Charleston's wheelchair
inaccessibilty
My
husband is quadriplegic and uses a power chair, driving our van from
his wheelchair. We had never visited Charleston before and was
excited about the trip. As always, we research accessibility to any
area we've never visited. In fact, we have spent a year and a few
dollars on a travel trailer we've completely remodeled for
wheelchair accessibility...so at least we don't have (usually) much
to worry about as far as lodging. We stayed a week at the James
County Park camp ground..it was wonderful and the staff very
helpful.
We expected, as most historical
towns, that wheelchair accessibility in and around town would be
limited. What we did not expect is the total lack of wheelchair
accessibility of your guided tours. Before leaving, I had e-mailed
several tours and though only receiving a reply from a few of them,
we suspected the area of tourism for wheelchair users do not comply
with the American Disabilities Act.
Handicapped means different
things and here is where I think, the term should be differentiated
between that and wheelchair accessible. Which is why we generally
ask a lot of specific questions before traveling.
Quite frankly, we were
astounded at not only the inaccessibility of tour buses, mini vans,
and harbor tours, we were even more astounded at the lack of
information provided by the Tourist Center. Two different helpful
employees, could not find one thing accessible. No bus tours, van
tours, or harbor tours with a wheelchair lift. And they did not know
that the harbor tours were inaccessible.
Most people using a
power chair are paralyzed. They can not be lifted out of their chair
bodily, not can they be lifted while in their power chair. First of
all, it is undignified, secondly they are too heavy, and lastly
their is the liability concern.
We called the Harbor
Cruises first and ferry to Ft. Sumter....they said yes indeed they
were wheelchair accessible. But once we got there, they informed us
the handicapped person must GET OUT OF THE CHAIR and into one of
their wheelchairs. Although the two park rangers were very
apologetic, they were obviously embarrassed.
Of course the one
plantation we visited, Boone Hall...was completely
inaccessible....we figured that anyway, but we called first. Not
only could my husband not tour the house, he couldn't even roll
around the dirt grounds. He tried once and got stuck. However, we
saw a pine straw path to the back of the house with the wheelchair
emblem....but a wheelchair can't get across the sandy path to access
it. There were several handicapped parking spaces, but there's not
much need for a wheelchair user to get our of their vehicle.
My husband was able to negotiate
around the Market area fairly well. I took a horse and buggy tour
while he sat on the corner.
We realize Charleston is a lovely
historic town, and the tourism departments work hard to restore and
maintain the historical architecture of the buildings. ..but we have
visited many other historic sites...Monticello and places in Key
West for example, where they have innovatively installed wheelchair
or ramps to be inconspicuous. It can be done.
There were one or two other
historic homes in Charleston that said they were wheelchair
accessible, but at that point we were discouraged and did not pursue
them.
We did appreciate the free
handicapped parking space at the parking lot near the Market.
In Key West, although we
had some problems because they had no way to lock down the
wheelchair, at least they have a trolley with a wheelchair lift.
We wonder how the town of
Charleston is addressing this problem...and would be interested in
being kept informed of your progress.
We also wonder how in
the world you are getting around the American Disabilities Act....of
which I am also contacting. Being as one of your main sources of
income is tourism, you are missing a lot of revenue from the
wheelchair community and their families.
Even the horse and buggy
tours could easily be made accessible, by putting a ramp to the
loading platform, take out a couple of benches and provide tie downs
for the wheelchairs.
We did find out something
about "Tell a Ride" (or something like that)..but that was
just for transportation and had a lot of stipulations....we were
looking for a "tour."
We look forward
to a written response from the City of Charleston, Chamber of
Commerce, Tourism Dept or SOMEONE within 5 business days. I am
sending this letter to the Paralyzed Veterans of American,
Paraplegia News magazine, as well as to anyone that needs to know of
Charleston's wheelchair inaccessibilty.
Sincerely,
Gloria Matthews
1204-58 Cedar Pt. Blvd.
Swansboro, NC 28584
252-393-2582
Gov. Hodges & The Welfare Lottery
I
was amused at Governor Jim Hodge's statement that welfare recipients
should be cut from the rolls if they were caught buying a lottery
ticket. Well, you asked for it, Guv. After all, only the rich
should stand in line to buy lottery tickets.
If thatıs the case, then why can't you
buy a lottery ticket at Charlestonıs many golf courses, yet every
corner store in it's poor neighborhoods offers them.
