I had nothing against Bush when he entered the White House. Ivoted for Nadar-bater for reasons beyond rational politics. I feltBush won the election — and that Florida was bogus. However, thistime Bush has done something that entitles him to revel in hisridicule and bask in his jack-assery.

It’snot his stance on abortion; I’m down with that. It’s not Ashcroft;I’m cool with him, too. It’s not the fact that he told California tosolve it’s own problems when the entire nation’s economy relies onthis paradise — whatever.

It’s his Social Security reform.

The new Social Security plan is going to decrease the benefits ofthe disabled. The disabled are the most commonly ignored minority,but the one we should look after first.

The disabled have to overcome obstacles beyond poverty and lateretirement. For those who are disabled in the middle of their lives,they have to figure out a way to adjust and keep out of depression.

Some are looking for ways to salvage broken lives while Beavis andButthead — I mean Cheney and Bush — are sitting around in the ovaloffice right now going “huh, huh … taxes suck, let’s get rid ofthem” and “yeah, yeah, screw the disabled, taxes suck.”

This nation is callous to the disabled. In certain countries, ourslower friends are “blessings from God.” In this country, we shovethem in the corner hoping nobody will notice. We are also planning tohurt them with Social Security reform.

In this country, we are always trying to get at “the man.” I agreewe should track him down and jump him, but cutting away from thedisabled is a step in the wrong direction. Screw over the poor beforeyou take money from disabled pockets. If you’re poor, “the man” mayhave made you go to a lame school or deprived you of materialpossessions, but the man never took away your vision. The disabledneed government charity more than any other group, but we are lookingto cut their benefits.

Why?

We take away from the disabled because they are quiet enough tolet us.

I’m not a racist, and I don’t hate old people. I’m just saying ifthe people getting hammered by Social Security reform were singlemothers, the elderly or non-whites — all hell would break loose.Bush would be branded a white male and the whole world’s ears wouldache from the bitching. However, when the people who need our helpand understanding the most are being hosed, nobody hears about it orcares.

Before we whine about not giving aid to India, or how hard it isto be poor in the United States (because nothing is worse than beingpoor), perhaps we should glance in the corner.

The corner we have shoved and continue to shove all the disabledinto.

Yeah, maybe we should make sure they’re OK before we move on toother issues.

Beavis and Butthead are hell bent on lowering taxes, so somebodyis going to get reamed. Let’s just make sure the disabled are thelast on their list.

–Joe Zarro is an undeclared freshman. Send e-mail to daletter2000@hotmail.com.

–This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of TheDaily Aztec.