Gun Violence Prevention/Second Amendment Rights

Originally posted to Facebook on Tuesday, June 21, 2016.

So, my posts are alphabetical, hence the “Issues A to Z” titling.  I have all the issues I plan to address mapped out.  Who would have thought this issue would have landed at such a time as this?  This week I am attempting to tackle gun violence prevention and second amendment rights with the overarching question of can we have both?

On June 2nd, I saved this video in preparation for this post. If you think the Obama, Clinton, and Democrats want to control, restrict, and limit the rights of gun manufacturers, gun owners, and responsible use of guns and ammunition by “good guys” this is a must watch.  If you don’t feel like watching it, here is the bottom line.  That notion is a complete falsehood perpetuated by the NRA.  This has never been proposed by Obama or Clinton.

Here are some facts.  There have been more guns sold during Obama’s presidency than nearly any other administration.  There are enough guns for every man, woman, and child in the United States.  Obama has NEVER proposed confiscating guns from responsible gun owners.  You have a right to own a gun as outlined by the second amendment of the United States constitution ("A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.")

Let’s talk about the second amendment for a moment.  The second amendment protects the right of individuals to keep and bear arms.  Yes.  It’s probably one of the only amendments the majority of Americans can recite, unfortunately.  That doesn’t mean that the government can’t regulate or place some limits on the manufacture, ownership, and sale of firearms for the safety of its people.  The Supreme Court has ruled as such.  Because, here’s the thing.  The British tried to confiscate the colonists’ firearms at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War.  And, no one wants to be unarmed when their government goes to war with them.  But, our government is not going to war with us!  And, they aren’t trying to confiscate our weapons.  That would never be allowed to happen.  And, if you believe this to be true, that’s paranoia.  That’s mental illness.

But, let’s say the government did wage war on us.  At this point, don’t you think they’d use something like a biological weapon or even a nuclear weapon?  Even if you could get your hands on a fully automatic weapon, it’s not going to make any difference.  It’s not going to be the Revolutionary War all over again, it would be something significantly worse.  Your arms wouldn’t amount to much by way of defense.

Here are some more facts.  On an average day, 91 Americans are killed by guns.  64% of these firearm deaths are suicides.  7 children and teens are killed with guns in the US on an average day.  There are 12,000 gun murders every year in the U.S.  In an average month, 51 women are shot to death by a current or former husband or boyfriend.  The current background check system has blocked 2.4 million gun sales to prohibited people.  America’s gun murder rate is 25 times the average of other developed countries.

Why?  Why is the gun murder rate so much higher in the U.S.?  The bottom line is that we don’t know.  Obama hasn’t proposed taking guns away, but he has proposed is using science, data, and evidence to study gun violence in order to reduce deaths by gun violence.  He has proposed expanding background checks to gun shows and on-line dealers.  He has proposed keeping guns out of the hands of people on the terror watch list.  He wants to reduce deaths caused by guns.

Additionally, the American Medical Association has declared gun violence in the U.S. a public health crisis.  It calls the uncontrolled ownership and use of firearms “a serious threat to public health” because “the weapons are one of the main causes of intentional and unintentional injuries and deaths.”

So, why don’t we study this?  Why don’t we find out why this is such a bigger issue in the U.S.? Is it gun prevalence?  Is it mental illness?  Is it violent video games?  Is it “radical Islam?”  Is it gun culture?  We don’t know.  We don’t know because, in 1996, the NRA lobbied Congress to prevent any research on gun violence that could be interpreted as endorsing gun control.  A ban that even the author, Rep. Jay Dickey, R-Ark. regrets.

No politician is advocating for confiscating your weapons.  The actual issues include actually studying the issue, expanding background checks, keeping guns out of the hands of “bad guys”, and, yes, some want to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 (which still wouldn’t take away the guns you currently have).

And, that’s where I was going to leave it.  But, I can’t.  Because yesterday, the Senate couldn’t agree on two proposals.  One, instating a universal background check system that applied to gun shows and on-line sales, and two, barring people suspected of terrorism from buying guns.

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Tex, was quoted as saying, “I think that’s kind of a fundamental line for a lot of Republicans, and I would hope for a lot of Americans.  Any time you’re denying an American citizen their constitutional rights, it ought to be with evidence, the burden ought to be on the government, and it ought to come from a court.”

