Fw: Stop nomination of autism treatments and cure opponent to Federal Council

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----- Forwarded Message ----To: Karp Sent: Mon, March 29, 2010 2:07:11 AMSubject: Stop nomination of autism treatments and cure opponent to Federal Council

Call your Senator today to Stop the Ne'eman Nomination

Take Action!

We don't need opponents of autism treatment and a possible cure

Foe of finding autism cure nominated for National Disability Council

Ari Ne'eman, a vocal critic of the need to find the causes and potential cures for autism has been nominated by President Obama to an influential post on the National Council on Disability. Ne'eman's nomination was approved last month in committee and must now go to a vote of the entire Senate.

Fortunately, it was announced on Saturday that an unnamed Senator or Senators had placed a "hold " on his confirmation. But this may just be a temporary situation and Autism Action Network is extremely concerned that Ne'eman could have any role in forming federal autism policy or research goals, and we need you to get active to oppose his nomination.

Ne'eman is an articulate spokesperson for the many services people on the spectrum, especially high-functioning people like himself, need to function better in the world. We agree with many of those goals. Mr. Ne'eman, however, disqualifies himself from being a candidate for the National Council on Disability by his repeated attacks on the need to find the causes, treatment and possible cures for autism. He doesn't just advocate for a bigger pie that includes additional resources for the issues important to him, he wants to divert the relatively paltry sums that are currently spent on the causes, treatments and cures into other needs he finds more pressing. And that is unacceptable.

Ne'eman is an extremely high-functioning person who first received a diagnosis of Asperger's at age 12. He is a college student planning on attending graduate school and has applied for a Scholarship. You can see many clips of him on Youtube.

We wrote to Ne'eman in January asking for clarification of his views but he declined to comment. And we see no possible way that Ne'eman's participation on the National Council on Disability is the interest of our children and the vast majority of people with autism.

Here are a few of his quotes:

June 10, 2008 on Good Morning America, Neeman said, "We do not think to aim for a cure is the right approach to take."

December 10, 2009 interview with the CBC, "Autism is currently viewed as a disease of the medical model---Something to be cured or eliminated. That doesn't reflect how we view ourselves, that doesn't reflect our realities."

In his essay Equality Demands Responsibility, 2006, Ne'eman wrote, "But if we are to demand equal legitimacy, if we are to assert that a 'cure' is not only unnecessary and undesirable but morally reprehensible, then we must accept for ourselves equal responsibilities."

We do not believe that anyone who believes curing someone of autism is a "morally reprehensible" act can or should represent the interests of our children.

Here is what you can do:

CALL YOUR TWO SENATORS TODAY! Call the Washington offices of your two Senators and ask to speak to the staffer who is responsible for approving nominations to federal councils (phone numbers below).

Le them know that you want the federal government to make finding the causes and cures of autism a top priority, and that you see no need for someone opposed to those goals, like Ne'eman, to serve on the National Council of Disability. Ask them to reject Ne'eman's nomination. Be polite. Be firm.

Click on the Take Action link above and send an email to both your Senators and the Whitehouse asking them to oppose the Neeman nomination.

Forward this message to your family, friends and coworkers and post it to Facebook, My Space and other networks.

Here are the phone numbers of the Senators from every state. Please call yours today.

