One voter just called for the suspension of most government regulations, "including the ADA." ... "I agree with you 100%" Burton said.
So I did some research. Turns out Burton did vote against the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. It was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. But apparently, ol' Danny had a change in heart because, in 2008, he voted for an ADA expansion signed by President George W. Bush.
And hey, maybe I took it a bit personally. I have a cardiac pacemaker, which means I can't go through the metal detectors found at security checkpoints at places like airports, some government facilities, and banks. I've had government officers try to deny me access to public buildings. Other times, employees or business owners try to kick me out when I try to bring my service dog into their place of business. So to hear Danny Burton that he wishes to repeal the law that enables those with disabilities to go about their lives without being discriminated against, well, it really only shows how privileged Danny is. He's spent a few decades working in government and has long ago forgotten what it's like to live among the people he supposedly represents.
And before I hear about how I'm able to patronize another business, yes, that's true in my case. However, someone who isn't as able bodied as me, or who lives in a small town that only has one grocery or pharmacy or what have you, well, being told you can't shop there kind of leaves you in a tough spot.
I can only conclude that Danny Burton is fucking nuts. When are you 5th district voters going to send this shameless man back home?
The typical Libertarian response is that the marketplace would take care of such things, that businesses which didn't make accomodations would lose business. I don't quite buy that. They'd also point out that this isn't something the feds should be doing as outlined in the Constitution. The way the ADA was passed by Congress was by the use of the Commerce Clause in a manner it wasn't originally intended - as a bridge to give the feds the right to regulate things not directly related to commerce.
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