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The Memphis Center for Independent Living Journal

The Commercial Appeal misses the real story.

By Randy Alexander

The real disgrace is that you took money from an institution so they could advertise oppression, segregation and manipulation. Maybe the Commercial Appeal is the correct name for this newspaper. You’ll even try to make the segregation of a minority group by institutionalization look good, if it pays enough. Your section October 31, The King’s Daughters & Sons Home, ran headlines like “King’s Home Residents Enjoy the Good Life” and Service ‘In His Name” was disturbing, appalling and shows how far you will stoop for advertising dollars.

What about the real news? We live in a state that continues to institutionalize thousands of people without giving them a choice, a choice between personal assistance in their own home or the institution. Last year alone, when asked, six thousand prisoners of nursing homes in Tennessee replied they wanted out. Did the state do anything to help them get out? No. Why don’t you research and report a multi page expose on how the state keeps people locked up when they want out? Oh wait, that wouldn’t be very friendly to our Governor or many businesses (cash cows) that are making money on our backs.

What about writing a story questioning the fiscal responsibility of the current system? Many states have been providing individuals choices to their long term care. Guess what, they have found on the whole it’s cheaper to provide services in the home, the Governor knows this. Why doesn’t the CA look into why, if it’s cheaper, does Governor Bredesen support institutional care, over choice?

Randy Alexander Finally, the real disgrace is that you took money from an institution so they could advertise oppression, segregation and manipulation. What if you needed assistance with daily tasks and you were given an option to live in your own home where the assistance would come to you as you need and choose would you live at home? The other option is to go live in a nursing home full of control and oppression where you are told when to get up, when to go to bed, what to eat and basically your independence taken away, which would you choose?

The Memphis Center for Independent Living and ADAPT of Tennessee work hard to educate Memphians that there should be a choice not only is it fiscally responsible, it is the right thing to do. I would hope that if the CA or any others would like to hear the truth about nursing homes and come together to make the system change they would join us in the battle for equal rights for citizens with disabilities.

Sincerely,

Randy Alexander

More about the Commercial Appeal: http://www.mcil.org/mcil/log/1206log.htm

MCIL Journal Index 2004

Date	Name
12/24/2004	2004 Holiday Open House & Silent Auction
12/14/2004	Alternatives to nursing homes? Part Two, By Tim Wheat
12/7/2004	Alternatives to nursing homes? Part One, By Tim Wheat
11/17/2004	Stop the Lies! Tell Governor Bredesen to save TennCare NOW!
11/16/2004	Reject the Administration's "Flexible Voucher" Proposal.
11/13/2004	SAVE TENNCARE RALLY
11/11/2004	TennCare decision sounds death knell. - By Sandi Klink.
11/5/2004	The Commercial Appeal misses the real story - By Randy Alexander.
11/1/2004	Applying for Disability Benefits.
10/22/2004	THE ADA, THE COURTS, AND THE ELECTION - By Steve Gold.
10/21/2004	Grandfather Bigotry Eats at Old Zinnies.
10/13/2004	Get Out and Vote! - Randy Alexander
10/1/2004	2004 MCIL Holiday Open House
9/27/2004	ADAPT Rummage Sale
9/10/2004	Marschen för tillgänglighet - Swedish Free Our People March
9/1/2004	Disability, Civil Rights Bus Tour Sept 18 at the National Civil Rights Museum
8/30/2004	Terri Schiavo Case is Really About Disability Rights
8/17/2004	Medicaid Directors Letter
8/12/2004	Robert Lipscomb Commits the Memphis Housing Authority to do Self Evaluation
8/10/2004	Agency with Choice Model by Bob Kafka, ADAPT
8/4/2004	Olmstead, Unnecessary Institutionalization and Your State
7/20/2004	ADAPT announces the 10 worst states
7/19/2004	The Resolution is in! The NGA will consider ADAPT’s Long-Term Care Resolution.
7/18/2004	Disability Pride Parade Rally
7/10/2004	Ten Things You Can Do to Make a Difference
7/9/2004	NGA RESOLUTION: Commitment To Community-based Long Term Care Services and Support
6/18/2004	Freedom Jam 04
6/11/2004	Access Through Parking
6/4/2004	ADAPT Supports Mississippi Action
5/26/2004	Memphis Shows Support for National Housing Justice Memorial Day
5/17/2004	Tennessee v. Lane Surprise
5/13/2004	What is Site Impracticality?
5/7/2004	ADAPT of Tennessee celebrates Mothers Day with Free Yo Momma Day!
4/24/2004	ADAPT of Tennessee Confronts Donors of KDSH
4/15/2004	First Ever, Free YO MOMMA Day!
4/9/2004	Testimony of Senator Tom Harkin
4/7/2004	End the Institutional Bias: No More Stolen Lives!
3/24/2004	Memphis Activists at the ADAPT Action
3/20/2004	Do you want to live in a nursing home? Try the local hotel instead ...
3/17/2004	Not Dead Yet! Question and Answer about Peter Singer
3/10/2004	Why the disability community opposes assisted suicide
3/2/2004	HHS: Stop Disguising Medicaid Caps
2/22/2004	The Free Our People March By Claude Holcomb
2/19/2004	More Lies and Deception from AHCA
2/4/2004	Disability Issues in the Terri Shivao Case
1/22/2004	Investigating Medicare
1/20/2004	Harkin Calls for Access to Community Based Services
1/15/2004	Tennessee v. Lane Oral Arguments
1/4/2004	Inclusive Home Design Act of 2003

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The Memphis Center for Independent Living
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(901) 726-6404 v/tty (901) 726-6521 fax
mcil@mcil.org

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