The riverboat gambling idea has been met
with pious outcries about the evils of gambling, yet this is one place
where those who can afford to gamble could bring in some revenue for
the state. Perhaps itıs the labeling. Itıs OK for the average Joe to
play the numbers racket because itıs the "Education"
Lottery, but when the wealthy want to play poker, itıs riverboat
gambling. Such hypocrisy. Dick Howell, Charleston
WAR ON TERRORISM
Shortly after President Bush declared war on terrorism, my
15-year-old grand niece asked me, "How can you declare war on a
word?"
The truth is, you canıt wage war on a word, you can
only wage war on people. The media quickly picked up on "The War
Against Terrorism" and have been broadcasting it ever since,
although the only "war" we have seen since the U.S. cleared
out the nest in Afghanistan is the war waged by the Israelis against
the Palestinian people.
Bush warned that the war on the word would be
a long and costly war and has since tried to garner support for an
attack on Iraq. An attempt to gather the support of near east nations
to wage war on Hussein has failed largely because of the Israeli
insistence on driving the Palestinians from their land.
When the U. S. tried to halt the aggression,
Israeli thumbed their nose at us and proceeded to further invade the
West Bank with U. S.-made tanks. This aggression was justified, in the
words of Israeli Prime Minister Sharon, who said he was simply doing
what Bush suggested by waging war on terrorism.
Both Sharon and Bush are being hypocritical.
Sharon says he wonıt deal with the Palestinians until they get rid of
Chairman Yasser Arafat, although it isnıt up to him or the U. S. to
tell the Palestinians who they want to lead them anymore than it would
be for Hussein to tell the American people and the Israelis who should
be their presidents. Also, the war on the word has given the Israelis
the pretense it needed to drive the Palestinians from their land which
they have just as much right to as the Jews.
It doesnıt take a genius to come up with the
political analysis that as long as Bush can keep a war going, his
chances for re-election are high. So if he can wage war on people
rather than a word, his chances are even better.
The effort to contain and prevent terrorism in
a fast-paced world is continuous. It will last indefinitely. And this
would be true no matter who is president or which party is in power.
At the risk of sounding unpatriotic, I
say it is time for the networks and the Republican print media, such
as we have in South Carolina, to cease the patriotic hoopla and begin
to focus on some real threats to America and its people.
Under Bush, the sick, the elderly and
the vulnerable canıt afford to get well. The states have been
handcuffed by the federal government and arenıt able to do
anything about Medicaid, and Medicare doesnıt cut it for those on a
fixed income.
Yet, the U. S. is spending millions on
"defense"
and aid to foreign nations while the burden of good health for all
Americans is also proving to be a long and costly "war."
David Patterson, Mount Pleasant
CHARLESTON: A NICE PLACE TO
"VISIT"
After visiting Charleston, I fell in love with your city. After
subscribing to the newspaper, I have mixed feelings. Reading
about the antics of your politicians, I am concluding your state is
run by a bunch of kooks.
Itıs nice place to visit, but do I really want to
live there?
John Freeman, Harrisburg, PA
THANKS FOR THE ADVICE
I read with interest your story on the official Confederate Flag
flying over Fort Sumter. I mentioned it to my guide when I recently
took a carriage ride in Charleston.
He suggested to his racially mixed audience
that perhaps the state could fly that flag at the Capitol rather than
the offensive one.
How about it South Carolinians? Why donıt
you end that silly dispute down there?
Harry Connely, Charlotte, NC
CONDON'S SNAKE-OIL SALE
Instead of calling it the governor's race in your news stories, I
think you should call it the Charlie Condon show. This guy seems
to be part huckster and part snake-oil salesman.
Dan Butler, Charleston
April
4, 2002
To
the Editor:
BY HARRIET M. JOHNSON
Among the many pleasures of my life is roaming
Charleston's streets. The delight is greatest this time of year.
July's hammering sun is gone, but there remains tropical heat
sufficient to make my bones rejoice.
This urban sauna is perfect for a power wheelchair.
Flying over a clear sidewalk, I can stir up a breeze without working
up a sweat; encountering a flock of tourists, working my joy stick and
two motors, I weave and glide and don't clip a single one.
