Please set aside politics and really look at the issue. What angers me the most is the fact that we are aware that this language hurts, it causes pain, it is cruel, and it is wrong.

Yet when asked to stop, to not make people with cognitive disabilities the target of this painful language and attitude, when the people with cognitive disabilities themselves tell you “please don’t call us names, please don’t treat us this way” the responses are “we don’t acknowledge your pain, we don’t care about your feelings and if we see nothing wrong with what we say and do, who cares how you feel, get over it.”

What will it take for everyone to be treated with the same respect?

I think more of us could ‘get over it’ if this poll had resulted in different statistics – perhaps we would have felt that our perspective had been acknowledged if sixty percent of the responses had been “A tasteless comment that he should not have said, period.”

Instead, many of the media pieces and excuses that have been put forward have reflected the first two choices: “Just a light-hearted, self-deprecating comment. Get over it people” and “Maybe a dumb thing to say, but he didn’t mean it in a mean-spirited way, and it is pretty funny.” The ‘get over it, people’ and ‘it is pretty funny’ somewhat skewing the effect to the negative.

We expected better of Barack Obama, but he did apologize, and his record on disability issues speaks for itself. We were not ready in his first hundred days for him to make a blunder that was such a stinging insult, but eventually we would have had to realize that he is at least as imperfect as most parents might have been before our sons and daughters were born and diagnosed.

Most people in my neighborhood have a strong opinion on this incident; many have told me that it was mentioned in a sermon or in conversations at the kitchen table. I am surprised by that. It seems to have taken on a life of its own because although President Obama apologized, the attitude and response from others in D.C. does reflect a lack of serious consideration about the protest that followed. Barack Obama might have acknowledged our right to take offense and not forget easily, but others seem not to have done so, and that stings rather deeply, too.

This conversation is not about the athletic abilities of athletes in Special Olympics, it is about their rights being acknowledged, about having some real representation in the halls of Congress and the White House, at least the illusion that higher priority issues will be acknowledged and addressed, including civil rights and human rights issues.

It’s not of much interest to those who were offended that those who were not offended are announcing their opinions, especially where we feel the ‘disability hierarchy’ is being used to deflect our concerns and derail our advocacy efforts.

If your true wish is for us to ‘let it go’ then you should reflect back to those who have been deeply affected by the remark some experience you have had that shows you have heard and understand the implications the event and excuses have for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

This was a traumatic national event for some people. You can no more expect them to ‘get over it’ than you can expect a crime victim, returning soldier, or someone who has experienced a terrible accident, natural disaster or severe weather event to ‘get over it’ before they have had a chance to process the experience, be a witness or testify, to be heard and acknowledged.

Maybe you did not follow the mood and reactions of the people affected by the passage of Proposition 8 in California in the same election that made our dear Barack Obama 44th President of the United States. It was as if the message was, “all things are possible for anyone – except for you.” This is the type of disappointment some parents and advocates felt about President Obama’s comment, and the discussions (and polls such as the one above) that followed.

I’m sure that most of the people who are still upset would like nothing more than to get past this point, but so far, most of the responses from media and individuals in decision-making positions are only adding to their worries. The outlook for our most vulnerable Americans was already grim due to the economy.

So, I ask for a little tenderness and empathy for those who have been most deeply affected. They seek hope and change just like the rest of us, for their children who seem to have no voice and diminishing opportunities for the future they deserve.

Pam W
SE of Seattle

The Disability Hierarchy, Equity and Advocacy
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art61355.asp

So you are the authority on “who’s disabled enough”. Please tell me why a special olympian with a learning disability does not have the right perspective on this issue, but an able-body person does???
I have a son who I hope does not grow up to take every little thing that people say about me and other disabled people so harshly, and to have a pleasant disposition towards life.

As for Bush being an idiot, I bend my knee to no man or woman in my loathing of Bush.. but THIS was the alternative?

Yesterday my husband and I watched “Mr. Woodcock” – a non-PC movie about the world’s most sadistic gym teacher. At one point Mr. Woodcock (who specializes in humiliating his students) compares a student’s athletic ability to a Special Olympian.

This provided the first laugh we’ve had about this issue.. my husband turned to me and said “We’ve elected Mr. Woodcock President!”

I am a 30 year old woman who is living with cerebral palsy.

I have heard some really hurtful things from people, come on people! for 8 years we had an idiot in the white house and he was always sticking his foot in his mouth.

Obama makes a joke about the Special Olympics in regards to himself and its the end of the world.

I was in the Special Olympics and I watched the show when he made the remark and let me tell you that I thought it was really funny. But then again I have a sense of humor and it is really sad that people are worried about what the president says instead of what he is doing for this country.

I think we just need to let it go.

If you liked it, then you liked it.

If you didn’t, then you didn’t.

Blessings to all of you~