So, that’s what it always comes back to.  The right to bear arms is a constitutional right, and how dare we infringe on any citizen's constitutional right?

But, here is why that is absolute rubbish.  Because it is coming from the same party whose presumptive nominee is calling for a ban of all Muslims.  It is coming from a party who fails to see how that infringes on freedom of religion (the first amendment) and then hides behind their own freedom of religion bills so that they can decide who can and cannot sit at their lunch counters.  It is coming from the same party who is calling for a ban on people using the bathrooms that matches their gender identity.

And, I’m no longer surprised.  Of course, there was no change yesterday in gun regulations.  Because 3 ½ years ago, twenty 6 and 7 year olds were shot at their school.  Twenty, mostly white, suburban six and seven year olds were violently murdered at their public elementary school.  And, nothing changed.  If that didn’t change anyone’s mind, why on earth would the mass murder of 49 members and allies of the GLBT community change anyone’s minds?  I mean, come on.   Again, we’re talking about the party that thinks transgender people peeing in the bathroom that matches their gender identity are dangerous, but a semi-automatic rifle that can fire 30 rounds in the hands of a terrorist, isn’t.  We’re talking about the party that thinks that marriage between two people of the same gender is a threat to the American family, but the ability of an abusive husband and father to get a gun, isn’t.  We’re talking about a party that swears by the sanctity of life and also pledges unyielding fidelity to an instrument specifically designed to kill.  We’re talking about the party that thinks the a Muslim ban does not infringe on freedom of religion, but 2 men wanting to buy a wedding cake from a Christian baker does. We’re talking about a party so focused on “Radical Islam” that they can’t see how their own “Radical Christianity” is killing people.  In the name of Jesus.  Prince of Peace.

Whether it be gun violence, or hate crimes, or GLBT suicide rates, the rhetoric of the Religious Right and GOP is killing people.  So, of course, they're not going to take action when 49 members and allies of the GLBT community are murdered.

I’ve tried to understand it.  I’ve tried to engage in cordial discourse with my Repulican and Evangelical friends. I’ve tried to remain respectful.  I’ve tried to agree to disagree.  Because I love you.  I really do.  I want us to get along. But, I also love the people you are hurting.  And, I can no longer condone this hurtful, destructive belief system.

I believe in unity.  I believe in respect.  I’m a child of the church, raised in the church, a scholar of its teachings, and married to a minister.  I believe that we are one in the body of Christ.

But, how much can a person take?  How long can a smile and nod while you support a party that is no longer the party of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan, but the party of Sarah Palin and Donald Trump?  How can I continue to respect your beliefs while you vote for people who support gun rights at all costs, but if they had it their way, would add a constitutional amendment that disbands my family?  How can you look in the mirror and tell yourself, it’s just about being pro-life?  Your party is not just the pro-life party.  It is the party of the NRA, the fossil fuel industry, and the party whose rhetoric contributes to a culture where I live in fear for my life because I am married to Lauren.

I am going to say that one more time because sometimes I think you might think we’re all good because I have happy facebook posts.  I live in fear of my life because I am married to Lauren.

A few days ago two women holding hands were spit on entering a Minneapolis Target.  A few days ago, 2 men were asked to leave a restaurant by the management because they were “c@cks%ckers.”  Yesterday, one of my cousins said, “Happy Father's Day, Fagboy” to his brother on facebook.  These aren’t stories I read in the paper.  These are people I know.  This is all happening in my circle, in my family.  In the last few days!

I am not safe.  Orlando didn’t surprise me.  I feel secure enough to say that it didn’t surprise a single member of the GLBT community.  Because, this is what you have done to us.  You have villainized us, dehumanized us, and demonized us.  We are sinners.  We are predators.  We need to repent.  We are sick.  You use us as punchlines and names to call others.  You have questioned my worth and my lifestyle (which is exactly the same as yours).  You have grappled with the decision of whether or not to be friends with me or trust me or accept me.  You have judged me.  You have deemed me less holy, less righteous, and less complete than you.  Or you didn’t speak up when someone else did.  Be it your pastor, your parent, or your partner.  Because, you’re keeping the peace, right?

