Last night Sarah Palin played the "special needs" card parallel to a stunning criticism and ridicule of community organizing. Governor Palin is too young to remember that back in the fifties special needs children didn't go to school. Schools weren't obligated to serve children with mental retardation, Down's Syndrome, autism, blindness or any other handicap. What changed this? Community organizers.
Sara Palin can thank parents like mine who determined that my severely mentally retarded brother should be able to attend school free of charge like any other child.
When our family realized that my brother would be severely mentally retarded, after the grieving process, we didn't sit around and wallow in self pity. We organized. We organized other families with children who were languishing at home in a society that kept these children out of sight, out of mind. Through community organizing these families were able to gradually start programs which initially were separate from public schools; then later placed in public schools, but often in substandard and isolated classrooms; and finally through hard work these families secured legislation (Originally called Plan A) which gave special needs kids equal access to public education.
As the laws evolved, we are now seeing today full integration of special needs children in all aspects of school life. It was a long, hard fought battle against attitudes of people who believed it would be harmful for "normal children" to be exposed to kids on crutches, kids who didn't look like them. But through lots of tears and sweat, these community organizers blazed a trail that has led today to a full continuum of services and programs for children just like Trig Palin.
Sarah Palin and the Republicans are trying to diminish and ridicule "community service" like they have demonized the word liberal. Are we going to let them get away with it?
Organize. Donate. Write Letters to the editor. Don't let them get away with ridiculing community organizers.
Here's the love of my life (other than my hubbie). Timmy is now 49 years old, and thanks to the services he was able to receive as a direct result of community organizers like my mom and dad, he is doing quite well. (His diagnosis is Fragile X)