The House of Representatives is currently considering an appropriations bill that would, among other things, cut by half the requested funds for the Library of Congress "Talking Books"program for blind and disabled readers. At stake are the funds necessary to move the old fashioned casette tapes of the library to digital playback. This transition is necessary because the old fashioned tape machines that play talking book tapes and which the blind have been using since the late sixties are no longer being manufactured. The Talking Books program which is also known as the National Library Service for the Blind must have the full funding in order to continue providing books to people with disabilities.
The very notion that the U.S. government is willing to cut the heart out of the books for the blind program is so disgraceful that even I am shocked by the brazen indifference of our legislators. What kind of a nation do we purport to be? We talk endlessly about the respect for life, respect for education, equality, opportunity for all, and at the same moment our federal government will actively consider underfunding a program that has for over fifty years provided blind people and the elderly with the opportunity to read. What will come next? Let's stop funding the protection of environmentally fragile wetlands. Oh. We already did that? Hmmm. Let's stop funding for nutritional programs for women in poverty with children. Oh. We did that already? Well let's get rid of the books for the blind and the disabled. Let's get them back on the streets with tin cups while we're at it. And let them buy their own tin cups. Maybe Haliburton can manufacture new government approved begging bowls? Hey, we could try those out in Iraq first? Good plan! I need a muscular cigar! Where's my spitoon? I thought Haliburton was still making those spitoons?
Please contact your local U.S. Representative. Or don't. One could be tempted to just give up. Forget the fundamental tradition of providing educational opportunity for all. Let's change our country's name to: "The Country Formerly Known as the United States" and get on with the ravaging of the defenseless and vulnerable.
S.K.
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