Category: anti-facism

Okay, I know this isn’t an appropriate headline for Senator Cory Booker giving a currently ongoing not-quite-filibuster talk-a-thon, but I am struck by the ableist nature of the Senate non-rules for debate.

I hope to write about some of the things he said… that may be too big of a hope! I hope to.. be able to get any of my thoughts in order when I’ve had more sleep. Currently, however, I am thinking about the requirement that the Senator “holding the floor” remain standing and in the chambers in order to retain the floor.

I am thinking about all of the assumptions of ability that go into the implicit and explicit requirements of being a U.S. Member of Congress. Ableism is one of the most insidious forms of oppression that even your favorite leftist may not have bothered to understand. Capitalism and colonialism have taught us that disability is the one place where unfair treatment is natural and okay. Even abolitionists who have stopped believing in the purported necessity of mistreating a so-called criminal class, may still favor those with useful abilities and not worry about excluding those of us who need support to survive.

I decided to mostly have Booker on since he started, so I am not well-rested, nor have I been allowed access to my meds… so I will just stop here and hope these words have made any kind of sense.

Let your Senators know you watched Cory Booker and you want even more disruption in the face of fascism!