Column: ‘Why Trig Palin has divided America’
July 17th, 2009Gary Bauer and Daniel Allott write in Politico.com that Trig Palin has become a lightning rod for criticism against his mother, Sarah Palin.
Bauer (no relation) and Allott say the “hateful response” that greeted Palin on the campaign trail last year carried “eugenic overtones” and reflected a “broader societal bias against disability.” Trig Palin has Down syndrome. An excerpt:
Palin is controversial, in part, because America is divided over disability. We’ve established laws and institutions that protect people with disabilities. But we also do everything we can to make sure they don’t see the light of day.
Trig is a reminder of our fierce ambivalence over disability. Every mention of his name is a pinprick to our conscience. Every photo of mother and son is a reminder of concepts – vulnerability, dependency and suffering – our culture no longer tolerates, as well as virtues, such as humility, dignity and self-sacrifice, it no longer extols.
Trig is also a reminder of an inescapable truth: Disability is an inherent part of the human condition. At a time of deep cultural divisions, 1-year-old Trig Palin represents the deepest division of all, between a culture that increasingly sees genetic perfection as an entitlement and a culture still rooted in the belief that human beings are defined not by their capabilities but, instead, by the very fact of their humanity.
Former presidential candidate Gary Bauer is president of American Values, a conservative non-profit. Daniel Allott is a senior writer at American Values.
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July 25th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
I only ever sense “humiliated” coming from parents who were not born in the US and even then it doesn’t happen all the time.
July 24th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Yes, parents of children with disabilities are devastated when they get the diagnosis. This is true whether it is prenatal, in the delivery room, after the car wreck or whenever.
Humiliated though? I must say in 10 years of working with families, that has not been a prevalent thought. Devastated for the loss of the child we dreamed about and the perfect child that everyone “thinks” they are having. The perfect child that is driven by the American illusion of perfection.
This is why it is so important to have local parent support groups and early intervention there to help families one step at a time and one day at a time. Research overwhelmingly shows the positive benefits. And… it is why we need strong people like Sarah Palin and others who do have the stage to help us with Positive Public Awareness about the abilities and inherent worth of individuals with disabilities.
Kudos to Mr. Shriver for his insightful thoughts.
July 24th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Thank you Mandy, Pam, Tim, Jawanda, Ivy, and Kathy for having this discussion at all!
I just read another editorial in US News “Top US Hospitals” about this notion we have defining “quality of life” for others and why it’s less for people who have disability labels.
The challenge all families face is the availablity of education/quality care programs that assist our children into adulthood.
We’ve failed horribly there as a nation. Instead of putting them into private institutions like we did long ago, we’ve put them out into a mainstream where they are still stigmatized and locked out from many opportunities.
Instead of being institutionalized, they are now marginalized. And Trig? Let’s just hope his parents are smart enough to help him chisel out that niche we all hope our children find as adults.
July 24th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Pamela, I’m glad you have had such positive encounters with new parents.
I have noticed increasingly in recent years, with the increasing pressure for pregnant women to test for – and eliminate – fetuses with Down Syndrome (as well as, of course, any other disability that can be diagnosed in utero), new parents feel like (and are sometimes made to feel this way by the medical establishment) they have failed.
Even loving, accepting parents of infants with Down’s are traumatized by the birth of a child with a disability. I know we were – I assume you are a mother too, and perhaps you immediately assimilated your journey to Holland. It took us a couple of months to realize we were on the road to a very great adventure and not to a neverending tragedy.
I’ll give some background: when I receive a request to meet new parents, it is not because of me, but because of our daughter who is extremely “high-functioning” (a patronizing term if ever there was one) and largely independent. She is also lovely, articulate, witty and charming… if I do say so myself! A number of pediatricians in our region know about her and call on us to help give a more positive image of Down’s to new parents who have reacted in a very negative fashion to their child’s birth.
None of the parents I have counselled knew prior to birth that the baby had Down’s and all were born to parents under the age of 35.
After our “sessions” – I hate to generalize – but maybe half of them are more open and more accepting and more willing to work on early intervention and make a difference in the developmental level of their child. The other half? Depressing.
Sarah Palin’s “flaunting” of Trig was marvelous and even if I don’t agree with her politically, she’s a great role model for new mothers to scream from the rooftops that their baby is a perfect baby, too – just not a standard model.
As for my criticisms of Barack Obama: I voted for the guy, I’ll criticize him if I want to. He needs to seriously address disability rights if he’s going to get my vote in 2012.