Of course, most of the residents and tourists I encounter
don't imagine my delight. Some cringe at the sight of me, They've
likely never seen anyone so decrepit on the streets. Sometimes this
bothers me. Last year, I looked in the mirror in my first sundress of
spring and saw my upper arms were noticeably withered. That wasn't the
problem. I've had a progressive neuromuscular disease for all my 44
years. Muscle wasting is old news. But I dreaded the increased pity my
increased decrepitude would inspire in some, the revulsion it would
inspire in others. I thought about hiding myself.
But my job is to fight the myths. So out I went,
sleeveless. Once I was out rolling on the streets, the delicious feel
of that rich sticky air rolling over my bare arms made everything
right. Yes, I confronted some who clearly didn't want to see me. But
that confrontation in itself was a victory. Maybe my presence helped
accustom those people to having people like me in their world.
On May 20, I was enjoying another little pleasure -
watching "CBS Sunday Morning" - when a profile of Jerry
Lewis was introduced.
I started feeling squirmy, pretty much as I'd felt the
previous May about letting strangers see my bare arms. Lewis rarely
opens his mouth without giving people like me a kick in the stomach.
He's called us "half persons," our much-loved
wheelchairs "steel imprisonments," and disabled children
"mistakes who came out wrong." Assaults of this sort,
propagated to 200 TV stations by the Muscular Dystrophy Association in
its annual telethon, got me out on the streets, not for pleasure, but
for protest. I've been part of the organized telethon opposition since
1990.
The CBS profile focused on Lewis' comedy, but Lewis was
asked what he thought of critics like me. His response: "You
don't want to be pitied for being a cripple in a wheelchair? Stay in
your house."
J ust when I thought I'd heard it all.
The good news is that Lewis' latest has resonated across
the ideological spectrum of the disability community. Many who
disapproved of the protest are with us now.
Our lives have taught us that it's important to be out on
the streets, whether people welcome us or not. We must confront the
pity we get from people who don't know that life with a disability can
be as delightful as any other life, if we have the resources we need
to get out of bed, get out of the house, go where we will, and be part
of the rich life of our communities.
I'm not staying home. Not today, not tomorrow and
certainly not Labor Day. I'll be out on the streets I love, with
friends I love, passing out handbills to residents and tourists.
I'm thrilled to know I'll be joined this year by people
in over a dozen cities around the United States.
We won't let anyone keep us in the house.
Harriet McBryde
Johnson is an attorney living in Charleston SC
Bush Energy Policy
In the ongoing
controversy surrounding California's energy problems, many are
blaming the state's energy woes on environmental protection measures.
Apparently, Californias
situation is even being used as an excuse to sacrifice
more off-limits wilderness for oil development. But as I
understand it,
market conditionsnot environmental protection initiatives have led to business decisions
not to build new power plants in California over
the last decade. I do not see how selling more oil can be a legitimate answer to Californias current
energy problems. Less than one percent of the
states electricity mix comes from oil. (Twelve percent of the states
electricity is
produced from renewable energy sources; 20 percent from coal;
another 20 percent
from large hydroelectric facilities; 31 percent from natural
gas; 16 percent from nuclear power and the remaining amount of less
than one percent
includes oil.) Increasing production of oil would essentially
have no effect on the electricity crunch in California. But it
seems that the new
Administration in Washington would appreciate us drawing
that conclusion
anyway. Hmm, I wonder why. -Bud
Howell
When is a
joke not a joke?
Two students were shot and killed and 13 others injured when a
15-year-old boy
went on a shooting rampage at school in San Diego County, CA. Several
people report
hearing the boy threaten to go on a killing spree at school
but thought he was
joking.
When
is a joke not a joke? There are three recognized functions of humor;
One of the three functions of humor
is that of communication.
"Many
times people will communicate a desire or fear in the guise of a joke.
If the 'joke'
elicits the response they secretly want, then they have achieved
their objective. If it does not elicit the desired response, then
they have still
saved face; they can say, "I was only joking."
What
to do? Listen beyond the laughter: Usually a joke is just a
joke, but does the humor
cause you to suspect that the other person is trying to tell you
something?
Listen
to your gut: If you think the other person might not be joking,
you're probably
picking up non-verbal clues. More often than not, your intuition
is right.
Follow
through: If the humor is not ringing in sync with the joker's normal
style or if the
'joke' could involve harm to another, then pay close attention.
Do you need to take any sort of action?