And, I let you.  And, I let myself believe all of those things at one point or another.  I have hid myself for your sake.  I have dropped Lauren’s hand in public.  I’ve asked her not to call me “babe” in public.  I haven’t corrected people in casual conversation when they ask about my husband or Luke’s father.  I have spent 6 years married to an absolutely incredible woman and never once spoken about my wife in front of my students with whom I share daily stories about my son.  She has trained herself to drop two paces behind me when we hear “Ms. Morse” in public.  Because that would be wrong, right?  It would be wrong for them to find out about her.  It’s okay if you want to marry a woman, but don’t expose my child to that sort of thing.

I could be spit on.  I could be asked to leave.  I could be attacked.  I could be killed.  I am not paranoid.  This is my reality.  I am not safe.

How are you contributing to that reality?

So, don’t tell me this gun vote is about constitutional rights.  This is about money.  This is about power.  This is about fear of the other and fear of an imagined tyranny.  I am about peace.  I will love you if you disagree with me.  But, I will not apologize for taking a stand for peace.

So, I still believe in unity.  I still want to be in true relationship with those of you who vote Republican and support Donald Trump.  I do.  I really do.  But, I have to stand up for myself.  I have to stand up for peace.  I have to stand up for love, and kindness, and acceptance, and understanding.  I have to stand up for the teachings of Jesus that I so firmly believe in.
You may call me names, you may accuse me of having an agenda, or refusing to see the other side of the issue.  But, in love, there is only one side.  In peace, there is only one side.  I hope at least one of you takes a good look at what you stand for.

If you are a “good guy” with a gun.  Show me.  Be a “good guy.”  Help us keep guns out of the hands of “bad guys.”  If you are pro-life.  Show me.  Be pro all life.  If you are a follower of Christ.  Show me.  What would Jesus do?  If you are a defender of the constitution.  Show me.  Show me how you stand for freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, freedom of speech.  Freedom.  Show me how you establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare,  AND secure the blessings of liberty.  Because if you’re just focused on the defense piece or the right to bear arms piece, you are not a defender of our constitution and you can no longer hide behind the second amendment.

Here is where our presidential candidates stand for.

Clinton:  Clinton wants to strengthen background checks and close dangerous loopholes in the current system, hold irresponsible dealers and manufacturers responsible, and keep guns out of the hands of terrorists, domestic abusers, other violent criminals, and the severely mentally ill.  She also supports reinstating the assault weapons ban.  Notice that at no point in her platform does she propose confiscating all guns.  All of her policies revolve around keeping guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them.

Trump:  Trump thinks the mental health system is to blame for mass murders.  He believes in expanding treatment programs.  He is opposed to assault weapons bans and believes the background check system is sufficient the way it is.  He sees gun control as an infringement on the rights guaranteed to citizens by the second amendment.

The Economy

Originally posted to Facebook on Thursday, June 16, 2016.

Admittedly, when I set out to post theses weekly updates, it was to educate, not persuade.  I really aimed to remain unbiased.  And, I think I did a good job for the first couple of issues.  Then Climate Change entered the mix, and my resolve to remain unbiased started to wain.  So, yes, I admit, my bias is beginning to show.  But, I still aim to remain objective and to deliver the most honest up to date information I can find.  I have spent a month on this week’s issue as opposed to a week and I really dug deep.  So, I hope at least someone will read it and learn something.

The economy.  The economy is a big issue for voters.  I have spent weeks researching this and trying to do it “right” which explains the delay in my weekly updates (which I’m sure left a hole in all 16 readers’ hearts).  I think, ultimately, everyone wants the same thing: money in their pockets to provide a quality of life for themselves and their families.  Republicans often cite the economy as their primary reason for voting Republican claiming that Democrats kill the economy with their free-wheeling socialist ways and out of control government spending.  Democrats often cite Republicans pandering to the top 1% as killers of the economy for the remaining 99%.  So, when we are talking about the economy, what are we really talking about and what is the current and historic state of the current United States economy?  Here is just a scratching of the surface of a very complex system.

First of all, the United States has the world’s largest national nominal economy as measured by GDP and 2nd largest in purchasing power.  The strength of an economy is measured by GDP.  The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) includes everything the U.S. produces by the people and the companies in the country, or our total output.  The GDP growth rate measures if an economy is growing more quickly or more slowly than the quarter before.  Ideally, the growth rate should be between 2-3%.  When the GDP growth rate turns negative, we enter a recession as we did in 2007.  During a recession income, employment, manufacturing, and retail sales drop in addition to GDP.  Healthy income, employment, manufacturing, retail sales, and GDP are signs of a healthy economy.    Unhealthy numbers are signs of an unhealthy economy.  Read here for some common causes of recession mostly caused by a loss of business and consumer confidence. If it stays negative long enough, we enter into a depression.

