Like any excellent team or orchestra, we need to cherish and respect the wonderful wild diversity of people all around us, which includes an intelligent acknowledgement of a right to a health life! I reject attacking each other because of our differences, especially overt acts of discrimination, violence and hate. I’m thankful to some dear friends who are marching 1/21 and wish my body could endure my joining them, but with my disabilities that isn’t possible. I still want to lend my voice however both in honor of my mother and grandmothers who faced idiotic prejudice in their lifetimes, and for my daughter and all young women who don’t deserve to see our society go backwards. I’ve also seen the crushing difficulties folks with disabilities face, and the lives saved by ACA including myself and my husband. Any ridicule and diminishment of their challenges really rankles since most of us live at a level of poverty that would make most people cringe. We’ve grown so much over the years as Americans to a better understanding and respect of LGBTQ issues and other civil rights (our Black, Latino, Native American, Jewish and other brothers and sisters), Many of these issues touch my family directly, so the rise of so much hostility in our society is very concerning. I understand there are folks who are having a hard time adjusting, and as an American patriot my family has always stood by their right to their own opinions and speech. Acting on those negative attitudes where it harms others is where I draw the line however, and this can never be allowed, ever.

I’m a lifelong techie gal, IT professional, ham radio, STEM lady who’s life was sent askew by multiple auto-immune problems 15 years ago. Despite the set-backs that have almost killed me several times over, I’ve stayed focused on family, friends, and supporting my community. All of my family have descended from immigrants, some recent, some going back to the 1600’s and the American Revolution. My husband’s family is similar with the honored addition of Cherokee. We are *all* stronger together.