Chris
Reynolds, a 29 year-old whose son was friends with the suspect heard
the joking but
didn't follow through. "I should've stepped up even if it
wasn't true
to
take that precaution," said Reynolds. "That's going to be
haunting me for a
long time. It just hurts, because I could've maybe done something
about it." Karyn Buxman
Bush Cabinet a homer to right field
The talk of
bipartisan-ship ending with the Supreme Court decision,
President-elect George W. Bush has completed his cabinet with only
the smallest of bones thrown to the other side. Not exactly a
heart-beat away from the presidency, the new Department of
Transportation, whose name no one can even remember today, made the observation
that "roads are neither Democrat nor Republican" which
left the White House Press Corps looking like they had been shot
with stun-guns. It appears that the only Democrats
you will see in a cabinet meeting for the next four years will be
when the White House domestic staff clean
up afterward.
The myriad of choices served up a cornucopia of
confusion for die-hard conservatives, most wondering whether
the selection of several pro-choice Republicans was an attempt to
gain trust within a
Congress of centrists on both sides, or whether the
President-elect just got confused because both
names begin with the word "pro".
In all, it
was a selection of men whose bent is decidedly business, whose
politics is decidedly conservative, and whose average age is about
the same as the founding fathers.
President-elect Bush,
speaking with a tone faintly reminiscent of a college sophomore
defending an untenable position, haughtily remarked that this
administration will operate as one big corporation. He will direct
the tone of the administration and the cabinet members will run the
day-to-day operations, which is exactly how the Bush brothers ran
several Savings and Loans during the eighties. We can all hope that
the results will be different this time. Harry
Mackey, Charleston
I am writing this Email
to you to see if one of your readers can solve a mystery for me. I
have just finished a book on my ancestor who came from South Carolina
([the town of] Ninety Six) in 1782 to Nova Scotia following
the American Revolution with
hundreds of Loyalists. I came across a rather
interesting story while researching in the S.C. Archives. My
ancestor Chambers Blakely (Blakeney)
and his brother David left Charleston
on board two British transports in November 1782 with 163 men,
133 women, 121 children and 53 free
blacks. This group accompanied heavy ordnance
and military supplies from the British garrison in Charleston
including cannon. On board was a
twenty four pound cannon which was used by
the Americans during the siege of Charleston. The history of this
cannon dated back to the year 1756
when it had been one of several aboard
the French warship FOUDROYANT , believed to be the heaviest armed
ship then in the world, commanded by
Admiral Galessonier. This ship of the
line was involved in the siege of Minorca where General William
Blakeney was holding out with his
army in Fort St. Philip. A Captain Gardner
was a captain of British Admiral Byng's battleship, the RAMILLES.
Admiral Byng did not engage the French and later Gardner
appeared at Byng's trial for treason
(Byng was later shot). Gardner was eager
to clear his reputation when, in 1758, he "fell in" with the
FOUDROYANT off Nova Scotia. Although
Gardner's ship, the MONMOUTH, had only
sixty four guns compared to the FOUDROYANT's ninety guns, he
engaged her and captured her.
Brought later to Charleston and the fort there,
the twenty four pounder was used by the British, the Americans,
and now was taken back to Nova
Scotia on the transports in 1782. The story
does not end there. During the American presidency of John Adams
"difficulties arose"
between France and the United States and there was a
need in South Carolina, for more armament to defend "on land, and
for reprisals at
sea." A number of cannons were purchased from Nova Scotia
by the Americans to be mounted in
the fort at Charleston. One of these was
the FOUDROYANT's twenty four pounder that had travelled far and
wide, only to return to Charleston.
The mystery is - Did it survive the Civil War
and is it still in Charleston?
My family and I often return to old
Charlestown and South Carolina. It is
one of our favorite cities. As the Tall Ships 2000 sail into Halifax
this week I think of my ancestor and
when he caught sight of America for the
first time as he sailed into Charletown Harbour on the EARL OF
DONEGALL in December 1767. It is
still as grand today as it was then.
God Bless to all from Canada.
Ray
Blakeney
P.O. Box 2113 Dartmouth
Nova Scotia Canada
B2W3X8
Southern "voice" has been misappropriated
The
affront and disrespect shown to African Americans
by Arthur Ravenel, John Graham Altman and other Republican
"gentlemen" in the SC Legislature also offends many of us
"whites" who
value southern tradition and culture.
Plainly, theirs is an affront to anyone who values a culture famed for
its graciousness and its heritage of caring for the feelings of
others--and its reserve of manners.
The gentlemen above have misappropriated the voice of
our heritage and culture; though they display a conspicuous
deficit of the qualities themselves.
