Trig is a person first. Not a political ‘choice’
Posted in politics at 3:04 pm with Tags: autism, choice, developmental disabilities, downs, humanity, politics
From the MinnPost:
The national surge in affection for Palin among Christian conservatives is typically credited by pundits to her support for teaching creationism in public schools, her recent decision to have a baby she and her husband knew to have Down syndrome, and a staunch pro-life stance.
[emphasis mine]
Cara, writing at The Curvature, finally voices something that’s been bugging me since coverage of Palin began this weekend:
You know, it’s the anti-choicers who use “it’s not a choice, it’s a child” as a rallying cry to force women to give birth. And yet here I am, as pro-choice as can be, really fucking annoyed that conservative assholes are portraying this very real, actual child as a political choice rather than the human being that he is.
Seriously. Trig is a person first, and just happens to have Down’s Syndrome. As someone who worked with teenagers and kids with developmental disabilities for a few years, the narrative about Palin’s brave “choice” to keep her child was really starting to piss me off. His having Down’s should have had no influence whatsoever on her choice to keep the child, unless you’re someone that believes a child with down’s is somehow ‘worse’ than a normal child.
And painting her child as a sacrifice specifically because of his disability treats him as a less worthy and valuable human being.
Exactly. Saying her choice was more honorable just because he was diagnosed with Down’s immediately implies that there’s something less human about him.
Trig may have Down’s, but he’s a child first! I have no doubt he’ll grow up to be a radiant and amazing child with all the usual lovable eccentricities and personality quirks that ANY child has. Her choice isn’t anymore heroic just because he was born with a developmental disability, and claiming so is insulting to Trig as a human being that has just as good a chance at leading a long, full, and meaningful life as any other child.
Rant over. Best to Palin and her growing family.
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