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Photos by David Mercado / Reuters
Physically disabled people clash with riot police in La Paz, Bolivia on Feb. 23, 2012. Hundreds of physically disabled people arrived in La Paz on Thursday after completing a protest march of 994 miles to demand that Bolivia's government offer support in the form of $434 payment to each physically disabled Bolivian, according to local media.
A physically disabled man tries to block a police vehicle during clashes with riot police in the center of La Paz on Thursday.
A wheelchair-bound woman is helped after being affected by tear gas during clashes with riot police.
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Those handicapped wimps in Bolivia think they have it tough? Here in the US it's much worse than that! Our president is trying to get us affordable health care! That makes him 10 times worse than the riot police beating up leggless people in Bolivia. Plus, he's trying to help the middle class get higher paying jobs. What kind of an evil, foreign born, muslim, socialist, anti-american would want to do that? So if you think handicapped people in Bolivia have it tough, just remember how bad it is here in the US and why there is a Tea Party movement.
Yes, the above can only be called sarcastic.
Probably should have mentioned it, by the way. Your post is considered serious in most places on Newsvine.
yeah, the tea party alone makes it worse than bolivia...hell, any third world country is utopia compared to any country with a tea party movement...
Free Thinker,
How dare you! Wimps maybe, but to stoop to calling these brave souls handicapped? It embarrasses me to use the word. In our society they are merely physically challenged. You should attend a sensitivity training class to get up to speed on the latest politically correct terminology. Wait. Are you a republican? Tea Party? No? Well, never mind then. You can use any speech you want and not be called on it.
how dare you insult the fine memory of the tea partiers of boston waaaay back in the colonists' time...oh wait...nevermind, i don't want to call you on that...i don't really care about being pc...but you're right anyway! ;) i'm deaf and hate it when someone calls me disabled...i can still kick ass.
I'm deaf too! Almost. Maybe we should get together and scream at one another. No lip reading allowed! I'm disabled, handicapped and suck on the government tit but I can kick ass also.
Free Thinker---------- Yep even if he has to cut 468billion out of the medicare insurance for our old people to give free insurance, to "HIS" voters.
Then once he found out how to do it, he used their SS withholding to pass out campaign money.
Those tea partiers are bad, aren't they, they actually expect you to work and pay for what you want.
Mandatory health insurance != affordable heathcare.
Universal healthcare = affordable healthcare
A bastardized mandatory health care bill finally passed because of a certain party's unwillingness to allow a universal healthcare bill to pass.
hahaha Excellently put.
Totally agree with free thinker, why doesn't the mainstream media report on what going on in the U.S??
I believe what is going on here is that those people who are disabled in Bolivia are getting absolutely nothing from the government. 440 bucks may sound like a lot but in reality its very little. But still its better than nothing at all.
I think the Bolivian Government should pay them the 440 and help them find a place to live too if needed.
Don't forget food delivery and transportation to doctors appointments.
How do armored police manage to "clash" with wheelchair-bound people?
When they've been trained at the "School of the America's"
Seriously,... who's better at training right wing goon squads.??
Maybe they had those slicing spinners on the wheels like the chariots in Ben Hur. Those cripples are crafty.
K1200rs,
The new black panthers? Maybe the boys from SEIU?
By the way, the k1200rs is a fine bike, but you know that.
K1200RS Perhaps you missed the news about the president of Bolivia being from the LEFT and is an *%&^ hole buddy of Hugo Chaves. So it was more like a left wing goon squads. Or are you so far gone that you do not even permit the posiblity that lefties regimes can also be hartless and not care about their people. If you that is the case then I have one name for you- Stalin.
They just want their dignity...and obviously the government offers them no help, and no hope. Powerful photos.
Make dream catchers and sell them on ebay. Everyone can do something.
aw man this is just WRONG
shameful pictures. next they'll be rounding them up and killing them like hitler did to the jews.
It seems that civilians around the world are suffering similarly, @!$%# those governments who are treating thier people badly.
The government made them riot?
Come on, why the word "@!$%#" was blocked? No freedom of expression at all!!!
A country of 10 Million and the worlds 3rd largest producer of Cocaine.
OK drug lords Man Up and help your people out!
Put that money to some good use and maybe the Big Guy Upstairs might take that into account...
Sam Walton?
I have spent time in Bolivia as my spouse is from there. It is the third poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, cocaine or not.
