A society should be judged by how it treats its weakest members

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, William McGurn says Gov. Sarah Palin has handed Sen. Barack Obama an opportunity to move past the ‘culture wars’ over abortion.

Palin has prominently featured her son with Down syndrome on the campaign trail, pushing for the removal of barriers to opportunities for children with special needs. She has proposed full funding for the federal commitment to special education, and allowing children with disabilities to use federal funds at either public or private schools.

An excerpt:

Now there is little in this that is uniquely Republican, except perhaps the idea of letting these kids use federal funds for private schools. In policy terms, Democrats conceivably could even improve upon it. At the very least, a presidential candidate who has positioned himself as postpartisan should recognize the opportunity here — and grab it.

Conceding that Mrs. Palin has a point here would not require Mr. Obama to give up anything, and would underscore a commitment to real choice instead of just abortion.

… At times, Democratic leaders have been reluctant to celebrate the humanity of some of our most vulnerable members of society, lest they be thought to be starting down a slippery slope leading to a no-Roe America. Mr. Obama in fact used something of that logic in the Illinois Senate to explain why he opposed the state version of the federal Born Alive Act.

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From the Washington Post:

A school in suburban Maryland that serves medically fragile students with severe physical and cognitive disabilities has been put on a state watch list of underperforming schools, even though its reading and math scores were on target. The problem: poor attendance.

Experts say the dilemma of Stephen Knolls School in Montgomery County highlights the way students with disabilities can get caught in the politics of the federal No Child Left Behind Law.

The dispute offers “a classic case of how well-intentioned federal policy has gone awry,” said Bruce Fuller, a professor of education and public policy at the University of California at Berkeley. “This district is earnestly trying to follow the spirit of the No Child law.”

Related story from the Houston Chronicle:

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In a Boston Globe report on the McCain campaign’s struggle to send consistent messages, the lead anecdote points out what seems to be a fundamental disagreement between the running mates about funding for programs for people with disabilities. An excerpt:

When the head of a local group representing families with Down syndrome rose at a town hall meeting outside Milwaukee on Thursday morning to ask Sarah Palin what she would do for those with the condition, Palin boasted that as governor she had increased spending on programs for children with disabilities and would do the same nationally.

From the same stage half an hour earlier, however, John McCain had appeared to rule out such a commitment, as he reiterated a pledge to restrain new spending on everything other than the military or veterans care.

Related story:

Patrick Healy, writing in the New York Times, describes Sarah Palin as a riveting speaker whose most powerful moments come when she is talking about her son Trig.

Ms. Palin’s infant son, who has Down syndrome, is a frequent presence in his mother’s left arm as she shakes hands with supporters and moves from event to event.

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From the Associated Press, Los Angeles Times:

A homeless man died in Los Angeles after being doused with gasoline and set on fire. A police spokesman said the man, who had lived peacefully on the streets in the dense residential neighborhood for more than 20 years, was believed to have been mentally ill. An excerpt:

A man in his 20s was seen throwing gasoline on the man, chasing him, throwing more on him and running from the scene, said Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz. Scorch marks stained a wall Friday where the man was burned.

The burning horrified even officers who routinely witness violent crimes, Diaz said.

“To murder somebody who’s probably suffering from mental illness issues and not bothering anyone — just a poor wretch on the street — you’ve got to be a soulless nitwit to do something like this,” he said.

Related story from the Associated Press: Ten years after the murder of Matthew Shepard, there is no federal hate crime legislation extending to sexual orientation or disability. A bill that passed the U.S. House last year would have extended existing hate crime law to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability.

See also: Cruel end for LA homeless man — Los Angeles Times

(Danette Kuoch lights a candle at a makeshift shrine where the man was killed; Los Angeles Times photo)

From WKYC-TV [Cleveland], and Foxnews.com:

At a campaign stop Friday in North Olmstead, Ohio, Sarah Palin drew a connection between her pledge to advocate for people with disabilities and her opposition to abortion.

“With John McCain and me in the White House, they’ll (people with disabilities will) be a priority, because every life is going to be cherished, and we’ll make sure that needs are met and that we’re manifesting our commitment to those who have challenges that others perhaps have not had to face yet,” she said in an interview with WKYC-TV.

The comments came in connection with Palin’s appearance in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening of a center for adults with disabilities. The Michael T. George residence was built by Cleveland-area businessman Tony George and named for his five-year-old son, who has Down syndrome.

… “My belief and John McCain’s belief is that a culture of life is best for America where every innocent human life is recognized as having great potential and great promise to make this world a better place.”

Video here.

(Screenshot from WKYC-TV)

From Newhouse News Service in the Seattle Times:

Nearly 22 million Americans of working age have a disability, but they are only half as likely to be employed as people without. And even if they manage to get a job, they are paid less.

Experts say public misconceptions are often the cause, as employers worry that they might face higher workers’ compensation costs and insurance rates. Employers may also believe (wrongly) that people with disabilities have problems with absenteeism and low productivity.

Applicants are advised to be honest, but not go overboard in offering information about their disability. Tips for job seekers are included.

From the Tampa Tribune:

A Florida program of community-based care aimed at keeping people with disabilities out of institutions faces severe budget cuts, threatening to increase institutionalization.

Families say the budget cuts could reduce payments to half of the amount from the previous year and force them to put their family members with a disability into group homes. They say that turning to institutionalization could reverse years of progress and that people with disabilities would lose independence, employment income, consistency, security, and motivation. Moreover, the state would be required to pay more for institutions, and those who currently provide services for home-based care could lose their jobs and businesses.

See also: Budget cuts hurt the disabled and their families from the Salt Lake Tribune.

The Utah legislature plans to cut an array of disability programs from the state budget, including workshops intended to provide guidance to families who continue to wait on a list for support services.