The bottom line is, a healthy economy is when the money is flowing freely through the country much like a healthy body has the blood flowing freely through the body.  Americans have money in their pockets with which they use to spend and invest and afford a comfortable lifestyle.  Businesses perform well and unemployment is low.
So, how is the US economy right now?  The U.S. Economy is in the midst of one of its longest growth spurts ever. It’s just not super impressive growth.  It only expanded .8% in the first quarter of 2016.  It expanded 2.4% in 2014 & 2015.  The top 5 presidents in terms of economic growth measured by GDP since World War II have been (in order) Kennedy (D), Johnson (D), Clinton (D), Reagan (R), Carter (D).  Some say that’s a result of good policy and some say it’s just a result of things out of presidential control or dumb luck.  It’s probably a combination of the two.

I will go into greater detail concerning jobs in a future post.  Briefly, I looked at a lot of data and breakdown by presidents.  In every chart and article I read, Clinton was the leader averaging 242,000 jobs per month and both Bushes had the lowest percentages.  Most presidents have created jobs regardless of party affiliation.  As of June 2016, there have been 75 straight months of private sector job growth.  However, of the 10 fastest growing jobs in the country, half of them pay less than $25,000 dollars a year.

What about unemployment?  Let’s start with Reagan.  In November of 1982, unemployment broke 10% for the first time since World War II.  By the time he left office, it was cut to half of that.  This started to rise half way through Bush’s term and topped out at 7.8% when he left office.  Clinton had a strong economy throughout his term and unemployment declined steadily ending up at around 4% when he left office in 2000.  When Bush left office in 2008 (during a recession) the unemployment rate was at its peak for his term at 7.8%.  The recession continued through the beginning of Obama’s presidency topping out at 10% in October of 2009.  It has been on a steady decline since the end of 2010.  In May of 2016, the unemployment rate was 4.7%

What about incomes?  That is a big part of the American economy.  In 1996, median income for a family was about $54,000.  In 2006, median income for an American family is about $54,000.  That’s not a typo.  Median incomes haven’t risen in 20 years.  Incomes for the middle and lower class aren’t growing.  The top is doing well.  The top 1% have had their incomes nearly triple in recent decades.  When politicians talk about income inequality, that is what they are talking about.

Personally, I like having more money in my pocket.  I really do.  And, I have benefited from the policies and circumstances of the last 8 years, and the amount of money I have has only increased.  I benefited from the 2% payroll tax cut in 2011 & 2012 as part of the Middle Class Tax Relief & Job Creation Act of 2012.  I also benefited from the Economic Stimulus Bill which gave Lauren and I an $8,000 first time homebuyer tax credit.  And, our home value is finally on the rise, an additional sign of a healthy economy.  Interest rates on my student loans have fallen (after a suffocating rise under the previous administration) and we have been able to refinance our house twice bringing our mortgage interest rate, and subsequently house payment, down even further.  As the world is pumping record amounts of oil, gas prices have gone down which leaves us with hundreds more in our pockets a year compared to 8 years ago.

Now, let’s get to one of the dirtiest of the 4 letter words: DEBT.  Debt is how much we owe as a result of accumulated deficits.  A deficit occurs when the government spends more than it takes in during a year.  The more this happens, the more the overall debt accumulates.  FACT:  the U.S. currently has over $19 trillion in debt.  The debt to GDP ratio has risen from 35% in 2006 to 75% now.  Why?  All that money the government spent to revive the economy after the Great Recession.  So, we’re out of recession and our economy is strengthening, but our debt is growing.  Compared to countries like Greece and Japan that have debt to GDP ratios of 200%, this doesn’t sound like much.  But it is undisputable that the US debt is rising.

So, how did we get here?  Honestly, I don’t think this is a partisan issue.  Both Clinton and Reagan invested in education, infrastructure, and non-military research which ultimately drive both economic growth and wage gains as a result of improvement in labor force skills and worker productivity.  Reagan managed to stabilize the deficit and Clinton actually had a budget surplus!  The only president to do so since World War II.  Bush and Obama have not maintained those investments.  Furthermore, the deficit exploded under Bush and has remained high under Obama.  Obama AND Bush have added more debt than any president since World War II.  Bush added slightly more debt, but not much more than Obama.  It is very close.  Much of this was related to paying for 2 wars and the economic stimulus to bring us out of the recession.  Obama has not gotten the debt under control, but he has restored economic growth and reduced unemployment.  Additionally, he has reduced the budget deficit each year he has been in office.

