My father was born with no arms, similar to the thalidomide babies being born all over Europe,

Canada and the UK in the early late fifties. For a time our family lived in Germany while my father traveled all over England and the Continent speaking to groups of distraught parents, helping them see that a normal life, not institutionalization, would be best for the kids, and showing by his example how they might be inspired to do so despite the hardships.

Dr Kelsey showed great courage to stand up to the big pharma companies and keep the drug from this country. The numbers of affected kids here would have been so many times greater.

Rest in Peace Dr Kelsey.

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The ADA legislation had traveled many paths, and had many supporters and pioneers along the

way before being signed into law 25 years ago yesterday. One of the oldest parts of it grew out of the original report codifying the need and prescribing the physical changes required to the built environment to allow fuller access for all. The report was by the Committee A-117 chaired by Harold Wilke in way back in 1959.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disability_rights_movement

Harold Wilke was honored to be asked to deliver a "blessing" (a first) before the public bill signing on the South Lawn of the White House on July 26 1990. He is pictured here receiving one of the pens from President George H Bush with his foot (he has no arms) ...

Terrible day for the anti-war movement, free speech, and America. As seniors in high school,

we organized a county-wide protest and walkout from schools for May 8th and beyond. Government troops that had been used to quell civil rights disturbances were now marching on to college campuses and tear gassing and shooting protesters. Nixon, and Ohio Governor Rhodes, had encouraged 'law and order' to declare war on their own children and when FBI'student' informant Terry Norman fired into the crowd, the untrained Guardsmen fired into the gas filled area and things spiraled out of control...




http://www.cleveland.com/science/index.ssf/2010/10/analysis_of_kent_state_audio_t.html

My grandmother had rubella while carrying her middle child - my father- and his birth defects

very much changed the trajectory of his life.

I am glad to hear of this important milestone.

Anti-vaccination nuts should take a trip to any third world country to see how that's working out for those unlucky families.

My great great uncle August enlisted with the 1st Missouri Infantry, Company A, mustered...

out of Franklyn County, Misssouri. Missouri was a divided state and their journey to Saint Louis was nearly stopped by Confederate forces. The account goes that as the train carrying the men of !st Missouri neared a station full of Confederate enlistees, the captain persuaded the engineer - with a pistol to his head - to NOT make this particular regular stop. The train was peppered with gunfire as it continued on through, down along the Missouri River to St. Louis.

The encryption reads on the old brass framed photo we found of him says that he was "wounded in the knee and died later of his wounds". It doesn't say which battle. Or how many he fought before being wounded.

Before we found these photos, we had always wondered why his branch on the family tree drawing ended so abruptly.

Today's 150th anniversary of the peace treaty signing at Appomattox Court House is indeed a good date to celebrate.

My father joined hundreds of clergy when MLK led the return to the Pettus Bridge on March 9th 1965