GIVING
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
Where I grew
up, you went out of your way to thank a person for helping you.
Recently,
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and his professional team – in this case led by Director
of Constituent Affairs Lazaro Quintero – addressed a problem that
threatened the health, safety, mobility and civil rights of my wife of 33 years.
I will not
go into much detail -- because if the person who illegally targeted Heidi Johnson-Wright
ever attempts to hurt her again, a half dozen lawyers will litigate them into
oblivion. Suffice to say, picture a super-sturdy and costly wheelchair ramp --
in place for 20 years at a 100-year-old home – coming under attack without cause or justification.
At the brink
of launching an exhaustive legal recourse and unrelenting media campaign to
underscore an unjust situation bordering on a hate crime, we reached out to
Mayor Suarez.
Years ago,
when he was our District Commissioner in the City of Miami, he resolved a
longstanding battle over the future of the small green space we live on.
Historic William Jennings Bryan Park was slated to become two acres of asphalt
for a noisy traffic and parking nightmare that would trade tranquil open space
for a grossly out-of-scale tournament tennis center.
A compromise
was drafted. Basically, the eastern acre of the park became active space –
three outstanding tennis courts, a restroom/park manager building the size of a
small house, a barrier-free play area plus preserved trees and benches. The
western acre remained as one of the few islands of green grass – where folks 8
to 80 could play dozens of games, from kite flying to soccer.
Long known
as a free-thinker who speaks his mind, I think my praise for Mayor Suarez and
his team means more because I have had no issue sharing problems with the
city. This blog and all of my social media has called out the mayor, city
manager, commissioners plus city departments and organizations.
Usually, it
is about lack of wheelchair access. Dockless scooters blocking curb ramps,
sidewalks and bus stops are a frequent target of my speaking truth to power. I
also shine light on new or renovated buildings that illegally lack wheelchair access.
I’ve also
been known to criticize development deals, especially those that encroach on
precious park land.
While I
don’t back every policy decision Mayor Suarez makes, but I appreciate him
deeply for sincerely caring about people with disabilities.
We praise his
actions while stressing that he DID NOT do us a favor. We did the city a favor,
by alerting it to a civil rights-denying action against people with
disabilities.
Recognizing this and protecting the interests of all who have
physical, visual, hearing and cognitive disabilities, is what earns our praise.