As far as rich cocaine dealers there was a guy some years back that inherited vast amounts of land and since cattle wasn't productive he did go into the cocaine business. He was a local hero. He would at times throw money into crowds as an example. He even offered to pay off the national debt. What happened to him. The US theatened to cut off aid to this poor country until they locked him up. (and people think we give foreign aid cause were just nice Americans).Took years but the Bolivians finally locked him up in La Paz. This prison was pay as you go type and of course they built him a very nice place inside. The tourists used to be able to visit the prison though I believe this got taken off the gringo trail years ago.
Having a disability there isn't a joking matter. They have little to no safety net like the US or other industrialized country. At one time you could blame the national government which was mostly mestizo as they ruled the country since Spanish times. Even with the majority of indian population. Here the last couple years it has been an indian President Evo Morales, a past coca grower and he is nationalizing industries like his buddy Chavez and the indians have him to blame for their problems.
Bolivia has always been a mess politically. The joke used to be the other countries should just divide up Bolivia between them as it wasn't possible to govern. They have had 200? government changes since 1825? I believe. Couple Presidents have even been hanged by angry citizens, not recently though. I think the irrate citizens even used the same lamp post if I recall correctly.
Having said all this, the poor are truelly in need and the government rarely does help some of these folks. If your ever in need of a really interesting place to visit and spend money they need, I do recommend it though it is not a place where schedules mean anything and it is more a place for people with more time than money.
People with disabilities are still scorned everywhere after all these years when people had a chance to enlighten themselves. There is still a stigma attached to having a disability. It doesn't matter where you live. Non-disabled people often treat people with disabilities with cruelty and thoughtlessness, because they think God is punishing them for some unknown wrongdoing or they wouldn't have a disability. Also, on the TV and movie screen, people with some sort of disability often plays the "villain," which makes people want to treat people with disabilities badly in real life because a lot of people cannot separate what they see in the media from the real world. The fact is: The "disabled" make up the largest "minority" group in the world, and it is the only one that anyone can join at any time for any, and all reasons, and no reason. You don't have to have done anything displeasing in God's eyes. Crap happens, up to and including being born with a disability. Even people who don't believe in reincarnation and karma see people with developmental disabilities as "bad" because they have an inherent flaw. These bigots need to look in the mirror if they want to see the origin of the attitude that is the only real disability of those considered as having a disability and being discriminated against. I have Aspergers, and have been treated very badly by others throughout my almost sixty years of life due to an almost invisible disability. My only real disability is the attitude of the bigots who would deny me equal opportunity because of my disability. To them, I say, those who mind, don't matter; those who matter, don't mind. Always remember, one one deserves to have a disability. Crap happens.
You think you've got it bad, rumor has it that some people are being killed because they are the wrong religion. But that's probably not true.
Deborah, where are you hearing that disabled people are being mistreated because people think they are being punished by God? I think sometime people just make things up and think that other people are going to buy it. I don't!! I am sure some disabled people in this country are mistreated but on the whole I think most are respected and extended a helping hand.
Republicans want to cut people off of their disability benefits here in the USA, and the American people cheer them on because they stupidly believe that all those people with physical and mental handicaps are just lazy bums who don't want to work for a living. Disabled people here won't forget what they tried to do them in July of 2011. They will go to the voting booths and vote against them this year!
That's just part of it. My favorite is the opportunity to kill seniors. If we can manage to isolate and combine the killing of seniors with the poisoning of the water supply it would be more efficient. Those are just two of the major plans we have according to some democrat congressmen and congresswomen. With these major abuses in the works the disabled have escaped the major abuses. Thanks for the reminder, I'll pass it on.
.
This is an example of what Republicans want America to be. Book it!
That stuff is just for Saturday. You should see the Republican schedule for Monday thru Friday! We are really going to be busy. The really tough one trying to coordinate now is the shut down of schools so the children can't learn. Some of the teachers are really pesky so we're just going to fire all of them and start over. I have to admit that I didn't believe this myself but in talks from democrat congressmen and women this is also happening. I'm almost overwhelmed trying to keep up with all of these activities.
Are we not human? Whatever happens to the weakest of us, should rest on the shoulders of the strongest!
Survival of the fittest comes to mind...
Shandril, if the Republicans thought they could get away with it, they would gas everyone with a disability like Hitler did because basically, the Republican party is the American nazi party.
