The thing I've heard about Sarah Palin, John McCain's choice to join
him on the Republican ticket as vice president, that's most interesting
to me likely is the same as will be the most interesting to you. It has
nothing to do with salmon fishing, caribou hunting or her looks.
She has a child, a baby, with Down Syndrome.
That's
interesting to me for one because I can't remember it really being the
case before with a national candidate at this level. It's even more
interesting to me because my first thought was wow, this might be a
great opportunity for bringing the rights of the developmentally
disabled into the national spotlight.
So far, not so much.
Seemingly every time I hear Palin's baby, four-month old Trig,
mentioned it is as an indicator of her strong commitment to her pro
life stance for not terminating her pregnancy when she knew the baby
had Down syndrome. Commendable as this is, the linkage is more to the
hot potato issue of abortion rights than to disability rights.
To her credit I have not heard Palin herself say anything that didn't
pass the test. When talking of her pregnancy, she says she could have
never considered terminating it and loves her baby. It's usually
pundits -- and by extension the party operatives that have whispered in
their ear -- who make the link to the pro-life stance.
The verdict is out and Palin is brand new on the national scene. We
should give her time to grow as both a parent of a child with a
disability and as a political figure who can make a difference in
issues that are near and dear to the community of people with
disabilities. Her suitability -- and that of her running mate -- goes
beyond this issue. She may not win and I'm not sure she even should.
Personally, I don;'t stand with most of what her party stands for in
the presidential election.
But we can always use another supporter, and one with this intimate connection in high places could be very powerful indeed.
