 20,2008

Dear Friends,

In the interests of helping expedite a new demand by the McCain campaign, per Rich Davis who today on MSNB's "Morning Joe" show alleged that "enough questions have been raised by the media that "all of Obama's small donors should be disclosed online", my husband and I have decided to step forward and add ourselves to the GOP Hit list the McCain campaign is apparently compiling for use after the election.

My husband and I are Disability Advocates and Adoptive Parents of Special Needs Children, Catholic and Evangelical Christian, Pro-life with the scars to prove it ---particularly on behalf of youth and adults with disabilities, and we are definitely "small" donors but we have strong feelings about this election, enough that we have committed ourselves and our resources to Sen. Obama, Sen. Biden, and the entire Democratic campaign straight on toward morning !!!

We have so, so many friends in the adoption, disability, and Christian communities who will be shocked and horrified at that statement ---and we expect backlash from those who choose to judge rather than listen to our reasons---but in the words of Edmund Burke:

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"

Once upon a time ---actually only 7 weeks or so ago, we had a great deal of respect for Sen. McCain and were pleasantly surprised by his choice of running mate, Sarah Palin, because of our deep respect for Nat Hentoff, one of the strongest voices for life among liberal and social justice journalists, and a friend who had helped us "make the injustice visible" on disability rights concerns in the "lives-worth-living"/euthanasia debate, who believed her choice to birth, keep and raise her child with Down Syndrome was one of principle rather than convenient and cynical politics.

For one shining moment, we actually believed America would be in safe hands no matter which party prevailed in the election! THEN she and Sen. McCain began their Hate-Speech tirades ----and outright Lies repeated over and over without regard to the facts---followed by Race-baiting, Incitement of Crowds to Violent Rhetoric, Vicious Robo-Calls and GOP Hate Literature calling for "Waterboarding" Obama if not outright assassination appeals, and now intentional Voter Intimidation (what else can you call McCain protesters verbally assaulting peaceful lines of Black US citizens waiting for their chance to vote Sunday afternoon so they don't have to take off work during the week---Just Yesterday! In North Carolina!).

As an Attorney with 25 years experience, even though presently a Full-Time Mom, I am horrified reading the history of the Palin involvement in an anti-America militia-based Secessionist movement, let alone the Troopergate reports and documents chronicling the family's total disregard for the Law, let alone Ethical Considerations, in their systematic and intentional Abuse of Power to target their personal enemies by misuse of governmental resources and connections.

When a major candidate, Sen. John McCain, and his campaign chooses to bless behavior that consists of FIRING SOMEONE BECAUSE THEY REFUSED TO BREAK THE LAW FOR THEM, as Gov. Palin obviously did, we have reached the heights of hypocrisy as well as the depths of potential "just following orders" evil as did the Nazis.

And how dare a War Hero such as McCain choose a running mate who mayor may not even be able to pledge allegiance to our flag, let alone promise to uphold the US Constitution, whose expressed intentions include allowing her husband (whose public 7 year plus membership in an anti-American organization committed to "infiltrating" the major parties makes most national security clearance out of the question) to fully participate in a McCain-Palin administration of expanded Cheney type Vice-Presidential command, and who would be merely a heartbeat/or declaration of incapacity away from the Presidency and full control of our military, including nuclear arsenals.

Furthermore, contrary to Sen. McCain's *SERIOUSLY INSULTING TO THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY* declaration that "she knows more than any other American I know about special needs" (which just reinforces the evidence of how Out of Touch he has become!), Sarah Palin has NO expertise in this field; she even cut Alaska Special Olympics budgets by 50% or more during her very first months as Governor!!! Using her handy special needs newborn as a stageprop "poster child" to attract gullible parents' votes ( instead of making sure Trig receives the care, environmental stability, bonding love for attachment, nurture, early intervention, protection from stress, plenty of rest, and non-exposure to high-decibel noise at rallies, let alone potential exposure to contagious disease, that he needs and deserves) leads many to question her parenting priorities as well as her obvious lack of credibility on the subject of special needs.

Sen. McCain DISHONORS the entire disability rights movement, from the Rehabilitation Act in 1973, to Education of All Handicapped Children's Act of 1978 (now IDEA –Individuals with Disabilities Education Act),to the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, when he and Sarah Palin pander for the "special needs community" votes while patronizing and insulting the intelligence of the grassroots network of self-advocates, parents, family members, allies, dedicated professionals and other disability advocates who risked and sacrificed to free their brothers and sisters from lifetimes of institutionalization and isolation from society.

