What pissed us off at the debate was MCCain's praise of Palin as a mother of a handicapped child

[demigoddess]

Saying she knew what it was like, and was qualified. HAH!!!! We have been parents of a handicapped child for 36 years, and we know that Palin has barely scratched the surface of the problems of handicapped children and their parents. I bet they did not tell Palin that her child was going to die, just take him home and wait for it. I bet they did not say that there was no reason to think about school for him. Or that he would never know her as his mother. That is what we fought and she did not have her child taken away at birth to put into a home because of all the brave parents of Downs children in the 60's and 70's who kept their children at home in spite of what the doctors said and proved that Downs children do not die within one year as previously believed. It was also those brave parents in those years who finally got a law that said that we could send our children to public school. She does not know single thing about handicapped children and their parents who were community organizers or something like that to get these laws passed and the attitudes changed.

I was so happy when a boy of nine in our neighborhood asked, "How old is she?" Instead of "why is she retarded". When I told him my daughter was nine years old, he answered with "that's how old I am!" instead of something derogatory. I remember him and the parents and teachers who opened his mind all those years ago.. Long may they wave, and soon may we forget Sarah Palin.

[kirby]

1. Not only that, but he referred to her Downs baby as Autistic!

When I heard him say that, I thought not only did he have the fact wrong, but how much experience does someone really have with a 6-mo old?

[underpants]

3. That was noticeable

I looked at my wife and said, "Her son has Downs Syndrome he's not autistic!!"

[K8-EEE]

5. I have an autistic daughter and that really grabbed me too

It was kind of like he was so uninterested in the subject that he was only vaguely aware of something being "wrong" with the baby -- don't close associates, work friends, discuss these things??? My friends are always asking me what is going on with my daughter, what we are trying, etc., that was really a strange reference.

[jmondine]

4. WHAT?!?!

Do you have a link to this? As the father of a child with autism, this is UNBELIEVABLE! Since the heartbreaking day of his diagnosis, I have never once mistakenly referred to his disability as something else... especially a disability as demonstrably different as Down Syndrome!

How could ANY parent of a disabled child get this WRONG!!! Is she that detached from her own child's fate? If true, this makes me furious!
:mad: :nuke:

[FloridaJudy]

6. No link

But we all heard it loud and clear during the debate. It was truly a :wtf: moment. John: if you don't know the difference between autism and Down syndrome, just STFU, okay? You look ridiculous to anyone who's ever loved a special needs child.

[kath]

10. I'm pretty sure he did it **more than once**.

and having a baby with Down syndrome for five freakin' months does NOT make you an expert on it.

[jmondine]

11. Oh, OK... it was McCain, not Palin, who did this

That's still boneheaded, but not as infuriating... until my son's diagnosis, I wasn't fully aware of the huge difference between the two.

That'll teach me to fly off the cuff before reading the OP more carefully. :P

"My logic is in question when it comes to my son".

[kirby]

13. Here is part of the transcript from McCain.

SCHIEFFER: Senator?

MCCAIN:
She'll be my partner. She understands reform. And, by the way, she also understands special-needs families. She understands that autism is on the rise, that we've got to find out what's causing it, and we've got to reach out to these families, and help them, and give them the help they need as they raise these very special needs children.

She understands that better than almost any American that I know. I'm proud of her.

Later...

MCCAIN:

And I just said to you earlier, town hall meeting after town hall meeting, parents come with kids, children -- precious children who have autism. Sarah Palin knows about that better than most. And we'll find and we'll spend the money, research, to find the cause of autism. And we'll care for these young children. And all Americans will open their wallets and their hearts to do so.

[boobooday]

2. Yes, she is no expert until she gets a little further along in her journey

It's a lifetime process.

I have a young adult child with developmental disabilities, and an elderly aunt (with whom I was raised) who has severe developmental disabilities as well. It looks to me like Sarracuda has barely scratched the surface.

[FireFly70]

7. I was so hoping someone would post this!

I caught that too, he said it twice, the first time, I thought he was just saying that because Palin had a disabled child, she knows the struggles that parents have with disable children, but the second time he said it, you could totally tell he didn't know what the F---he was talking about....Hey McCain, DOWNS SYNDROME is not the same as AUTISM. And 6months as a mother of a Downs Syndrome baby does not qualify her as the ultimate authority on the subject. She may be the person you know best that has a disabled child (not saying much since you don't know what Trig has) but there are many other parents, school officials, doctors, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. that have had life time experiences with these situations. Certainly people who S. Palin will have to turn to for advice or help. This to me drove the point home about how out of touch you are with reality. you made my blood boil with your insensitivity.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. I am a special ed teacher who thinks Palin should have that baby taken away

She is a horrid mother.

[Dems4me]

9. On Recap, He said she knew probably better than anyone in America! I have a handicap 22 year old &

I totally agree. She hasn't even scratched the surface yet.

[gblady]

12. he was sooo

FOS on that topic on so many levels...

getting the problem incorrect...
implying she was being a good mother....
implying she knew more than anyone about special needs...
insinuating she would be an advocate of special needs...
not mentioning her special needs funding cutbacks as gov of AK.

so pathetically wrong!