“Did you see we were in the newspaper?” calls out a 10 year old girl as she arrives at the Recreation center. “You were in the paper?” I asked.

“Yes, from when we went to Albany and met with Governor Paterson!” she exclaimed with great pride as she took out the article in the newspaper to show me.

A ten year old is growing up understanding the importance of advocacy. She is seeing first hand the impact speaking out can have on influencing legislation and creating systemic change. She was there chanting along with a hundred other voices, calling on the governor to resist making budgetary cuts that will directly, and drastically, impact the lives of people with disabilities. She held up posters, made noise, and called out for him to listen. She camped out in the infamous War Room in the State Capitol. She didn’t leave until the governor had met with representatives from the group.

And now, she begins to understand, with pride, that she was one of the people who changed Governor Patterson’s life.
He said he had a revelation during the one-day special session of the state Legislature on Aug. 19. In addition to all the powerful special interests lobbying the state to maintain funding levels, there was a loud protest outside his office from disability-rights groups.
He admitted that he hadn’t initially thought about the less powerful groups as he sought to cut $600 million from the current 2008-09 budget. Later that day, he invited the groups’ leaders to meet with him in his office.

“It had really never hit me before,” he said. “You know these ads that special interests were talking about our budget cuts made it appear that they were speaking for all those in the state that don’t have a voice. When in fact, they were speaking for themselves, their members and to their issues.”

from Paterson Pledges To Do More For Disabled

by Joseph Spector, Politics on the Hudson (GNS) September 8, 2008
She has every right to be proud! I don’t think I was involved in civil disobedience until I was 30 years old. She is only 10! What a powerful way to grow up! What an amazing part of her childhood this is.

What an incredible experience for anyone, no matter the age. If you haven’t yet participated fully in civil disobedience, I encourage you to join in as soon as you can. We are creating history. We are creating change. We are taking time to speak up and speak out for people with disabilities who are institutionalized against their wishes, who are unable to remain in their own homes, who are not receiving adequate or quality care, who are trapped behind an errant health care system.

This young 10 year old, newspaper article in hand, was proud to share with her teacher why she missed school that day she went to Albany. She heard the surprise and perhaps awe in the teacher’s voice as she told her she was traveling to Washington, DC, next week to further her pursuit of civil rights for people with disabilities. She stands tall, this 10 year old girl!