We Take Care of Our Own, #JUSTICEFORETHAN

TWITTER RALLY TONIGHT!  #JUSTICEFORETHAN

We Take Care of Our Own- Bruce Springsteen

I've been knocking on the door that holds the throne

I've been looking for the map that leads me home

I've been stumbling on good hearts turned to stone

The road of good intentions has gone dry as bone

We take care of our own

Where're the eyes, the eyes with the will to see

Where's the hearts that run over with mercy

Where's the love that has not forsaken me

Where's the work that'll set my hands, my soul free

Where's the spirit to reign rain over me

Where's the promise, from sea to shining sea

We take care of our own

What happened? Why are we uniting?

We unite because we care. We unite because we will not rest until individuals with Down syndrome are valued and respected as capable human beings who deserve the same exact civil and human rights as everyone else.  We unite for #justiceforethan and his family. We unite because we all deeply fear that this could have been our child. We unite as mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends and teachers of someone who has Down syndrome. 

As I wrote about in a post called, "Jesus Called Out for His Father, Robert Ethan Saylor Cried Out for His Mother," Robert Saylor was shackled by 3 sets of handcuffs and put face down on the floor of a movie theater in Maryland because he did not want to leave the theater. Robert Saylor also has Down syndrome. He died that day. The people who killed him will not face any charges. To read a full article on what happened, visit here. This is why we are uniting for #justiceforethan.

How to Rally!

Tonight the Down syndrome community unites for a Twitter Rally: Thursday, April 11th:

6pm PST

7pm MST

8pm CST

9pm EST

Cowgirl Up! @DS_CowgirlUp will be there tweeting away.

Have your Twitter Handle sheet ready along with your TweetSheet. When the clock strikes in your timezone, log in to Twitter and start tweeting!

Need a Twitter tutorial? Here is an excellent one. Need inspiration on what to tweet? Visit With a Little Moxie for these ideas by Melissa Stolz:

“Join us in our push for #justiceforethan”
“Love someone with Down syndrome? Join us in our push for #justiceforethan”
“Disability rights are human rights. #justiceforethan”
“Death ruled homicide, cops walk free. We need #justiceforethan”
“Down syndrome isn’t a cause of death. #justiceforethan"

Here are additional ideas from Cowgirl Up:

• Civil rights are for everyone. #justiceforethan
• Disability rights are civil rights. #justiceforethan
• 3 pairs of handcuffs killed an unarmed, disabled man. #justiceforethan
• Zero Dark Thirty was the time of death for an unarmed, disabled man. #justiceforethan
• We take care of our own. #justiceforethan

TWITTER HANDLES

Sharon Stone: @Sharonstone_
Jennifer Lawrence: @ImJenLawrence
Diane Sawyer: @DianeSawyer
Lawrence O’Donnell: @Lawrence
Rachel Maddow: @Maddow
Chris Matthews: @hardball_chris
Sean Hannity: @hannityshow

Bill O’Reilly: @oreillyfactor
Greta VanSusteren: @gretawire
Sarah Palin: @SarahPalinUSA
Rick Santorum: @RickSantorum
Rep McMorris: @cathymcmorris
Rep VanHollen: @ChrisVanHollen
Rep Sessions: @PeteSessions
Anderson Cooper: @andersoncooper or @AC360
CNN: @cnn

Lauren Potter: @TheLaurenPotter
Jane Lynch: @janemarielynch
Jamie Foxx: @jamjamiefoxx
Albert Pujols: @PujolsFive

NDSC: @NDSC
NDSS: @NDSS
Jon Stewart: @itsmejonstewart
Stephen Colbert: @StephenAtHome

The President: @whitehouse
FBI Press: @FBIPressOffice
DOJ: @TheJusticeDept

Oprah: @oprah
Martha Beck: @MarthaBeck
Zero Dark Thirty: @zerodarkthirty / #zerodarkthirty
Katie Couric: @katiecouric
Ellen: @theellenshow
Nicholas Kristof: @NickKristof
Human Rights Watch: @hrw
Global Down Syndrome Foundation: @GDSFoundation
Bruce Springsteen: @springsteen

Kathryn Bigelow: @KBiggyBigs (does not appear to be active though)