July 23rd, 2009 at 3:36 am
I have met with new parents of babies with Down syndrome for about 25 years, and none has seemed “humiliated” or “stigmatized” by having a child with “a ‘visible’ and easily recognizable disability.” My general impression is that they are concerned they are not as capable as they think they need to be to make sure their children have the best opportunities and support. They all seem proud of and madly in love with their babies, but unsure what Down syndrome will mean in their children’s lives.
There is as much diversity among parents of children with Down syndrome as in any other group – politically and in every other way – but I do think that our children sharing this particular diagnosis is enough to inspire us to stand together in advocacy and support of them and all individuals with Down syndrome, especially for adults who have no one to speak up for them.
I am as surprised by the comments of those who despise Sarah Palin as I am by the comments of those who despise our President, Barack Obama. I believe our children need all the allies they can find, and alienating anyone who represents a different political party or other point of view does not seem an effective way to build a more inclusive community for our sons and daughters.
We certainly cannot blame baby Trig Palin for dividing America. That’s all the work of grown-ups with their own agendas. Making bizarre negative blanket statements about how all parents of babies with Down syndrome feel is also counter-intuitive. I do not believe that parents of children of color feel humiliated and stigmatized bringing that child into the world because there is racism in the culture. As parents I believe we are a proud and fiercely protective group whose children amaze us and bring us joy from the start.
July 22nd, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I have counselled new parents for over 20 years now. Most new parents are humiliated to have a baby with Down’s. A ‘visible’ and easily recognizable disability is stigmatizing – no way around it. Who would choose to have an infant people stare at? Nobody. Er, no, Sarah and Todd Palin did.
I too am a pro-choice liberal who is radically opposed to eugenics – which the abortion of fetuses with Down’s is.
When Sarah Palin “paraded” (as Ivy claimed) Trig at the Republican National Convention tears of pride poured down my cheeks (and believe me, I’m a hardnose). Her open attitude towards Trig reflected the attitudes of so many ‘evolved’ parents and must have been an affront to so many – the medical establishment first and foremost – who consider giving birth to a child who doesn’t have the standard number of chromosomes, an act of social provocation.
As a liberal Democrat, I was horrified to read all the hate mail on the liberal websites I had always visited: Huffington Post being the vilest. The Huffington Post seemed to encourage all the hate – they censor posts they don’t agree with. The Huffington Post was – and is – the No. 1 Obama fansite.
I’m personally still waiting to hear President Obama’s apology about the Special Olympics. Good thing, I’m not holding my breath.
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:07 am
Scott,
My point on the “true pro life values” was in direct response to the previous post, not the article. Would the previous poster attribute our ‘choice’ to not abort a fetus with Down syndrome to our true pro-choice values? Probably not, but somehow that same decision made by the Palins has everything to to with the pro-life stance. I think, in a way, we might be making simialr points, you and I, just with a little disconnect.
What I was trying to say in that post was that, again, and again, and again, and again, Sarah Palin’s child leads to the discussion of pro-life vs pro-choice, not to any of the issues I brought up in the last paragraph of my original post. I find the ability of some hard line pro-life supporters to point to Trig for their cause again and again but then never stand up for the true interests of people, children and adults, with Down syndrome sickening. And to end a comment with ‘the press isn’t mean to the Obama kids like they are the Palin kids’, I feel extremely validated in that sickening feeling.
What are some of the things Sarah Palin has done for Down syndrome. I know when she was in my city, she spoke a lot about autism, as she did in her debate, which is a hot-button issue. But Im strapped to find her truely discussing Down syndrome in the same manner. She is a HUGE personality, and I don’t see her with the NDSS, I don’t see her with the NDSC, I don’t see her anywhere. I do, on the other hand, see John C. McGinley, taking advantage of his celebrity to become the spokesperson of the Buddy Walk and wearing a Down syndrome awareness wristband on every episode of Scrubs on ABC in Primetime.
July 21st, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Tim,
The fact that you and your wife have a son with Down syndrome despite being pro-choice liberals doesn’t have anything to do with Sarah Palin’s “true pro-life” values.
Given the 80%-plus women who opt to exercise their “choice” given a pre-natal diagnosis of Down syndrome, I’d say she and her husband qualify as being true to their pro-life stance.
I’m sure there have been many pro-lifers who changed their minds when confronted with the same scenario and it would’ve been very easy for the Palins to do the same.
Whether it was intentional or not, the fact that Trig Palin has Down syndrome has raised more awareness and on a far greater scale – both good and bad – than I can recall in my daughter’s six years.
