Sarah Palin Attacks and Demeans The Disabled By Calling Them Defenseless

[Tx4obama]

While taking part in Sean Hannity’s show on left wing hate language, Sarah Palin demeaned disabled Americans by referring to them as defenseless.

Hannity asked Palin if the attacks against her take a toll on her and her family. Sarah Palin answered by reinforcing an old stereotype about the disabled, “You know when the attacks are against me, politically especially, it doesn’t really bother me, because I know what’s really important and I know what the truth is. But I do have to admit when the shots are taken at especially my youngest, my son, who has Downs Syndrome and others with special needs in this wonderful country of ours then those I do take personally. Those shots hurt, and I sure wish there was more I could do about those attacks on the defenseless. I wish I could defend them more.”

Sarah Palin has anointed herself the defender of the disabled, but in the past she has referred to the disabled as, “precious and unique.” Palin’s “defense” of the disabled community is nothing more than the exploitation of an age old stereotype for personal gain. However, this is something especially insulting about any group of people being referred to as special, unique, defenseless, or precious.

What would happen if substituted African-American and minority for disabled and special needs in Palin’s remarks. What if Sarah Palin would have said, “But I do have to admit when the shots are taken at especially my youngest, my son, who is African-American and others minorities in this wonderful country of ours then those I do take personally. Those shots hurt, and I sure wish there was more I could do about those attacks on the defenseless. ....

<SNIP>

Rest of article here: http://www.politicususa.com/sarah-palin-disabled-defenseless/

[madrchsod]

1. my wife who works with and for special needs adults

thinks this writer is full of shit. her job is to protect the people she takes care from others who would psychically harm them or verbally abuse them. if she did`t she would be brought up neglect charges and never work in her field again. we can agree or disagree on the motives of what and how sarah said what she did but that does`t alter the facts my wife faces 5 days a week.

[Darklady]

4. Maybe your wife could translate your message?

How is this writer "full of shit?"

Do you think that Sarah's complaints about attacks on Trig are valid? Please know that she's lying. The vast majority of people who are aware of Trig's situations are concerned for his well-being. Lampooning images that have included him in them have never been directed at him, but at his so-called mother.

Sarah isn't defending Trig; she's getting more attention focused on herself, which is what she lives for.

[PoliticAverse]

2. The author analogizes African-Americans to children with Downs Syndrome !? That outstupids Palin.

[Darklady]

5. You don't see the similarity?

The author's point, I believe, is that Sarah Palin talks about special needs kids like they really are hopeless. Constantly referring to them as "precious angels" and "special" and all the other pinch-you-on-the-cheek/pat-you-on-the-head words demeans them and makes them not so much people as things.

Were we to talk about ethnic minorities or, well, anyone else, people would be outraged.

Given that MR/DD children can grow up to have jobs and families, hobbies and interests, talking about them as though they were floppy dolls to show off but have no expectations for is insulting, just as it's insulting for people to say that minorities are stupid or lazy or other stereotypes that dishonor the individual.

[Darklady]

3. Some "Friend of Special Needs Families"

My sister is 43 years old with a still un-diagnosed condition that has left her with mental retardation.

My mother used to be a big Palin supporter. I begged her to rethink her adoration and, especially, to see how she treated Trig.

Apparently she took my words to heart, because she recently told me that she's very disappointed w/Palin, considers her to be a fairly awful person, and hates the way she treats Trig.

From the days when she dragged him as an infant in front of huge crowds, hot lights, ice cold bus tour temperatures (with no pants), I have disliked how she treated the boy. Never seeing him with his hearing aids or eyeglasses made me worry more for him. He seems happy in the photos shown of him... hardly ever with his mother, I might note...

Where are the progress reports that the American people, especially those with their own children struggling with disabilities, have been expecting? After beating her metaphorical chest for being so holy and righteous for not having an abortion, she seems to have lost her interest in the toddler... except when she can use him like a human shield against real and mostly imagined insults hurled his way.

For someone who doesn't care/doesn't notice anyone's negativity, Palin sure has a long history of revenge against even the most humble who she thinks crossed her... and by claiming she's defending the son she seems to spend very little time with now that he's not small enough to sling under her arm, she can keep harping on people who still insisting she's not fazed.

It's so important to intervene with a child dealing with Down syndrome early in their life. Intensive early-education can be the difference between an amazingly full life with a wide range of independence levels... and being helpless.

I think Sarah has never had any real desire to see Trig as a full human being whose educational needs are especially important due to his challenges. I think she, like my own mother unfortunately, sees her child as someone who can never be expected to achieve. Since she's in a parenting role, her prejudice may well become reality.

The language that Palin has used to describe Trig from the very beginning has been demeaning and insulting; showing a great and likely intentional ignorance about how much a child like him can do when given loving support. His value to Sarah has been in his symbolism, not his reality. Were he to be able to communicate and achieve, her "sacrifice" would not be as easily manipulated towards her own, narcissistic ends.

I'd like to be wrong, but I've seen and read absolutely nothing to convince me otherwise... which is tragic on so many levels, especially since she's so keen to cut off funding for other people's special needs children and their families.

Meanwhile, although she's only donated $1,000 that I know of to any charity for special needs children, she's pocketed literally hundreds of thousands of dollars from groups that provide services to them.

[Canyousayhypocrite]

6. Sarah narcissistic not courageous

“I did some research and found an old Huffington Post article http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/07/palin-considering-2012-ru_n_452602.html From that article I extracted:

On Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel, she said his comments calling liberal groups "f-ing retards" was "indecent and insensitive" and cause for his dismissal.

But the former governor went to great and sometimes awkward lengths to insist that when conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh used the same exact term to describe the same exact group, it was simply in the role of political humorist.

"They are kooks, so I agree with Rush Limbaugh," she said, when read a quote of Limbaugh calling liberal groups "retards." "Rush Limbaugh was using satire ... . I didn't hear Rush Limbaugh calling a group of people whom he did not agree with 'f-ing retards,' and we did know that Rahm Emanuel, as has been reported, did say that. There is a big difference there." (end quote)

Bristol said “For the sake of everyone’s daughter, why doesn’t his super PAC return the $1 million he got from a rabid misogynist?”

My question is "For the sake of every child with Down Syndrome, why didn't your mother stand up to Rush Limbaugh?"