My husband, a Life-Long Disability Advocate with extensive legal advocacy and legislative experience since the 70s, deeply fears the type of retaliation and discrimination he, and anyone else choosing to exercise their First Amendment Rights to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, will suffer under a McCain-Palin regime. We and our special needs children already have enough obstacles to overcome, thank you, without fearing that even our disability and special needs adoption advocacy and community participation as citizens will not go unpunished.

Oh, you say, that could never happen! Well, you are wrong, it has and it can again! Not only have I spent half my life defending my choice to convert to Catholicism from terrible attacks by Christian evangelicals whose actual statements of faith are nearly identical, if not the same, as my own; but I, as Executive Director of Access International, Inc. since 1990 (a disability advocacy fellowship of youth and adults with and without disabilities working together to help each other and others) have received actual written Death Threats from "Right to Lifers" (ie: National Right to Life Association members and donors) whose agenda is anti-abortion EXCEPT for babies with special needs, and anti-life itself for all those "cripples" whose lives are worthless and "unproductive".

We live in VERY DANGEROUS TIMES!!! By the grace of God, we have a Last Chance to redeem our nation from the brink of further international wars and catastrophic economic collapse by choosing a candidate committed to Leadership instead of authoritarian and partisan domination; offering Hope for peace and prosperity instead of hate, division and abandonment of the poor for the enrichment of the wealthy; Celebrating the incredible Diversity of the American dream instead of merely tolerating, or even more often condemning, anyone who is different in color, race, ethnic background, faith, lifestyle or intellectual or physical ability. As for LIFE ISSUES: how can I as a Catholic or my husband as a Christian Evangelical vote against someone who claims to be Pro-Life? Pretty easy when you see through the claims, to the reality that lies beneath.

The so-called "right to life" advocates oppose comprehensive Health Care as a Right for all, and until our nation can provide for the medical and rehabilitative needs of all its citizens equitably, the blood of every person who has died or suffered by being turned away or denied benefits will be on their hands ---let alone the blood of every child aborted by birthparents because they could not, in their minds, afford to carry a special needs baby to term or afford the costs of additional health care, even for a typical child, if they added to their family.

And what about our escalating infant mortality rates in the US? Pera report in the Washington Post on October 15th, the United States "this most powerful and wealthiest country in the history of the world today ranks 29th among all nations. 29th! In 2000, we ranked 27th.

In 1960, 12th." Even more glaring, according to the CDC, African–American infant mortality in the US is more than twice these national averages!

And then we have another 4,000 plus American lives (not to mention our allies' losses, Iraqi losses and innocent civilians) lost in Iraq alone because of Lies by Bush-Cheney, with no likelihood of significantly different national defense strategies anytime soon under the 90% Bush-voting Sen. McCain; and another 40-50,000+ US veterans returning with serious disabilities, whose medical and rehabilitation needs are often barely being met, if at all, and for whom independent living and community options are few and far between due to 5-10 year long waiting lists for help.

Recent statistics from Disabled Veterans of America (2.9 million veterans are disabled; about 181,000 from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars) indicate that Sen. Obama has supported their concerns 80% of the time, as opposed to 20% of the time by Sen. McCain, who has consistently opposed increased funding for medical care from the Veteran's Administration, at one point being only one of 13 Senators to do so in a 2006 vote.

Caring for others throughout their lives is also often tragically overlooked by a "pro-life" movement that demands protection for the unborn, yet often ignores the needs of our 500,000 foster children, roughly 150,000 adoptable special needs children, warehoused in various degrees of state-supervised limbo instead of being nurtured and loved in permanent families; not to mention the growing numbers of homeless men, women and children in our "great nation" which prides itself on tax-credits for the rich.

As Christians who take Christ at his word when he says to follow Him in ministering to the "poorest of the poor" rather than those whose treasures are earthly, we agree with Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Nigeria as he explained in an October 11 interview with National Catholic Reporter:

"The fact that you oppose abortion doesn't necessarily mean that you are pro-life. You can be anti-abortion and still be killing people by the millions, through war, through poverty, and so on...If my choice is between the person who makes room for abortion but who is really pro-life in terms of justice in the world, peace in the world, I will prefer him to somebody who doesn't support abortion but who is driving millions of people in the world to death."

