Vintages of Activism
By: Opinion

Over twenty two years, The New Hampshire Challenge has witnessed extraordinary individuals stand up and be counted when our people were under attack. Don Shumway, Pete Eldredge, Jan Nisbet, Chuck Raymond -we will write about Chuck’s accomplishments in upcoming issues – and many others.

Broadly speaking, these activists come from two distinct sources. Some are trained and nurtured within the community, and gain positions of importance where they can really make a difference. Jan Nisbet fits this group. Over the last twenty plus years Jan found herself in a powerful position of influence at the Institute on Disability, at the University of New Hampshire. She and the IOD became the epicenter of ‘inclusion’ for our citizens with disabilities. Jan would never sacrifice her core valued, through good times or bad. The IOD has become a beacon of what the world should be, concerning citizens with disabilities under Jan’s well trained, informed and enlightened leadership and activism.

Then there are people who show up, unannounced, unwanted and shunned at the outbreak of their activism. No one has trained them. These unwanted activists seldom attend conferences, coffees, or legislative teas. They gain press, they fight viciously for justice and are called all sorts of names as they bring the fight, on behalf of those who cannot fight for themselves, to self proclaimed powerful people like John Stephen. Pete Eldredge is clearly such an Activist.

The truth of the matter is both vintages of activists need each other. The very success of the disability movement in New Hampshire over these last twenty five years has depended upon formally trained activists like Jan, and unwanted, insulted, and loud activists like Pete and his Granite State Concerned Parents and Advocates (GSCPAs). If you really want to reward Pete sometime, ask him about a present State Senator and two Commissioners of Health and Human Services proclaimed him a liar. Time proved who the liars were, it was not Pete. Loose any side of this equation, and people with disabilities in New Hampshire are immediately under threat.

Time will tell who will step into Jan Nisbet’s role, and our prayers will be with the University of New Hampshire as this void is filled. We are seeing glimmers of hope, as Pete moves on to a more relaxed approach to activism – make no mistake Pete carries on, just at a slower pace. NH ABLE is developing into a potentially powerful oven of activism, and others are popping up now and then as budget cuts target our most vulnerable people. Time will tell if they will have the staying power of Pete and Jan, but God knows we need a new generation of both TRAINED and UNWANTED activists.

We at The New Hampshire Challenge wish rich blessings on both Jan and Pete. They have given us a great deal to write about!!