That so many highly respected South Carolinians in public and
private life stand in opposition to their posturings and utterances
confirms that our tradition, our better nature, still does exist--the
examples of this present-day political "leadership"
notwithstanding.
rwyche@home.com
Confederate-American
As a Confederate-American, I feel qualified to weigh in on the
Confederate Flag issue, though I am not from nor do I live in South Carolina.
First, a symbol is not responsible for all of those who use it.
The Confederate Flag may indeed be carried about by the sheet-wearing
boobs of the KKK and neo-Nazis. But that doesn't mean that
everyone who displays the symbol adheres to KKK or Nazi dogma.
The KKK also uses the Christian cross as a symbol - but that hardly
makes the cross a symbol of racism and hate.
Indeed, the US flag has been displayed by some whose attitudes and
goals are less than "PC" or mainstream, but that doesn't
tarnish the US flag. Truth is, slavery existed for many more
years under the US flag than it did under the Confederate flag, but
"Old Glory" remains aloof from the stigma.
The vestiges of segregation, as it is practiced both North and South,
are cultural (on both sides) more than hateful. It has and will
continue to fade away as equality (not favoritism) under the law is enforced and
as cultures change. It cannot be forced away. Force turns
cultural differences into hateful differences. That applies as surely to
forced removal of a revered symbol of heritage as it does to forced seating
at the back of the bus.
The Flag is my contribution to cultural diversity. Deal with it.
-- Jerry Stanbrough
East Jordan, Michigan
Harmony
outweighs symbol of heritage
As a Southern white man, I understand the tragedy and pain of defeat
in the Civil War and subsequent changes in one community's way of
life. The tragedy and pain of multiple generations of slavery for the
Southern black
community is beyond my understanding. If you could, which tragic past
would you choose?
To honor all of those who died for a cause in the Civil War and their
children's children, I choose harmony in our community. If a symbol of
my heritage is offensive to others, and all they ask is that it be
moved to a place of honor, it is a small price to pay, and it is the
right thing to do. Our
community is black and white. I choose harmony.
OLIVER MAYFIELD, Mt.
Pleasant
Letter
RE: "Rebel flag"
I enjoy your paper, I enjoy your state, Charleston is the grandest
city in the south, but the Confederate flag must go. Unless you can
justify the cause that created it. You can't.
History has already judged the winner in that conflict, so I won't use
that argument. The reason it must go is public opinion. You can't keep
the flag and not admit you stand for the principles it stands for, and
to most people that is slavery. I am not arguing that that is the
truth, I am arguing that that is
the consensus.
We don't live in the same locations that our forefathers did. On my
last trip to Florida I barely saw a Florida license plate. You can not
live in the past. To keep the rebel flag flying over your capitol is
not too different from displaying a religious symbol at holiday times
on other state capitols. It is not inclusive of all citizens.
Bill H.
Dear
Editor:
The daily content of this fascinating venture
seems somewhat erratic, although admittedly very clever writing and composing. It's
particularly warming to find a link to Editorials, as I had been under the impression that
the whole thing was an editorial. Why not blend a little loyal opposition in the
policy line, to keep the interest high?
Like, if the innuendo about Beasley were true, who else would know better that nothing
matches the ecstasy of the monogamous state? I mean, how else can we get high moral
advice unless we learn from he who practices what he preaches against? And if its
Bible-thumping you seek, look up the tape of the "Washington Week" interview
with Robert Byrd
2/14, in which that marvelous old scoundrel who "sits with his wife every day reading
the Bible" nearly weeps over his anguish in deciding to vote "Not Guilty."
The inteviewer could hardly keep a straight face. Or for that matter, how
many truly devout people do you know who appear before the cameras carrying a Bible into
church each time, which Clinton has perfected to a set piece? No, give me a bigot
every time, who at least admits his/her bias. They should not be allowed to be
editors, though, and the marketplace pretty well sees to that in advertising and
circulation support or lack of same. Let's hear it for the proverbial contest of
wills, the clash of opinion, which Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes (I recall) respected in
the dictates of Jefferson, deToquville and Tom Paine. After it's all said
and done, the only good government is a calm government, and official an ex-official.
Unless you'd prefer to entrust to the likes of those in Washington your
"lives, your fortunes and your sacred honor"...you can count on them not caring
one wit about the first, grasping the second and not even recognizing the third.
Gene Corrigan
Seabrook Island
