Ken Blackwell joins other conservatives opposing ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Because freedom! Or something. Blackwell doesn’t give any substantive explanation for opposing the treaty. Instead, he just natters on about sovereignty and abortion. The only thing missing from his diatribe is mention of black helicopters. Meanwhile, former presidential candidate Rick Santorum calls the Convention an assault on families of children with disabilities.
I get that this opposition has little to do with people with disabilities and everything to do with right-wing paranoia, but it’s still disappointing. The Convention won’t end discrimination against people with disabilities anytime soon, but it’s the most significant declaration of disability rights to come from the international community. For the United States to refuse to ratify the treaty is an insult to every American who has advocated for those rights both here at home and around the world.
I’m hopeful that a more progressive Senate will ratify the treaty next year. Santorum and Blackwell are welcome to retreat to their underground bunkers for as long as they like.
[…] a sad moment for the Senate and the disability rights movement. As I wrote previously, it’s unfortunate that the deepening collective psychosis afflicting the Republican party […]