State

Last Name

First

Phone

Alabama

Sessions

Jeff

202 224-4124

Alabama

Shelby

202 224-5744

Alaska

Begich

Mark

202 224-5852

Alaska

Murkowski

202 224-6665

Arizona

Kyl

Jon

202 224-4521

Arizona

McCain

202 224-2235

Arkansas

Lincoln

Blanche

202 224-4843

Arkansas

Pryor

Mark

202 224-2353

California

Boxer

Barbara

202 224-3553

California

Feinstein

Dianne

202 224-3841

Colorado

Bennet

202 224-5852

Colorado

Udall

Mark

202 224-5941

Connecticut

Dodd

202 224-283

Connecticut

Lieberman

ph

202 224-4041

Delaware

Carper

202 224-2441

Delaware

kaufman

202 224-5042

Florida

LeMieux

202 224-3041

Florida

Bill

202 224-5274

Georgia

Chambliss

Saxby

202 224-3521

Georgia

Isaakson

ny

202 224-3643

Hawaii

Akaka

202 224-6361

Hawaii

Inouye

202 224-3934

Idaho

Crapo

Mike

202 224-6142

Idaho

Risch

202 224-2752

Illinois

Burris

Roland

202 224-2854

Illinois

Durbin

202 224-2152

Indiana

Bayh

Evan

202 224-5623

Indiana

Lugar

Iowa

Grassley

Chuck

202 224-3744

Iowa

Harkin

Tom

202 224-3254

Kansas

Brownback

Sam

202 224-6521

Kansas

Pat

202 224-4774

Kentucky

Bunning

Jim

202 224-4343

Kentucky

McConnell

Mitch

202 224-2541

Louisiana

Landrieu

202 224-5824

Louisiana

Vitter

202 224-4623

Maine

202 224-2523

Maine

Snowe

Olympia

202 224-5344

land

Cardin

202 224-4524

land

Mikulski

Barara

202 224- 4654

Massachusetts

Brown

202 224-4543

Massachusetts

Kerry

202 224-2742

Michigan

Levin

Carl

202 224-6221

Michigan

Stabenow

Debbie

202 224-4822

Minnesota

en

Al

202 224-5641

Minnesota

Klobuchar

Amy

202 224-3244

Mississippi

Cochran

Thad

202 224-5054

Mississippi

Wicker

202 224-6253

Missouri

Bond

202 224-5721

Montana

Baucus

Max

202 224-2651

Montana

McCaskell

202 224-6154

Montana

Tester

Jon

202 224-2644

Nebraska

Johanns

Mike

202 224-4224

Nebraska

Ben

202 224-6551

Nevada

Ensign

202 224-6244

Nevada

Reid

Harry

202 224-3542

New Hampshire

Gregg

Judd

202 224-3324

New Hampshire

Shaheen

Jeanne

202 224-2841

New Jersey

Lautenberg

202 224-3224

New Jersey

Menendez

202 224-4744

New Mexico

Bingaman

Jeff

202 224-5521

New Mexico

Udall

Tom

202 224-6621

New York

Gillibrand

Kirsten

202 224-4451

New York

Schumer

202 224-6542

North Carolina

Burr

202 224-3154

North Carolina

Hagan

Kay

202 224-6342

North Dakota

Conrad

Kent

202 224-2043

North Dakota

Dorgan

Byron

202 224-2551

Ohio

Brown

Sherrod

202 224-2315

Ohio

Voinovich

202 224-3353

Oklahoma

Coburn

Tom

202 224-5754

Oklahoma

Inhofe

202 224-4721

Oregon

Merkley

Jeff

202 224-3753

Oregon

Wyden

Ron

202 224-5244

Pennsylvania

Casey

202 224-6324

Pennsylvania

Specter

Arlen

202 224-4254

Rhode Island

Jack

202 224-4642

Rhode Island

Whitehouse

Sheldon

202 224-2921

South Carolina

DeMint

Jim

202 224-6121

South Carolina

Graham

Lindsey

202 224-5972

South Dakota

Tim

202 224-5842

South Dakota

Thune

202 224-2321

Tennessee

Lamar

202 224-4944

Tennessee

Corker

Bob

202 224-3344

Texas

Conyn

202 224-2934

Texas

Hutchinson

Kay

202 224-5922

Utah

202 224-5444

Utah

Hatch

Orrin

202 224-5251

Vermont

Leahy

202 224-4242

Vermont

Bernie

202 224-5141

Virginia

Warner

Mark

202 224-2023

Virginia

Webb

Jim

202 224-4024

Washington

Cantwell

202 224-3441

Washington

Murray

Patty

202 224-2621

West Virginia

Byrd

202 224-3954

West Virginia

Rockefeller

202 224-6472

Wisconsin

Feingold

202 224-5323

Wisconsin

Kohl

Herbert

202 224-5653

Wyoming

Barrasso

202 224-6441

Wyoming

Enzi

Mike

202 224-3424

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