So, our economy is doing well, but how does the debt come into play and how do we fix it?  Left unchecked, this could lead to higher interest rates, a slower economy, a weaker job market, and higher taxes.  Growing the economy (which we are doing), reforming the tax code, and reducing spending are all ways to tackle the debt.  The debt does not need to go to zero to be healthy.  Economists have said anywhere from 40%-60% of our GDP being healthier.

Based on my weeks of research, here is my summary:  Bill Clinton was the economic master in terms of economic growth, jobs, unemployment, and the crown jewel: budget surplus.  George W. Bush’s presidency, marked with the attacks of September 11, two extremely expensive wars, and the housing crash sent us into a recession and added more debt than any president before him since World War II.  Obama inherited that economy and that debt.  He has turned the economy around in terms of growth, jobs, unemployment, and consumer confidence, but has not been able to bring the debt under control.
So, what are the plans of our candidates?

Clinton: When it comes to the economy, Clinton is primarily focused on raising incomes and fighting income inequality.  Her three primary tenets are

• Giving work families a raise and tax relief that helps them manage rising costs.
• Creating good-paying jobs and getting pay rising by investing in infrastructure, clean energy, and scientific and medical research to strengthen our economy and growth.
• Closing corporate tax loopholes and making the most fortunate pay their fair share.

Concerning tax cuts, she has proposed extending existing tax cuts to help deal with college costs and for cutting taxes for businesses that share profits with their employees.

Concerning our tax code, she supports ending the “carried interest” loophole that allows some financial managers to pay a lower tax rate than normal workers.  She also supports the “Buffet Rule” which ensures that no millionaire pays a tax rate lower than their secretary.

She believes in equal pay, paid leave, and affordable child care to help put more money in the pockets of Americans.

She believes in raising the minimum wage and supports the Obama administration’s expansion of overtime rules.

This is just a brief summary.  I plan to address jobs, infrastructure, small businesses, and tax reform in greater detail in future posts.So, how about the debt?

Hillary Clinton has been called the most fiscally conservative candidate in the entire 2016 presidential pool past and present.  The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget calculates the net fiscal impact of her plans is pretty close to zero.  The price tag on her plans is $1.8 trillion over the next decade with an offset of $1.9 trillion in new revenues.She does not offer concrete plans for decreasing the debt and based on what I’ve read it would take a pretty extreme lifestyle change for all of us to do so, but here she is in her own words, “I think that our rising debt levels poses a national security threat. And it poses a national security threat in two ways. It undermines our capacity to act in our own interests and it does constrain us, where constraint may be undesirable. And it also sends a message of weakness internationally...I have this old-fashioned idea that, you know, you ought to look at the evidence and if you look at the evidence at the end of Bill Clinton’s two terms, we had the longest peace-time expansion in American history, with 22 million new jobs, a balanced budget and a surplus that would have paid off our national debt had they not been so rudely interrupted by the next administration.”

Trump: I find it interesting that Clinton’s plans are outlined in extraordinary written detail while Trump’s plans exist in the form of minute long videos.  Just sayin’.

I’ve sat through all of Trump’s videos on his website to try to work out his policies in his own words.  Here is where we are at.

In his “Making Deals with Congress” Video he says, “We’re going to reduce our taxes.  We’re going to get the economy going.”  He does not go into any greater detail on how.

In his video entitled, “The Economy” he says that we are going to grow our economy as a result of everyone’s taxes going down.  He claims he will get rid of the $19 trillion dollars in debt but does not outline how whatsoever.

But, he does talk about funding for a lot of new things and unlike Clinton, he doesn’t explain how he is going to pay for any of it.  Luckily, the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has added up all of the proposals he has listed on his website so I don’t have to and so far estimate that he would increase the debt by 12.1 trillion dollars by 2026.  That is 129% of GDP.

Early Childhood Education

Originally posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2016.

The election is 25 weeks from today.  This week’s issue is Early Childhood Education.  For more on my reasoning behind my weekly focus, click here.  

