by Claire Stanley
Advocacy can be a slow process. It often feels as if we are working on the same projects year after year. But we should never use that as an excuse to stop advocating. The authors of the U.S. Constitution made the process to create law and govern the nation to be a slow process with a multitude of checks and balances. Things are not supposed to happen quickly. They intended to make the process slow to make sure that power is never abused or used inappropriately.
So, this month, as we look toward the March D.C. Leadership Conference, let’s not be discouraged that many of the imperatives are familiar to us. Just because they have not been passed into law yet, each time they are reintroduced, we push the ball just a little further down the field. The process is slow, but it’s important.
In December, after close to three years, the Senate finally confirmed David Capozzi as the disability representative to the Board of Directors to Amtrak. The creation of his position was exciting; efforts by Senator Duckworth from Illinois created this new position. People with disabilities will now have a specific advocate on the Amtrak Board to speak out for our community. However, the appointment had to be confirmed by the Senate. Politics stalled the process — it took 32 months to confirm his spot on the Board. But now, David Capozzi sits on the Board as a voice for people with disabilities with Amtrak. Let’s use this as an example to keep advocating.