There are some days in life you can never forget no matter how hard you try. We are a few days removed from the anniversary of September 11th, 2001 I was in my 8th-grade social studies class when the announcement came over the loudspeakers about the horrific attacks unfolding at the World Trade Center. What would those who died that day think about the world of the living now?
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4 NIV
I remember feeling hurt, Confused, and angry. On that day race and religion did not matter, we were all proud to be Americans. No one ever thought about kneeling for the national anthem. Political affiliations meant nothing. 21 years later and the country is more divided than ever. We stopped listening to each other. We don’t value each other anymore. Think about this, when people lined up to donate blood it didn’t matter what color they were on the outside because they all bleed red on the inside.
The president is just one man, we cannot blame all the country’s problems on him. It should not matter who voted for him but we should respect him as a person because every person deserves to be respected. You can disagree with someone without having them be racist or a socialist. Over 3,000 people died in one day. We cannot forget what they died for. We are all given the right to protest, not to destroy each other. That is what we are doing. September 11th, 2001 is not about conspiracies or social agendas. Is about honoring our neighbors who made the ultimate sacrifice so we can unite as a country and as a people. It’s sad to think that over 20 years later we still have not learned that lesson.
What makes a person who they are? Is it their spirituality, is it their sexual orientation, is it their ethnicity, is it their disability, or whatever other condition they are diagnosed with? Everyone I know is on medication for some illness. Doctors love to diagnose what is wrong with us. Did you ever notice that we give them a jump start before we even walk into the office? Every time you go into a medical facility we have to put a checkmark next to boxes so they can classify us. The problem with this line of thinking is that the essence of a human being does not fit in the box. Please try something at this moment, draw a heart on a piece of paper. Now draw a box around the heart you just made. It doesn’t work, does it? Sure you can make it work, but you know it still doesn’t look natural.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2 NIV
According to the boxes of this world, I am a disabled, Christian, Hispanic heterosexual male. These categories all describe me correctly with one major exception, they don’t take into account how I see myself. If I don’t respect and acknowledge myself As Kevin the complete person then I cannot expect anyone else to do the same. Labels try to control us and we get so attached to them some people stop at nothing to defend them. When are we going to realize there’s more to this world? It’s something we all know, we just don’t want to accept it because our lives would become much more complicated. I know some of you out there are saying “My life is already messed up enough, I can’t afford to complicate it anymore.”
My dear friends, That is precise to the point labels are distractions not complications. Nobody is just one of these treats we are all an intersection of a thousand little things we need to step back and see the whole person. Don’t get too lost in the pieces of the puzzle you forget to look at the laptop. This world is ugly because people refuse to see the beauty in it. I hope these words helped you take a deep breath before moving on me today. May the blessings come down upon you I will see you next week.
Disability Limbo Newsletter
I started Letters from the Limbo as a way to connect with you on a deeper level. Twice a month, I send out an email filled with personal anecdotes, professional updates (like my recent reelection as Vice Chair of the NJCDD), and the policy insights I don’t share anywhere else. This isn’t just another email—it’s an unfiltered look at the life of a disability advocate. Join my community and get an exclusive, honest look at the work that matters
I want to start this post with this thought, some of you may not agree with me at all, but I think it speaks to the greater point. Everyone praises the freedom of speech granted to us by the first amendment of the US Constitution. I use it every time I click publish on one of these blog posts. I know there are people out there who don’t like what I have to say, and that is perfectly fine with me. These freedoms are guaranteed for all American people, not just the ones that agree with you. For the record, I did not vote for former President Donald Trump, but I believe it was wrong to have his Twitter account removed. We both have the same freedoms.
Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:4-6 NIV
Everything is being canceled! from Dr. Seuss to Mr. Potatohead. Everything is offensive to someone else. Do we need to learn to communicate telepathically? This way we can get rid of all social media platforms and no one would get offended. There’s something I don’t understand, if we live in a Democratic Republic government where everyone gets a vote, then why are individuals being censored for their thoughts and ideas as if we lived in a socialist government? So many people have been put in Facebook Jail” because some algorithms do not agree with the post. Their freedom of speech was suspended without due process. That doesn’t sound very American to me. Cancel Culture is not a movement it is a cancer-killing the American dream.
I think we’re living in the early days of the actual life of Hunger Games. For those of you who live under a rock. The Hunger Games is a series of novels and movies where a young lady leads the rebellion against a totalitarian government in a dystopian future. In the movie’s surprise ending the protagonist kills The president of the new rebellion after learning she was planning to enact some of the same policies as the old regime, ensuring that everything would truly start fresh. I’m not saying that we should all go practice our archery skills in case we get called to represent our districts, but things are occurring that I feel we should be worried about. I do not mean this to be a political blog and I am bipartisan all the way. I love this country with all my heart. Someone like me could thrive nowhere else. Everyone picks on Jeff Bezos because he’s a multi-billionaire, but thanks to Amazon I was able to publish my first book and have it shipped all around the world. Yes, they take a percentage of my profits but how long would it take someone with my disability to print just one book? It is not a question of convenience it is a matter of accessibility.
America does not have the best past, but if we erase it all then how are future generations supposed to learn from it. Education is how we stop Ignorance, bigotry, and hate. If you spill a glass of milk, throwing out the milk carton does not get rid of the smell that was left by it. Only cleaning it up can do that.
Why would you waste the milk that was still left in the carton? Just like black history needs to be taught in school, so should disability history. Children should know why the N-word is wrong. They should also learn why the R-word is wrong. Disability doesn’t care what color you are on the outside. It can be the ultimate equalizer.
So don’t take down statues of Confederate soldiers, take the children to see them and tell them what was wrong. Then take them to the Institutions and let them hear the stories of those who were abused and still are being abused. We all need to learn real tolerance and appreciation for someone’s struggles, not just appeasement. It’s okay to disagree, it doesn’t make the other person “the bad guy.” We all deserve dignity and respect. Ask any singer or actor. There will always be hate and ignorance in this world that does not mean we have to lose respect for others On a purely human level. May God bless you and enjoy the rest of your week.
Disability Limbo Newsletter
I started Letters from the Limbo as a way to connect with you on a deeper level. Twice a month, I send out an email filled with personal anecdotes, professional updates (like my recent reelection as Vice Chair of the NJCDD), and the policy insights I don’t share anywhere else. This isn’t just another email—it’s an unfiltered look at the life of a disability advocate. Join my community and get an exclusive, honest look at the work that matters
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