I don’t regularly post to Kos. In fact this is my husband’s account. After today’s announcement of Gov. Palin for Vice President, I find that I have to post. I have a 10 year old daughter with a severe disability and I am just waiting for the campaign to start talking about her son with Down’s syndrome.
The news media already is. They were worshiping her as a wonderful working mother because she went back to work 3 days after having her son in April. I consider that to be horrible. A child that young needs his parents – let alone a child with a disability. I’m not talking about weeks, it was days. Maybe just a little bit of maternity leave? Come on! Was she running away from the challenges that she is going to have to face with him? If that’s the case, what does that say about her ability to lead our country? Will she be able to take on the responsibilities and difficulties of a VP or President?
I have faced the challenges of having a child with a disability and one of the things that is pounded into your brain is early intervention for them to do well. That means soon, if not now, for her son. How will she be able to provide that on the campaign trail? I’m all for a woman being VP or President!! I just really question her involvement at this time in her life with her son being 3 months old and having Down’s. What are her priorities? The Republicans are always talking about family values. If this is one of them, I obviously don’t have the same set of values – thank goodness. I just know that the Republicans are trotting her out as this great mom and I really have a problem with that. Am I judging her? Damn right I am! I have a friend in the same situation I am in except that she is a staunch Republican. She called me as soon as the announcement was made and basically said the same things I am saying in this post. I was surprised, to say the least, that she was so strongly criticizing the party that she always defends. I thought it was very telling.
I also heard the media gushing over the fact that they knew that their son had Down’s syndrome and chose to have him anyway. That was annoying on so many levels. First off, she is a strong pro-lifer. I would hope she wouldn’t be a hypocrite that believes that for everyone but her. If you have a belief, stick with it. Good for her that she did – but I don’t necessarily think she should be congratulated for not abandoning her beliefs when the going got tough. I know that there are people that end pregnancies for chromosomal problems all the time and I believe that is their choice. However, I don’t believe she should be put up on a pedestal as a wonderful person because she chose to have her son. Plenty of people choose to do that all the time too. It doesn’t make her a saint. Maybe I’m being harsh on all of this but I see the writing on the wall and 1) I don’t think this should be part of the dialogue to begin with and 2) I have issues with it (obviously). There are bigger things to talk about with Palin being on the ticket. I’m not even going into her experience – there will be enough talk about that.