Susan Senator

Well said Susan.

I remember McCain called Obama something like “that one” and though it was likely a slip, it hinted at an underlying lack of respect for his opposition. Likewise this horrible slip from Obama indicates that he, like many others, respects people with developmental and learning disabilities less than others. He must apologise explicitly, and not try to fob it off as a joke. It’s just not funny, not from a person in his position.

He did apologize, right?

I understand your ire though.

My kid can stay up later than him, and can probably pick a better NCAA bracket.

When we are children the horrible indoctrination begins…We learn that word “retarded” and it becomes part of our personal put-down arsenal. Later, when we are in our politically correct phrase, we might use a sly look and indicate someone is “special” and we sure do mean it in the cruelest way. Then you become an Autism Mom, and the world, and these little perjoritives take on a whole new meaning. Frankly, sometimes I STILL catch myself thinking that word. There’s a learning curve here. I think we need to cut the Prez some slack. He is genuinely sorry. Let’s let this be an opportunity for growth for all.

Kent, Guy Rude,
I am with you. I will give him a break, but I want to see Fielding’s idea happen: he now should bowl with an SO athlete IN the White House. Or, how about a really cute teenage basketball player who only recently learned how to score?? Hmm, if only we could find one of those…

Oh, sorry Kent! “Guy Rude” is what I call “The Guy You Thought Was Rude,” a friend of mine who makes comments frequently on my blog. He’s really not rude at all — at least, not recently!

I was addressing my comment to you and to him. –SLS

I think we all say silly things that we later regret but someone in his position needs to think carefully before he says things. Still, he did apologize and I’m thankful for the fact that his administration are prioritizing autism.

OK here’s the thing…Why does humiliating the disabled get a pass? “Oh, I don’t think the poor guy really meant to humiliate disabled people.” This shows an underlying contempt that I think Obama has for many people… he is just as elitist as the Hollywood crowd he wishes to woo. Bottom line: This morning, without warning, during the morning news shows, I had to explain to my son why the P-O-T-U-S just made fun of Special Olympics. My son participated in SO for the first time last spring and still shows off his medals proudly. I did not have an answer for him. Do you Kent? Do you Chun?

From CNN:

he Special Olympics organization is calling on President Obama to “consider” hiring one of their athletes to work in the White House, following the president’s reference to the organization during his Thursday night appearance on The Tonight Show.

“In so doing, he could help end misperceptions about the talents and abilities of people with intellectual disabilities, and demonstrate their dignity and value to the world,” Timothy Shriver, the chairman of the Special Olympics, said in a statement released Friday morning.

Shriver also said the president was heartfelt in his apology, but added “words hurt and words matter.”

“Words can cause pain and result in stereotypes that are unfair and damaging to people with intellectual disabilities,” Shriver said in the statement. “And using “Special Olympics” in a negative or derogatory context can be a humiliating put-down to people with special needs.”

Thanks to Obama’s stimulus package the autism summer program is being expanded in my city — 30 more hours of programming this summer. Let’s remember what really matters here. Obama is including greater funding for special education in the stimulus. McCain would not have. Did you ever wonder if you might have said something insensitive if you had never had a disabled child? I know I might be guilty of thoughtlessness if I wasn’t the parent of a child with a disability. Let’s not be so quick to condemn.

Hmm… does the Special Olympics have bowling? Because I bet the athletes are a heck of a lot better than the President… which is OK, because that’s what they train to do, and it doesn’t matter if the President gets a gutter ball. But people don’t seem to realize that Special Olympics athletes are really pretty darn good. It’s not just some patronizing, “Ooh, you’re so cute, let’s give you a ribbon” thing. It’s real competition. And the participants have outgrown the cute anyway.

You had me up until the “outgrown the cute” thing. Just like anywhere, there are SO participants who are cute and some who are not. But what I have found in life is that most people, once you get to know them are cute in one way or another.

I was more reacting to some of the harsh comments than to your post. I do agree that Obama’s comment was not a good thing. One positive thing to keep in mind is that the younger generation is going to be much more sensitive to the disabled among us than our generation was raised to be. They have been going to school and living in the community with all kinds of kids. This exposure bodes well for the future of our children as they become adults.

My husband thought too big a deal was made of it. I think we have a right to expect our president not to say things like that…even on a local government level in the small town where I lived, if someone said something like that I know there would be an outcry…so for our president, of whom we are hanging on his every word…it was very disappointing and we have a right to expect more or better from him. Big bummer to me.

Susan, I just had to say that I loved this line you wrote :

“But what I have found in life is that most people, once you get to know them are cute in one way or another.”

You know, that is so true, most people, once you get to know them have something cute about them.