July 20th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
This has always fascinated me that people are always so quick to point to the “true pro-life” values of Palin because she has a child with Down syndrome. My wife and I have beautiful baby boy with down syndrome, we’re both pro-choice liberals, me probably even more so than her thanks to a liberal mother that never abandoned me when I did “dumb things”.
I’m not entirely sure what great things she has done for the Down syndrome community either, if anything I would point to someone like John C McGinley as being a true champion for down syndrome issues. I think more than anything, when people find something that they can use to support their cause, they beat the drum non-stop.
I find a lot of people are less concerned with baby Trig having Down syndrome as they are with Sarah Palin electing to not have an abortion. I think if anything, this makes those people closer to those making “hateful remarks” about Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy than they realize. Instead of Down syndrome being the reason to champion pro-life agendas, extremists on the other side have used the “perceived” lack of parenting on Palin’s behalf to champion their thought that she would not be able to govern a country.
And if you disagree, then where are all of the posts about Trig opening up questions about the lack of funding for special needs programs, about there needing to be more access to early intervention programs, about improvements in schools for special education, about more infromation to parents about the health issues that often accompany down syndrome? All I see is a lot of “people are mean to the pro-life vp candidate, and they’re not mean to the Obama kids.” How sad.
July 20th, 2009 at 12:52 am
If Sarah Palin had left Trig at home,she would have been accused of being ashamed of him.. When she showed that she loved him and was proud of him by having him on stage with the rest of her kids, she was accused of using him as a prop.
The attacks against her kids started as soon as she was selected as McCain’s running mate…people spread vicious and bizarre rumors about Trig’s parentage. When she made a statement announcing her daughter’s pregnancy, many people were extremely hateful in their remarks.
Kids are kids…lots of good parents have kids who do dumb things, but the parents don’t abandon them because of that. Sarah Palin shows what true pro-life principles are all about, and some people just can’t grasp that concept, so they attack her.
It really ticks me off when people blame the Palins for the way the media savaged their kids. The Obama kids have had plenty of media coverage..none of it has been critical..they have gone to many public events, but their parents have never been accused of ‘parading’ them around. So why are the Palin kids seen as fair game?
July 19th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
I believe that in many ways, Trig Palin has united America rather than dividing it. Most Democrats and Republicans I know who don’t have one kind word for his mom still seem supportive of Trig, and those who do respect or admire her certainly have good things to say about him. Those few who have sought to attack her by denigrating people with developmental disabilities have shown themselves to be shallow characters desperate enough for attention that they are proud to display their a lack of talent and insight through outdated attitudes and prejudice.
Trig has a striking and unique mom with strong political views who the media and public can’t ignore no matter whether they agree or disagree, so it’s not surprising that people have strong feelings about her. And there have been absolutely awful comments regarding children and adults with Down syndrome and people with developmental disabilities in general that demonstrate how far some need to progress to be decent human beings.
But most people I know who disagree with Sarah Palin’s political views or even her parenting style do respect her for giving herself the gift of her youngest son, and many others appreciate that she has helped create a broader awareness of Down syndrome in the USA and around the world.
We do need to behave as though we have some expectation for success in educating our leaders and our communities about the value of individuals with Down syndrome. Support and services for the children and adults with developmental disabilities today is inadequate for their needs. If even 30% more of couples with a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome were smart enough to bring their babies into the world, how have we prepared for those children to fully participate in and be included in our neighborhoods and schools? I hope Trig Palin inspires greater support and real solutions for funding programs that benefit babies, children and his adult peers with Down syndrome. Until then, every story that can use to bring more awareness to the general public will serve to increase opportunities for all our sons and daughters.
July 18th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Sasha and Malia Obama have also been on stage and paraded around. Yet, if you google them you do not find the “hateful” remarks that a google of Trig renders. This does seem to indicate a double standard. For me this isn’t about Sarah Palin but more about how society has reacted. I am disturbed that Trig in the limelight has shown our true colors: a nation intolerant of genetic imperfection. In other words – Americans truly do have an illusion of perfection.
July 18th, 2009 at 10:19 am
I’m not sure why Trig became a big of an issue as he did. Was it because Sarah paraded him around? Or was it because he had a disability? Maybe both. But I still think Sarah used him as a scapegoat in a few ways. I believe if you don’t want attention on your kids, then don’t do a magazine spread on them, don’t let your daughter speak on TV. I’m just saying don’t let your kids near the press if you want to protect them.