As Disability Advocates, we must agree with Justin Dart, one of the fathers of the Americans With Disabilities Act, who in 2002 with his dying breath adamantly protested : "the richest culture in the history of the world which still incarcerates millions of humans with and without disabilities in barbaric institutions, backrooms and worse, windowless cells of oppressive perceptions, for the lack of the most elementary empowerment supports."

Please decide today to join us in supporting Sen. Barack Obama for President, Sen. Joe Biden for Vice-President, Sen. Tom Udall for New Mexico's next Senator, and ALL the Democrats who share their Vision for America WITH JUSTICE FOR ALL!!!

And who will endorse the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, "the first comprehensive human rights treaty of the 21st century", which has already been ratified by more than 110 nations across the world, but NOT the United States of America.

The time has come for Americans to join in making their decisions of conscience, just as others who have gone before: In 1996, confronted by a Republican Party calling for "a retreat from Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln democracy," Dart campaigned for the re-election of President Clinton. This was a personally difficult "decision of conscience." Dart had been a Republican for most of his life, and had organized the disability constituency campaigns of both Ronald Reagan and George Bush, campaigning against Clinton in 1992. But in a turnabout that was reported in the New York Times and the Washington Post, Dart went all out for Clinton, even speaking at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The Darts yet again undertook a whirlwind tour of the country, telling people to "get into politics as if your life depended on it. It does." At his speech the day after the election, President Clinton publicly thanked Dart for personally campaigning in all fifty states, and cited his efforts as "one reason we won some of those states."We want to personally echo Justin's words as we endorse the Obama-Biden candidacy for the Presidency of the United States:

"Our lives, our children's lives, the quality of the lives of billions in future generations hangs in the balance."And"get into politics as if your life depended on it. It does."

Thank you for listening! Please will all the rest of the "small donors" for Obama step forward here to state their cases as well!

Perhaps that way the GOP Hit list will end up so long they won't be able to target everyone.

Very TRULY yours,

Lawrence & Patti Murphy

24 comments:

Distributorcap said...

what a terrific post
thank you......

may all good things come to you and your family

ps -- rick davis and john mccain and sarah palin are EVERYTHING that is wrong with america

Anonymous said...

You cannot call yourself Catholic if you vote for someone that believes in Abortion and if you think Obama does not then you have not been listening. You have to follow the teachings of Jesus and voting for Obama is not

rhonda said...

You are so wrong, this is another of the McCain/Palin lies, How can you call yourself a Catholic, I really feel sorry for you. You pull out a bill that was probably loaded with Democrat spending to hold against McCain when you obviously have not checked out the facts on Obama, he is completely backed by Planned Parenthood and doesnt even want a child born alive from a botched abortion to live. For your information he is also in favor of not giving children a birth certificate until the age of 3 months, incase there are undiscovered bith defects that would cause you to not want the child, this is out and out MURDER and he has already said he will sign the FREEDOM ACT as soon as he takes office, which states that our tax dollars will pay for Abortion on Demand without Parental notification and all hospitals will be required to do them,including Christian and Catholic. He says he would rather his daughters be able to get an abortion than being burdened by an unwanted child, especially one who would have defects, and he does not want RoevsWade overturned,(all of which he has said on national tv) McCain has right on his website that he does beleive it was a bad decision and has said on several different occasions that life begins at conception, he also has an adopted daughter with a disability,(so he does know first hand). Palin is a tribute to this country she lives her values and our Catholic beleifs unlike you. I PRAY FOR CATHOLICS LIKE YOU EVERY DAY. YOU MAKE US ALL LOOK BAD AND YOU CAUSE THE DISSENT OF MANY. JESUS AND MARY PRAY FOR US ALL

shiloh said...

Of course, everything Lawrence & Patti Murphy say is true in their excellent article. Would just add Palin continually parading her kids at campaign events much like Patsy Ramsey paraded JonBenet for Patsy's benefit and not JonBenet's is a clear indication of Palin's selfishness.

Plus knowing her oldest daughter was pregnant and still she was willing to put her through the press scrutiny which inevitably occurs in presidential campaigns is an obvious indication this is all about Ms. Palin, who had no concern for her families privacy.

