I really need to thank Sarah Palin. As strange as that sounds, it is true.
She and McCain mention special needs children and they slowly expose a discrimination and ignorance that is present in many standard families.
On Daily Kos I have been asked:
Why should my tax dollars pay for the education your child receives?
Why would a parent knowlingly decide to have a child that is such a burden?
What quality of life can a child that is so mentally disabled possibly have?
I belong to a special club of parents who have children that are different. Palin has just started her journey. Millions already know what she may someday learn.
Our lives become so full of noise and motion. Sometime we don't see what is right in front of us.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Is one life full of value and another not worth living? Only if your way of determining the value of a life is through your own narrow view of the world. Many are unable to see the joy and love in a developmentally disabled child or adult. The thought is something like if that happens to me just shoot me and put me out of my misery.
I really began to see the other side of this when supporting a young gal who is non-verbal and has cerebral palsy. She is the happiest little girl you could meet. I have had the best time taking her out for ice cream or root beer. She just loves both. I am always frustrated by the behavior of others when we go into a public place. Last week we emptied out a Dairy Queen, no one inside would stay and experience the joy of ice cream with us. I put on her bib and started feeding her the ice cream. She let out moans of pure joy. She has almost no control of her hands but when ice cream is in play all of a sudden she can control her left hand and she reaches for the cone. I have a spoon and help her to get as much of it as we can in her mouth instead of on her bib. It is a absolute mess when we are done. The table, floor and booth are covered in ice cream and so is she. I clean up afterwards and one of the employees comes over and thanks me. The employee says "she sure loves ice cream, you can see it on her face". Yes she does is my reply. The employee looks at her smiling face and tells us both "you can come in here and eat anytime, don't worry about the folks that left, I like the two of you better". What is it that the Dairy Queen employee can see that makes other refuse to look?
"A shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases."
My step-son has down syndrome. He is a fine young man, 17 years old and just learning to talk. He has a simple view of the world. We live within walking distance of a nice beach and walk down to the shore from time to time. He loves to put his feet in the warm sand and throw pebbles at the shore. He can look at a rock and admire it for what seems like eternity. He takes me to a place when my life was less hectic and I could sit still and enjoy the moment. He is always able to live in the present and enjoy the moment. His life is today and right now, not next month or next year. When I am lucky, real lucky, I am able to join him and live in the moment. He is my teacher. He shows me how to slow down. I am his care provider, he is my teacher.
"To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life."
As for the education issue. I have to wonder why folks don't get it. If your house catches on fire does the fire department get to say you live in an area they decided not to protect? Perhaps your home costs more to protect than mine, should we save money by eliminating your home from protection? If you are in need of the police do they get to tell you that you aren't in an area they want to serve? Why would we have an education system for some, but not all? Police, fire, and education are the fabric of our society. If we as a society decide to save money by not educating my child then we as a society can decide to let your house burn.
"Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one."
I am a Special Olympics coach in our town. Today was our bowling opener. We had about 25 bowlers and perhaps 10 parents at our practice today. The girls who were 20 to 30 years old set up together next to the guys of about the same age. They laughed and flirted with the guys. Bobby, the rock star of the group came in and all all the gals said hello at once. Cheers and shouts of joy filled the place as the athletes bowled. Parents, brothers, sisters, and friends spent the afternoon together and visited with one another. We are a mix of wheelchairs, down syndrome, autism, hydroencephaly, developmentally disability, cerebral palsy and more. To the average american we may look like a freak show but to the folks involved it is another sunday with friends.