EPA refused to issue a permit for the ovens due to concerns about air quality.
You're silly. Almost over the top.
Deborah, speaking of gas, I think you are inhaling some.
Always remember, one one deserves to have a disability. Crap happens
Meant to say "No one deserves to have a disability, whether acquired after birth or before birth." And crap DOES happen. Genetics, drunk drivers, and a dirty environment are the leading causes of disability. I believe that the great increase in Parkinsons is due to a high amount of mercury in a lot of the food we eat, especially raw ocean fish and mollusks. My parents both loved raw oysters, and both developed Parkinsons.
I realize that some people bring their own disability onto themselves. Some people who don't otherwise have a genetic predisposition towards diabetes can sometimes eat themselves silly and develop the disease.
One thing I want to let anyone of a persuasion that people with disabilities shouldn't be allowed to exist, and I am talking to a lot of you Republicans/conservatives/Teapartyists: People with disabilities have JUST AS MUCH OF A RIGHT to exist as you do, and have a right to not be starved out of existence by being denied the only income they have, disability income. If any of you are caught by me while you are trying to make the life of a person with a disability miserable, YOU are the one who will be made to suffer, BY ME. If I have to, I will literally kick your !@##, and even after many years away from the karate dojo, I can still kick pretty hard, and I know WHERE to place the kick for maximum effect.
Wear your kevlar vest if you attack me.
You have aright to oxygen, when your born, it's free, everything else has to be paid for by somebody.
Soon as the paying starts yourn rights are what you can pay for.,
Deborah, you do know that the president of Bolivia is a lefts right?
Dr. Strangelove is protesting?
cool landcruiser.
Looks like a huge potato (potatoe?) in that wheelchair in the first picture.
THE TRUTH ABOUT BOLIVIA ! ! !
We can all...ALL learn a lesson here. President Evo is a man that had ZERO Political experience, and won the hearts and minds of the majority by PROMISING..... PROMISING....PROMISING.
His plan worked briliently.... until the country RAN OUT OF MONEY to pay for the promises. So....
-The RETIREMENT AGE he lowered by 5 years.... NO MONEY TO FULFIL THE PLAN
- Better medicine FOR ALL .....Moneys in Healthcare ran out....Healthcare system in Bolivia is in Ruin.
- Higher wages for ALLLL.......those evil multinationals lowered their workforces, transferred offices to Chile, Ecuador, Peru. Now...?...EXPLODING UNEMPLOYMENT
- Because Evo Raised taxes on the Rich, less...LESS TAX REVENUE is coming in. Those evil Rich folks "tacky thay moneys for outy of da Bolivias"
SIMPLY PUT....
Promising to the poor WITHOUT a solid plan to pay will end in failure. The VAST MAJORITY of countrys that has RAISED TAXES on the rich sees lower tax revenues. This is because those "Evil Rich" will simply spend less, lay off employees (which lead to fewer tax payers), or move moneys away.
I hope that Freethinker is actually being sarcastic. While living with a disability in the United States is no joke, I do not know of many other nations except, perhaps, England where you have disability related legisaltions like the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as ammended over the years. Where there is an equivalent of the Americans with Disabilities Act which mandates access to virtually all aspects of life from education to employment of persons with disabilities. I do not know of many nations where the Federal Government is trying to ensure the meaninful inclusion of qualified individuals with disabilities in hiring through the Schedule A program or the federal Government here, and i do not know of many national government that employs, train, promote persons with disabilities like here in the United States. Many of President Obama's appointees are people with disabilities, and that is a fact. So i believe it is a gross disrespect to our country to compare USA to Bolivia when it comes to the treatment of people with disabilities by the government.
I think our news media has warped so much of our thinking. Instead of presenting this story as rebels that are seeking to overthrow authority, pictures are shown of those who have tear gas in their eyes and are crying. One story after another, our liberal and conservative stations alike encourage rebellion against governing authorities, and one nation after another keeps following in suit and causing chaos. I'm not condoning every act of this government, and I know there is evil inside of every government, but we have become so selfish and so demanding that we no longer understand order, submission to authority, and honor. I feel sorry for these people. But I will not be so politically correct and brainwashed as to condone this kind of action against the police. As one person said, if the Lord doesn't come back soon and take down the nations, He owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology. We are a rebellious and stubborn people. Sad.