Seems Like The Right Thing To Do

Yesterday I attended a DRAC meeting. You will recall that DRAC stands for Disabled Rights Action Committee. Select rights. We are and private nonprofit organization whose purpose is to advocate and assist in the preparation of legislation, ordinances, guidelines and other illegal practices that assist people with disabilities to live as independently as possible. And you heard me right I used the personal pronoun “patients we”. Yes it looks like I have been welcomed back to the fold even if I am not quite sure being welcomed back is what I want. I have attended these meetings now mostly at the arm-twisting of a friend of mine, Richard Lodemill. Lodemill is a senior citizen from Montana who somehow has adopted the state of Utah as his focal point for doing good. I've known Dick for possibly 20 years now and must respect him as the genuine real deal. I am not sure Richard is really on payroll of any of the private nonprofit organizations that he seems to work out of. I'm sure he is to some degree working under a contract of one sort or another. However, he takes his work more as a calling from the Almighty than as a profession/job. I went to the meeting pretty much to please Dick and quite frankly to get them off my back.

I have always kept a certain distance from DRAC when I was working. There was a time where I was closely involved with the organization because it had the same goals that I pretty much did. To bring a better life to people with disabilities along the Wasatch front as well as the state of Utah. And to be brutally honest time I spent with organizations such as DRAC was time I got paid for. I've often wondered over the years would I have been involved with these people had not I've been paid to do so. Sadly I think I don't think I would have.

DRAC uses the Gandhi nonviolent approach to change. However when they must they will use direct action which means advocating directly for their needs i.e. protesting, taking over property and general striking to bring about their goals. Over the years I've been part of their actions, I've never been arrested I have come close but not arrested as many of their participants have. DRAC is part of a national organization which does direct action on the national level usually in Washington DC couple times a year. I've been involved were maybe in one action over my career whereas other DRAC members have been involved and get involved year-round nationally as well as locally. These folks are heroes kind of.

I said that I kept a distance over my professional career and that was because even though I believe in the cause I sometimes worry that the participants don't fully understand the issues are there trying to please some external force. I had some time will go further to explain what I mean but suffice it to say now that I am no longer affiliated with any state or nonprofit entity I can be involved with DRAC to whatever level I desire.

I met with DRAC again today to do a presentation at Senior living facility over in the north end it was a challenge to get there. I was late by half an hour but the DRAC people made room for me to let me make a small presentation. Tomorrow is another presentation over on the northeast side. This should be much easier to get to and I look forward to going. I don't know what I'm doing with DRAC or how long I will do it but for now working with DRAC seems like the right thing to do.