As a public educator, school leader, and human being, it’s so hard for me to come to terms with how lost we are right now. Some days I believe we can overcome it and find our way out because I see the brave people tirelessly showing up and standing up. Other days, when I read pieces like this, the seeds of arbitrary cruelty burrow deep into my soul and take root like common weeds that come back over and over no matter how many times they get pulled.
It’s the tiny ones that strike me as the ones that will be the hardest to unravel. But that makes me think of something Sharon posted yesterday, we all just need to grab an edge and hold on.
So true. Sometimes I feel like we’re all holding on to the same small ledge together, and it’s getting very crowded. Hopefully it can hold all of us together.
If a Presidential administration can cancel any contract or grant that was done by a previous administration, then no one can rely on any contract or grant with the federal government that lasts longer than 4 years. Which is the point Russ Vought and the rest of the Trump admin are making to the people of the US, and to the world. Don't rely on the US govt to do anything for you that extends past the current admin. Contracts are worthless. We are not trustworthy. We do not honor our commitments. It's a terrible message that will have repercussions for decades.
What can we do to help? As an educator and mom of a child with a disability, I cried my way through this article. I’ve called and emailed our congress for years now, but what more as none of that seems to work! How can we show that children - all children matter and deserve to learn in a way that meets their individual, complex needs.
How do they sleep at night? Can someone get this story to Melinda Gates or MacKenzie Scott, women who do good with their wealth? History will not look kindly on Linda and those who assisted her in this crusade.
These types of programs should be run on taxpayers money, something we all agree is worth the investment. We should not have to rely on the benevolence of billionaires to fund programs that benefit our country, our neighbors and disabled kids.
Agree - IMHO, THIS is exactly the sort of thing for which government is useful! A big purpose of government is to manage the 'big' things that we cannot do on our own, to be able to solve situations that individuals cannot effectively do on their own. Especially catastrophic situations such as where these families and kids find themselves. None of this is anyone's 'fault'! But we are rightly judged by how well we take care of those who are most vulnerable. Cancellation (especially obvious mindless cancellation!) of these programs is simply cruel - no other word for it! infuriating!
This appears like laziness on the part of the current administration. Searching for key words instead of reading for the new favorite buzzword, context.
This resonates with me. My niece is part of the deafblind community. We are having some deep family pain because her parents (my sister) refuse to be part of this political discussion. She prefers to cling to scripture and remain mute on anything that can be considered remotely divisive. I, on the other hand, am compelled to be involved in advocacy. This is a particularly painful time and I’m not sure how to move forward with my relationship with my sister. I can’t understand how a mother can’t speak up for her daughter and the larger community she belongs to.
It's mind-boggling to me how many people stand in church every Sunday and sing popular worship songs with lyrics like, "Give me your eyes for just one second/Give me your eyes so I can see/Everything that I keep missing..." ("Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath) or "Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours" ("Hosanna" by Hillsong United), and then go home, flip on Fox News, and cheer for abject cruelty. I'm so sorry your sister can't see it, and I'm grateful your niece has you in her corner. ❤️
It's interesting that your sister, who believes in scripture and, evidently, Jesus, thinks that being mute is the way to go. The question, What would Jesus do?, comes to mind.
RIGHT! That's what I was thinking too. They're especially critical in education! But as we know, with this administration, we have to play stupid word games to not have our most vulnerable cruelly left out in the cold. It's sickening.
They seem to revel in the cruelty, as I'm now saying a lot: We must remember that DJT himself, standing at a podium, was comfortable mocking a disabled reporter.
I suggest we all join Project Mailstorm (projectmailstorm.carrd.co) and send a letter to the Department of Education’s Secretary, Linda E. McMahon, politely, but emphatically, requesting funding be reinstated.
Cruel is the word that comes to mind while reading this. As someone with disabilities, I understand the lasting impact this has. I work with college students who benefit from these programs and I have seen the disappointment online from others with disabilities too. This doesn’t feel like a fight the current admin will even give a minute to unfortunately until others start calling their reps and being annoying. Especially if their rep votes red. Otherwise these programs will close and won’t make it to the next administration.
