Paralyzed Wisconsin lawmaker shows more courage than those who tried to exploit him

It is more clear than ever that Wisconsin State Rep. Jimmy Anderson is a man of courage. Anderson was paralyzed in a car crash caused by a drunk driver who ran a stop sign. His mother, his father, and his brother were all killed in the crash. Anderson ran for the State Assembly and was duly elected by his constituents. But his condition made it difficult for him to do his job, especially when that meant sitting in his wheelchair for hours at a time while the Assembly grandstanded and filibustered. He developed sores, and needed surgery. He pressured Assembly leaders to allow him to phone in to some meetings, but party bosses said no for months. Finally they scheduled a debate on basically becoming ADA compliant, but not before tying the new rules to others allowing for more attempts to override a gubernatorial veto. They were using Anderson as a pawn for power. But Anderson didn’t go quietly. He invoked a rule forcing all members of the Assembly to listen to him speak. He told of his troubles, and asked for their help to better do his job. Then he voted against the legislation he had fought for, not wanting to allow the partisan power grab. Even while paralyzed in his wheelchair, Anderson showed significantly power courage than those who exploited his disability in order to strengthen their hold on power.