Sending a message to Paul Ryan.

• Author: Ervin, Mike
• Position: Congressman Paul Ryan plans to cut Medicaid grants for disabled persons

I'm worried. Maybe it's time to escalate this protest. All we're doing is quietly handing out flyers to people as they enter church for the 5 p.m. Saturday Mass. This is way too low-key for our disability rights group, ADAPT. Our usual modus operandi is to have several dozen people with a variety of disabilities occupy offices and block streets or building entrances. Often, we don't leave until we're arrested.

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This evening, about three or four dozen ADAPTers from Illinois and Wisconsin, most of us in wheelchairs, are gathered outside U.S. Representative Paul Ryan's church, St. John Vianney, in Janesville, Wisconsin. Ryan is a longtime member and used to be an altar boy here. I'm worried that my fellow ADAPTers from Chicago, who traveled two hours to get here, will feel like they wasted their time if there isn't some action soon.

But then a buzz starts up among the milling parishioners. "They're passing out flyers." Our flyer features the face of the Virgin Mary and a fluttering dove. In bold red letters, it says: "Paul Ryan: No Medicaid Block Grants! Keep the Affordable Care Act!"

A tall black man emerges from the church. He's dressed like a priest. His accent sounds Nigerian, and I later learn he is from that country. He asks if there's someone he can speak to. Since my assignment is to deal with the priest, I introduce myself. He says he's Father Paul, the pastor. He's upset.

Father Paul says we have to stop passing out flyers and either come inside and worship or get off church property. I assure him we'll be peaceful. We just want to offer flyers to anyone who wants one and explain our issue to anyone who cares to listen.

We're here because Ryan, his parishioner, is a hypocrite. He professes to be a Christian while pushing a political agenda that's very destructive for disabled people. Father Paul says if we don't put the flyers away, he'll call the police. We keep passing out flyers. Father Paul goes back inside. A few minutes later, the police arrive.

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