The government doesn't misunderstand the goals of these life-saving programs. It simply wants them gone. Remember when our president mocked a disabled reporter? Why that alone didn't cause a huge outcry is beyond my understanding.
The intentional cruelty & mindless disregard for who the programs were for is staggering to say the least. Triggered only by buzzwords that have multiple meanings, these searches were being done by technology in its most dystopian form. The administration’s aim is destruction not governance. It is the human form of clear cutting forests, leaving devastation in its wake. Continuing to amplify the human beings directly impacted by these cuts is the most powerful way to reinstate them or a rallying cry to develop community support to continue them. Thank you for telling these stories. We are the face of why government programs exist.
I can’t believe in the year 2025, in the United States of America, being disabled, or saying that someone is disabled, is disparaged as being “woke”. Any person at any time can become disabled and need these services that they’re cutting across the board. And even if you’re not disabled, how can you not see the benefits of these programs? This seems to lean into eugenics territory to me but I hope I’m wrong.
How can we be back in the 60's so quickly and easily? All the years of effort for people with disabilities, for minorities, for any marginalized group have been washed away with one swearing in. It is hard to comprehend a mind that thinks this is ok.
Thank you for highlighting this! As a special education administrator in a public school district battling state government defunding on top of grant restrictions this hits home ! Serving our students with complex needs and their families is why we serve and toxic politics is impeding our ability to do so!
As a public educator, school leader, and human being, it’s so hard for me to come to terms with how lost we are right now. Some days I believe we can overcome it and find our way out because I see the brave people tirelessly showing up and standing up. Other days, when I read pieces like this, the seeds of arbitrary cruelty burrow deep into my soul and take root like common weeds that come back over and over no matter how many times they get pulled.
It’s the tiny ones that strike me as the ones that will be the hardest to unravel. But that makes me think of something Sharon posted yesterday, we all just need to grab an edge and hold on.
So true. Sometimes I feel like we’re all holding on to the same small ledge together, and it’s getting very crowded. Hopefully it can hold all of us together.
Try to take heart. Ultimately there are more of us than there are of them.
If a Presidential administration can cancel any contract or grant that was done by a previous administration, then no one can rely on any contract or grant with the federal government that lasts longer than 4 years. Which is the point Russ Vought and the rest of the Trump admin are making to the people of the US, and to the world. Don't rely on the US govt to do anything for you that extends past the current admin. Contracts are worthless. We are not trustworthy. We do not honor our commitments. It's a terrible message that will have repercussions for decades.
What can we do to help? As an educator and mom of a child with a disability, I cried my way through this article. I’ve called and emailed our congress for years now, but what more as none of that seems to work! How can we show that children - all children matter and deserve to learn in a way that meets their individual, complex needs.
off the top of my head, things we could do to help:
- Call your senators and representatives.
- Donate to the affected organizations.
- Spread the word.
How do they sleep at night? Can someone get this story to Melinda Gates or MacKenzie Scott, women who do good with their wealth? History will not look kindly on Linda and those who assisted her in this crusade.
I believe they sleep just fine. Remember that DJT mocked a disabled reporter and no one said a word. They were fine with it.
I agree with you, how can people be this cruel?
These types of programs should be run on taxpayers money, something we all agree is worth the investment. We should not have to rely on the benevolence of billionaires to fund programs that benefit our country, our neighbors and disabled kids.
Agree - IMHO, THIS is exactly the sort of thing for which government is useful! A big purpose of government is to manage the 'big' things that we cannot do on our own, to be able to solve situations that individuals cannot effectively do on their own. Especially catastrophic situations such as where these families and kids find themselves. None of this is anyone's 'fault'! But we are rightly judged by how well we take care of those who are most vulnerable. Cancellation (especially obvious mindless cancellation!) of these programs is simply cruel - no other word for it! infuriating!
This appears like laziness on the part of the current administration. Searching for key words instead of reading for the new favorite buzzword, context.