Palin is a total fraud! and McBush sold his soul to the republican extremists 1) to obtain the nomination in the first place and 2) trying to get elected by any nefarious means possible.

Very sad!

take care, blessings

FinishTheRace said...

shiloh said...

Palin is a total fraud! and McBush sold his soul to the republican extremists ...

The most extreme person in this election is Senator Obama since he supports abortion rights and supports a position that is left of NARAL that allows a baby who survives a botched abortion to be left to die. 1.2 million babies per year are killed each year in the holocaust called abortion.

Since we all call ourselves Catholic, I can make the following suggestion without being offensive. I personally do a daily examination of conscience to examine my faults and to amend my life.

Many years ago I had the exceptions clauses included in my views on abortion (rape, incest, etc). I have prayed much, frequented the sacraments and sought the counsel of Holy Mother Church and came to realize many years ago that abortion is not allowed in any circumstance.

If anyone on this board supports abortion rights; I would suggest for you a sincere examination of conscience in front of the Blessed Sacrament, go to confession to a faithful priest, learn what the Church actually teaches, amend your life, and go out and "sin no more" as Jesus told the woman at the well.

May all of you respond to the grace of God that he has bestowed upon you and may you have the blessings and consolations of a properly formed conscience. It is freedom in the truest sense.

Anonymous said...

You cannot call yourself Catholic if you vote for ...Obama

Sure I can. Watch me. I'm doing it Tuesday.

CatholicsForDemocracy said...

"You cannot call yourself Catholic if...."

The Obama campaign and its supporters, including its Catholic supporters, have and answer to that.

Yes... We... Can!

And to Hillary's primary assertion that, "Just because we can doesn't mean we will," I have a further answer.

Yes... We... Will!

teachthemwell said...

McCain and Palin do not endorse anybody who expouse hate crime or racial slurs. Plus, the FBI and the CIA both say that despite the outcry that people were saying "kill him" or "hang him" referring to Obama, at their rallies, they didn't hear anything or find anybody to back that claim up. Just like when Hilary was running and people claimed that somebody yelled out "stay home and iron some shirts". It never happened. It was a political ploy to get the sympathetic vote. McCain and Palin have continually taken the higher road which is why they refuse to make Rev. Wright, a racist himself, an issue. So when you're standing before God, when this election is long gone, and He asks you what you did to protect the innocent, the unborn, what will you say? "Well, those McCain supporters were so mean so I did nothing. Really?? That sounds pretty trite. Don't lose sight of the bigger picture. Have you even seen a partial birth abortion? I've seen a regular abortion and it made me sick but my dad, who recently passed away, watched a video about it and he did get sick. He couldn't sleep for nights. I saw somebody on here mention how they didn't want to hear about dead fetus'. Well, we all should not only be subjected to hear about them, but to watch a video about the process. Maybe then we'd think more deeply about the pain that baby is feeling. And why? The selfishness in our country and inability to think beyond our own feelings just shocks and saddens me. Please reconsider your stance. If you truly are a Christian, not just in name, but in your heart, you will reconsider your votes. Much of what you see in the mainstream media has been edited and manipulated to get you to vote a certain way. Don't believe all that you hear.

teachthemwell said...

Many people call themselves Catholics but are not Christians in their heart. That is why they can vote for somebody who promotes gay marriage, class envy ("Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor"), and abortion ("Thou shalt not kill". Many people go to church now and then but don't feel God's love in their heart or soul.

Anonymous said...

:sad stare:

I do not belong to the Republican church. I belong to the Catholic church. And I will vote according to my conscience.

Lord, have mercy on them all.

Anonymous said...

I wonder what John McCain will say to God? McCain who has barely mentioned the pro-life cause in his campaign? The partial birth abortion bill is passed and signe dinto law and Obama says the law should stand. McCains says the unborn are not persons under the Constitution and he says he will appoint judges that deny the unborn constitutional personhood.

I think those shilling for McCain have a lot to answer for.

CatholicsForDemocracy said...

"That is why they can vote for somebody who promotes... class envy ("Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor"), and abortion ("Thou shalt not kill". Many people go to church now and then but don't feel God's love in their heart or soul."

