LaneWins
It is with many mixed emotions that I sit here, trying to gather
my thoughts and get my emotions under control. Ah, it has been
a roller coaster ride with chills and thrills and sadness and
anger. Yesterday, on Election Day, I took my 14 yr. old son
out of high school and went with him and a friend from the chat
room to Rock Island, IL. There we went to ground zero of the
Lane Evans re-election campaign at the Laborers Hall. The place
was swarming with people all intent on performing a single task
all with that single-minded goal: to get Lane his 12th election
win.
There were folks working the phone banks, getting out the vote;
others gathering and putting data from exit polls on large graphs
that covered the walls. Then there were the constantly ringing
cell phones-every one of them with a different, obnoxious ring.
These were precinct watchers who would call in every hour or
so and give updates on voter turnout. Into this beehive of activity
we came but then right behind us, came Lane and his entourage.
Lane looked around and took in all of this activity with a practiced
eye (this is, after all not his first election!) and then introduced
me to his younger brother Dave, a niece Joyce and her husband,
and several folks from his DC staff and my good buddy, Mike-his
caregiver, driver & scheduler. We talked for about an hour
and everyone (those who's job it was to know these things) agreed
that voters turning out in record numbers boded well for the
incumbent. Then it was decided to get some rest before the big
night ahead, so we all headed downtown to the Four Mark Sheraton
hotel. Of course, I was much too excited and nervous to rest.
even thought everyone seemed confident, I don't think that either
Lane nor I would believe until we saw it on TV. After all, Lane's
opponent, Andrea Lane Zigna, had launched a formidable assault
on Lane's health-proclaiming loudly and often that US Representative
is not a job for a person with Parkinson's. I got to the banquet
hall early, the rooms were magnificent with crystal chandeliers
and lots of mirrors. I sat quietly, too scared to watch one
of the many TV monitors situated around, but unable to miss
the reports of Wolf Blitzer as he said that polls were closing
and numbers were starting to shape the next four years of our
lives. There was a contingent from channel 6 in the Quad Cities,
planning their strategies for their live coverage of the evening.
Being the only person there, the newscaster asked me what I
thought (and for once, words didn't fail me!!)-I said that I
hoped that by Lane Evans' re-election (which I hoped would be
the outcome), it would send a message to all the nay sayers
out there who are ready to write off people with disabilities
and declare them ready to put out to pasture and would put Parkinson's
research on the fast-track, especially with embryonic stem cells.
Mike came in, looking for me and asked me to go up to Lane's
suite where he was hosting a private party for staff, family
and close friends. I sat in my wheelchair, watching the different
screens right next to Lane, hearing his barely audible comments.
I felt like a total "insider!" I called my son to
come and told him that this was history in the making. I was
so pleased that when CNN declared Lane Evans the winner by a
64% to Zinga's 23% of the vote! talk about a roomful of happy,
shouting, cheering, high-fiving, slappin' on the back people.-I
am sure we qualified as one of the rowdiest. then came the news
we were all expecting: Barack Obama was declared the new junior
US Senator from Illinois and as he gave a rousing celebratory
speech!! The room went wild but we had to make a mad dash to
the reception hall for Lane's acceptance speech. Lane was jubilant
and obviously "on" as he made his way into the hall.
I felt so happy for him and I took a bit of pride in his win
for the work I had done to help keep Ms, Zinga at bay. I felt
that this was indeed about PWP's and their abilities-not the
disability!! --