This resonates with me. My niece is part of the deafblind community. We are having some deep family pain because her parents (my sister) refuse to be part of this political discussion. She prefers to cling to scripture and remain mute on anything that can be considered remotely divisive. I, on the other hand, am compelled to be involved in advocacy. This is a particularly painful time and I’m not sure how to move forward with my relationship with my sister. I can’t understand how a mother can’t speak up for her daughter and the larger community she belongs to.
It's mind-boggling to me how many people stand in church every Sunday and sing popular worship songs with lyrics like, "Give me your eyes for just one second/Give me your eyes so I can see/Everything that I keep missing..." ("Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath) or "Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours" ("Hosanna" by Hillsong United), and then go home, flip on Fox News, and cheer for abject cruelty. I'm so sorry your sister can't see it, and I'm grateful your niece has you in her corner. ❤️
Meant to add: What do they think being woke means? Those types of lyrics describe "wokeness" perfectly if you're a Christian.
It's interesting that your sister, who believes in scripture and, evidently, Jesus, thinks that being mute is the way to go. The question, What would Jesus do?, comes to mind.
Trust me, I’ve tried to make that point 🤦🏻♀️
And……..diversity equality and inclusion are ideals to strive for—-not to separate from. This is tragic and cruel
RIGHT! That's what I was thinking too. They're especially critical in education! But as we know, with this administration, we have to play stupid word games to not have our most vulnerable cruelly left out in the cold. It's sickening.
Yes I don’t want to see targeted groups throwing one another under the bus!
They seem to revel in the cruelty, as I'm now saying a lot: We must remember that DJT himself, standing at a podium, was comfortable mocking a disabled reporter.
They aren't if you're a white supremacist who depends on white privilege in a world where they are otherwise just mediocre and weird.
I suggest we all join Project Mailstorm (projectmailstorm.carrd.co) and send a letter to the Department of Education’s Secretary, Linda E. McMahon, politely, but emphatically, requesting funding be reinstated.
Send the letter to:
Linda E. McMahon
US Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue,SW
Washington, D.C. 20202
Mine has been written and mailed.
Thank you- this is one thing I can do.
Cruel is the word that comes to mind while reading this. As someone with disabilities, I understand the lasting impact this has. I work with college students who benefit from these programs and I have seen the disappointment online from others with disabilities too. This doesn’t feel like a fight the current admin will even give a minute to unfortunately until others start calling their reps and being annoying. Especially if their rep votes red. Otherwise these programs will close and won’t make it to the next administration.
The government doesn't misunderstand the goals of these life-saving programs. It simply wants them gone. Remember when our president mocked a disabled reporter? Why that alone didn't cause a huge outcry is beyond my understanding.
The intentional cruelty & mindless disregard for who the programs were for is staggering to say the least. Triggered only by buzzwords that have multiple meanings, these searches were being done by technology in its most dystopian form. The administration’s aim is destruction not governance. It is the human form of clear cutting forests, leaving devastation in its wake. Continuing to amplify the human beings directly impacted by these cuts is the most powerful way to reinstate them or a rallying cry to develop community support to continue them. Thank you for telling these stories. We are the face of why government programs exist.
This just makes me want to cry. It seems that if something has to do with helping others or doing what is good and right, it is no longer allowed.
Every time I think I cannot be more appalled, I learn of a new cause for disgust with this administration.
😡
I can’t believe in the year 2025, in the United States of America, being disabled, or saying that someone is disabled, is disparaged as being “woke”. Any person at any time can become disabled and need these services that they’re cutting across the board. And even if you’re not disabled, how can you not see the benefits of these programs? This seems to lean into eugenics territory to me but I hope I’m wrong.
How can we be back in the 60's so quickly and easily? All the years of effort for people with disabilities, for minorities, for any marginalized group have been washed away with one swearing in. It is hard to comprehend a mind that thinks this is ok.
Thank you for highlighting this! As a special education administrator in a public school district battling state government defunding on top of grant restrictions this hits home ! Serving our students with complex needs and their families is why we serve and toxic politics is impeding our ability to do so!