One of the most startling things I learned in my Reading Comprehension Instruction class this past summer was that by age 3, students from lower income families and upper income families have a 30 million word gap.  Honestly, it made my work as an elementary teacher feel a little hopeless.  How can the education system be expected to fill that gap?

Here are some proposals from the candidates concerning early childhood education.

Clinton: Hillary has called for doubling investment in Early Head start programs.  These programs provide comprehensive, full-day, high-quality services to low-income families using evidence-based curriculum.  She has a proposal that would ensure that every four year old in America has access to high-quality preschool in the next 10 years and proposes providing new federal funding for states that expand access to quality preschools for four year olds.

Sanders:  Before entering politics, Bernie taught low-income preschoolers through Head Start in the 60’s.  This is not one of the issues outlined on his website, but he does believe that states should receive funding for universal pre-k programs and full day kindergarten.

Trump:  I legitimately cannot find anything.  Nothing at all.  Feel free to supplement.

Disability Rights

Originally posted on Facebook on Tuesday, May 10, 2016.

Updated on August 4, 2016 with specific attention to Autism.

The election is 26 weeks from today.  This week’s issue is Disability Rights.  For more on my reasoning behind my weekly focus, click here.

It is estimated that 1 in 5 people in the United States have some sort of disability.  In 1990, Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act.  It was signed into law by George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990 and amended and signed by George W. Bush with changes effective January 1, 2009.  The intention of the law is that it protects against discrimination based on disability.  It makes discrimination by employers against a qualified person with a disability against the law in hiring, advancement, training, and dismissal.  Some of the major points of the law include the requirement of employers to make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities and for public places to meet accessibility requirements.  

At the time it was opposed by some religious groups and business interests.  The Association of Christian Schools International fought and prevailed to keep religious organizations from being classified as “public accommodations” so that they could avoid costly structural changes that would ensure access for all.  The National Association of Evangelicals testified against the employment provisions on the ground of religious liberty and called it an “improper intrusion of the federal government.”  Business interests argued that it would have “a disastrous impact on many small businesses struggling to survive."

Autism Update:  More than 3.5 million Americans are believed to have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) including 1 in every 68 children.  As a fifth grade teacher, I have worked with many wonderful children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and studied it extensively including an entire graduate level class dedicated to Autism Spectrum Disorder.  I have seen first hand the effects of early identification and support versus ASD that goes unrecognized for years.

This is where the candidates stand on disability rights and Autism.

Clinton:

Disability Rights: Hillary recognizes that there is still much work to do, including improving access to meaningful and gainful employment for people with disabilities. Too many Americans with disabilities continue to be left out of the workforce, and for those who are employed, too many are in under-stimulating jobs that don't fully allow them to use their talents. Hillary is committed to realizing the promise of the ADA and continuing to expand opportunity for all Americans.  She also wants to provide tax relief for families caring for aging relatives or family members with chronic illness or disabilities.  As Secretary of State, she worked to build strong support for the United States to join the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In her words, “...despite a broad, bipartisan coalition, the Republican-controlled Senate blocked its passage.”

Autism: Hillary wants to expand coverage for Autism services through healthcare.gov and private insurance plans.  She also wants to conduct nationwide early screening so that kids can get diagnosed and receive services early.  She will significantly increase funding for autism related research and launch the first ever nation-wide study on adult autism.  She wants to launch a new Autism Works Initiative to increase employment opportunities.

Trump:

Disability Rights: This is not one of the 7 issues Trump addresses on his website, so again, I am reading a lot of articles to piece together his position.  I have found this quote repeatedly from Trump, "Nobody gives more money to Americans with -- you know, the Americans with Disability Act - big act. I give tens and tens of millions of dollars," Trump said. "And I'm proud of doing it."  This quote was said in response to criticism that he mocked a New York Times reporter who has a disability.  He claims he did not. Here is the video if you’d like to see for yourself.  He has apparently been sued multiple times for inaccessible properties.  That pretty much sums up what I found pertaining to Trump and disability rights.

Autism:  Trump casually exchanged words with radio host, Michael Savage, about appointing him as the new director of the National Institutes of Health.  While claims that this was a serious exchange are false, the association with the man is concerning.  Savage has claimed that every child with autism is just “a brat that hasn’t been told to cut the act out.”

Additionally, Trump believes vaccines cause Autism.