I have to respond to this. Nobody is engaged in "class envy." We working folk, apparently you're not among us, want what is our due... proper compensation for our labor that produces the wealth the wealthier classes, who did not work for their wealth, enjoys. That does not fall under "thou shall not covet they neighbors good." That falls under, "thou shall not steal," because that is exactly what has been going on. Wealth was consolidated because folks who controlled the wheels of the economy ensured that the fruits of labor did not go to those who did the labor, but to those who felt they owned the labor. It is not communism or socialism to demand that the fruits of labor go to those who actually provided the labor. That is not coveting something that does not already properly belong to one.

"Thou shall not kill." I have yet to see anyone in this blog, pro- or anti-Obama, support abortion. Nobody here, as far as I know, supports abortion. But there are ways of murdering that many, who oppose Obama, seem to ignore.

I oppose abortion. But I am not about to sustain a government that believes the only life worth protecting is the unborn life.

Anonymous said...

Distributorcap said..."what a terrific post
thank you......"

Well we now know that you're an idiotic moron.

I saw your assinine website. You are one of those irresponsible twits that should never be allowed to use a computer much less photoshop.


Idiotmoroncap said: "ps -- rick davis and john mccain and sarah palin are EVERYTHING that is wrong with america"

Yeah, right and Obama and all his communist, Marxist muslim terror buddies are what America needs. Right?

Rustler45 said...

DEMOMARXIST SAID: "We working folk, apparently you're not among us, want what is our due..."

Working???? We've already been through this nonsense Demo. You're not a working man. Joe the plumber is a working man. I've done more man's work this week than you've done in your whole despicable life. You wouldn't make a pimple on a working man's a....

You've never done a man's work. So don't be kidding anyone.

CatholicsForDemocracy said...

"Working???? We've already been through this nonsense Demo. You're not a working man."

If you were a working man, Rustler, you wouldn't have so much free time to roll this blog.

Rustler45 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rustler45 said...

teachthemwell said...

It's kind of funny that a Protestant can come in here and see that you are not Catholic.

You rant and rave about "right wing" Catholics as if they are different than Catholic, and you think your leftist ideas are middle road "real" Catholic. You act as though I am some kind of nutcase because I am not a left-wing socialist Marixist like you are.

Don't forget to censor this Katherine it will embarrass you if anyone sees it. And besides, you just plain hate my guts.

Don't lie about it.

shiloh said...

Rust, Katherine doesn't hate your guts, she just feels sorry for you.

Otherwise, you would have been banned from her blog some time ago, imo.

take care, blessings

Anonymous said...

One only has to listen to either McCain or Palin to identify the erractic nonsense coming from their mouths. Any mother of a special needs child who would continually parade him in front of hugh crowds of people exposing him to contagious diseases just for her benefit should be questioned. Why aren't her children attending school? 90% of children who are Palin's children's age are attending school not parading around the country.

Anonymous said...

Shiloh is an ass!

Anonymous said...

Distributorcap said..."what a terrific post
thank you......"

Well we now know that you're an idiotic moron.

I saw your assinine website. You are one of those irresponsible twits that should never be allowed to use a computer much less photoshop.


Idiotmoroncap said: "ps -- rick davis and john mccain and sarah palin are EVERYTHING that is wrong with america"

Yeah, right and Obama and all his communist, Marxist muslim terror buddies are what America needs. Right?

shiloh said...

Anonymous said...

Shiloh is an ass!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

take care, blessings

Rustler45 said...

DEMOCATHOLIC SAID: "I oppose abortion. But I am not about to sustain a government that believes the only life worth protecting is the unborn life."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA

As of today I am starting a new thread in Lubyanka Prison Riots in the "Other Nitwits, Lunatics, and Zombies" section.

I am calling it Stupid quotes by Obama supporters." You Demo, get the distinction of being the first entry. We have a "Stupid quotes by Joe" thread in the Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam section, but now it's time to do it in "Other Nitwits, Lunatics, and Zombies" section.

Congratulations on being the Dunce of the Year.

Great quote Demo!!!

Rustler45 said...

shiloh said...
"Of course, everything Lawrence & Patti Murphy say is true in their excellent article."

Shyter, you get the honor of being the second recipient of Dunce Especial with that quote.

I am entering your quote in the new "Stupid quotes by Obama supporters" thread.


Thanks.....blessings.....


In case you want to see it here's the URL: