Dec 15, 2017
Ady Barkan--the 33-year-old political activist who last week seized a chance enounter on an airplane to confront Republican Senator Jeff Flake from his home state of Arizona over the pending tax overhaul legislation--is having a birthday on Monday, but this year he only has one wish: For people nationwide to rise up and raise hell in opposition to what has become known as the "GOP tax scam."
"Monday is my 34th birthday. I probably won't have many more," he wrote in a Saturday email sent by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC). He continued:
As I said in my email earlier this week when I shared the viral video of my conversation with Senator Jeff Flake on a plane from DC, a year ago I was healthy. Then, I was diagnosed with ALS-- also called Lou Gehrig's disease--which is a rapidly progressing deadly ailment with no cure.
Now, I walk with a cane, I have trouble breathing, and I don't even have the strength to lift my 18 month old son into my lap.
Some days I feel like giving up. But I can't. Instead, I've been crisscrossing the country fighting the Republican tax bill--and fighting for my life.
The Republican tax plan would mean serious cuts to disability funding that I'll need before too long to pay for a ventilator to keep me alive and other crucial medical care. What will these Republicans in Congress say to my son if I can't get one?
My birthday is Monday and I have one wish. I want us to make it into a massive day of action to kill the Republican tax scam.
Along with the PCCC, Barkan encouraged people to sign up for and then attend a rally or event in their local district on Monday, December 18th.
\u201cPeople like @AdyBarkan are what this fight against the #GOPTaxScam are all about. We can defeat this horrific piece of legislation, but only if everyone stands up and fights back.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1513432806
Other groups, including MoveOn.org and others, are also organizing:
\u201cPlease read and share this thread. Meet us Monday and Tuesday in DC to stop the #GOPTaxScam.\n\nSign up here: https://t.co/GP0IFohxJ1 https://t.co/u8KKRnshMe\u201d— Women's March (@Women's March) 1513448992
\u201cOur peer-to-peer calling tool is BACK and we've only got DAYS to kill the #TrumpTaxScam. After you've called your own Senators, get started calling progressives in Maine and Arizona asking them to call their Senators to demand a no vote: https://t.co/GM5cB5Zlc2\u201d— Indivisible Guide (@Indivisible Guide) 1513173409
Since the video of him calling on Flake to buck his party and become a "hero" to the nation by voting against the GOP's plan, Barkan has made several media appearances, including this recent interview on CNN:
And in this video, posted by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) on Friday after he and his family spent time together in her DC office, Barkan explained why it remains so vital that people rise up to stop Trump and the Republicans in the days ahead:
\u201cMake no mistake: the #GOPTaxScam is not just about numbers. If Congress passes a tax bill that gives corporations massive handouts, it\u2019ll be on the backs of people like @AdyBarkan.\u201d— Elizabeth Warren (@Elizabeth Warren) 1513368879
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
ady barkanelizabeth warrenpeople powerprogressive change campaign committeerepublican partysusan collinstaxation
Ady Barkan--the 33-year-old political activist who last week seized a chance enounter on an airplane to confront Republican Senator Jeff Flake from his home state of Arizona over the pending tax overhaul legislation--is having a birthday on Monday, but this year he only has one wish: For people nationwide to rise up and raise hell in opposition to what has become known as the "GOP tax scam."
"Monday is my 34th birthday. I probably won't have many more," he wrote in a Saturday email sent by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC). He continued:
As I said in my email earlier this week when I shared the viral video of my conversation with Senator Jeff Flake on a plane from DC, a year ago I was healthy. Then, I was diagnosed with ALS-- also called Lou Gehrig's disease--which is a rapidly progressing deadly ailment with no cure.
Now, I walk with a cane, I have trouble breathing, and I don't even have the strength to lift my 18 month old son into my lap.
Some days I feel like giving up. But I can't. Instead, I've been crisscrossing the country fighting the Republican tax bill--and fighting for my life.
The Republican tax plan would mean serious cuts to disability funding that I'll need before too long to pay for a ventilator to keep me alive and other crucial medical care. What will these Republicans in Congress say to my son if I can't get one?
My birthday is Monday and I have one wish. I want us to make it into a massive day of action to kill the Republican tax scam.
Along with the PCCC, Barkan encouraged people to sign up for and then attend a rally or event in their local district on Monday, December 18th.
\u201cPeople like @AdyBarkan are what this fight against the #GOPTaxScam are all about. We can defeat this horrific piece of legislation, but only if everyone stands up and fights back.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1513432806
Other groups, including MoveOn.org and others, are also organizing:
\u201cPlease read and share this thread. Meet us Monday and Tuesday in DC to stop the #GOPTaxScam.\n\nSign up here: https://t.co/GP0IFohxJ1 https://t.co/u8KKRnshMe\u201d— Women's March (@Women's March) 1513448992
\u201cOur peer-to-peer calling tool is BACK and we've only got DAYS to kill the #TrumpTaxScam. After you've called your own Senators, get started calling progressives in Maine and Arizona asking them to call their Senators to demand a no vote: https://t.co/GM5cB5Zlc2\u201d— Indivisible Guide (@Indivisible Guide) 1513173409
Since the video of him calling on Flake to buck his party and become a "hero" to the nation by voting against the GOP's plan, Barkan has made several media appearances, including this recent interview on CNN:
And in this video, posted by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) on Friday after he and his family spent time together in her DC office, Barkan explained why it remains so vital that people rise up to stop Trump and the Republicans in the days ahead:
\u201cMake no mistake: the #GOPTaxScam is not just about numbers. If Congress passes a tax bill that gives corporations massive handouts, it\u2019ll be on the backs of people like @AdyBarkan.\u201d— Elizabeth Warren (@Elizabeth Warren) 1513368879
Ady Barkan--the 33-year-old political activist who last week seized a chance enounter on an airplane to confront Republican Senator Jeff Flake from his home state of Arizona over the pending tax overhaul legislation--is having a birthday on Monday, but this year he only has one wish: For people nationwide to rise up and raise hell in opposition to what has become known as the "GOP tax scam."
"Monday is my 34th birthday. I probably won't have many more," he wrote in a Saturday email sent by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC). He continued:
As I said in my email earlier this week when I shared the viral video of my conversation with Senator Jeff Flake on a plane from DC, a year ago I was healthy. Then, I was diagnosed with ALS-- also called Lou Gehrig's disease--which is a rapidly progressing deadly ailment with no cure.
Now, I walk with a cane, I have trouble breathing, and I don't even have the strength to lift my 18 month old son into my lap.
Some days I feel like giving up. But I can't. Instead, I've been crisscrossing the country fighting the Republican tax bill--and fighting for my life.
The Republican tax plan would mean serious cuts to disability funding that I'll need before too long to pay for a ventilator to keep me alive and other crucial medical care. What will these Republicans in Congress say to my son if I can't get one?
My birthday is Monday and I have one wish. I want us to make it into a massive day of action to kill the Republican tax scam.
Along with the PCCC, Barkan encouraged people to sign up for and then attend a rally or event in their local district on Monday, December 18th.
\u201cPeople like @AdyBarkan are what this fight against the #GOPTaxScam are all about. We can defeat this horrific piece of legislation, but only if everyone stands up and fights back.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1513432806
Other groups, including MoveOn.org and others, are also organizing:
\u201cPlease read and share this thread. Meet us Monday and Tuesday in DC to stop the #GOPTaxScam.\n\nSign up here: https://t.co/GP0IFohxJ1 https://t.co/u8KKRnshMe\u201d— Women's March (@Women's March) 1513448992
\u201cOur peer-to-peer calling tool is BACK and we've only got DAYS to kill the #TrumpTaxScam. After you've called your own Senators, get started calling progressives in Maine and Arizona asking them to call their Senators to demand a no vote: https://t.co/GM5cB5Zlc2\u201d— Indivisible Guide (@Indivisible Guide) 1513173409
Since the video of him calling on Flake to buck his party and become a "hero" to the nation by voting against the GOP's plan, Barkan has made several media appearances, including this recent interview on CNN:
And in this video, posted by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) on Friday after he and his family spent time together in her DC office, Barkan explained why it remains so vital that people rise up to stop Trump and the Republicans in the days ahead:
\u201cMake no mistake: the #GOPTaxScam is not just about numbers. If Congress passes a tax bill that gives corporations massive handouts, it\u2019ll be on the backs of people like @AdyBarkan.\u201d— Elizabeth Warren (@Elizabeth Warren) 1513368879
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.