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Why I Hate Palin.
Governor Palin has a Down's syndrome kid.
I know, I know, that doesn't seem like a reason for me to hate her. After all, I grew up with a handicapped sister, taught special ed kids, and am generally highly in favor of rights for disabled people.
But the thing is, Palin doesn't just have a Down's kid. She chose to have one. Early screening meant that she was warned that her baby had Down's syndrome but due to her stance on abortion, she decided to go ahead and have the child anyway.
STUPID. Stupid, stupid, stupid and selfish. So you're pro-life and refuse to abort this kid on principle? Congratulations, you've doomed him to a lifetime of suffering. A short lifetime, mind you, because most Down's kids have shorter lifespans and are highly susceptible to anything going around, but it's still pretty much a given that they're going to suffer for as long as they live. They won't be able to keep up with the other kids, they'll be developmentally stunted both physically and mentally and it's all your fault for having brought said kid into the world, knowing what he'd have to face.
In the class I taught, one girl called Sandy had Down's syndrome and about a month after I finished with her class, she died of pneumonia. Before that, she had to wear diapers all the time, and the aides had to take her into the bathroom to change her and wipe her ass, because she couldn't even manage that on her own. She couldn't talk normally, she was short and highly obese and even in the classroom full of special needs kids, she stuck out as even more hopeless than most. Sandy was 22 when she died, but she was about at the developmental stage of a 2-year-old, if that.
And this is the sort of child that Governor Palin thinks is a gift from God. This is the sort of life that she's going to cause the boy to lead, because she's too selfish to put aside her own views and think about what's honestly best for the child.
Apart from which, you know what? She has no business running for VP if she has a disabled kid.
Nobody with a disabled kid should be taking on a public office job that has a huge time commitment, because there's no way that they can do that and take care of their child at the same time. My parents both worked full-time, had a live-in nurse, a live-in maid and an older daughter who took care of herself (me), and even they worked themselves to the bone to take care of my sister. I refuse to believe that Palin can juggle four kids, a Down's syndrome kid, and the job of being VP all at once; there's no way she can manage it and still give her kids the attention they need, especially the disabled one.
Obama's choice of VP is 'meh', because for a guy who talks about CHANGE all the time, he went with a really traditional Old White Male choice.
McCain's choice? Thoroughly despicable. Even putting aside the anti-abortion, anti-contraception (wtf, has she never heard of AIDS?) issues, I have no respect for anyone who would deliberately bring a child into the world, knowing that child's life will be filled with nothing but suffering. No respect AT ALL.
Edit: If you want to know more about the political stances that Palin has, check out![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ilyena_sylph's post here where she lays out on the line all the reasons why no liberal female should think that Palin's likely to be on their side.
I know, I know, that doesn't seem like a reason for me to hate her. After all, I grew up with a handicapped sister, taught special ed kids, and am generally highly in favor of rights for disabled people.
But the thing is, Palin doesn't just have a Down's kid. She chose to have one. Early screening meant that she was warned that her baby had Down's syndrome but due to her stance on abortion, she decided to go ahead and have the child anyway.
STUPID. Stupid, stupid, stupid and selfish. So you're pro-life and refuse to abort this kid on principle? Congratulations, you've doomed him to a lifetime of suffering. A short lifetime, mind you, because most Down's kids have shorter lifespans and are highly susceptible to anything going around, but it's still pretty much a given that they're going to suffer for as long as they live. They won't be able to keep up with the other kids, they'll be developmentally stunted both physically and mentally and it's all your fault for having brought said kid into the world, knowing what he'd have to face.
In the class I taught, one girl called Sandy had Down's syndrome and about a month after I finished with her class, she died of pneumonia. Before that, she had to wear diapers all the time, and the aides had to take her into the bathroom to change her and wipe her ass, because she couldn't even manage that on her own. She couldn't talk normally, she was short and highly obese and even in the classroom full of special needs kids, she stuck out as even more hopeless than most. Sandy was 22 when she died, but she was about at the developmental stage of a 2-year-old, if that.
And this is the sort of child that Governor Palin thinks is a gift from God. This is the sort of life that she's going to cause the boy to lead, because she's too selfish to put aside her own views and think about what's honestly best for the child.
Apart from which, you know what? She has no business running for VP if she has a disabled kid.
Nobody with a disabled kid should be taking on a public office job that has a huge time commitment, because there's no way that they can do that and take care of their child at the same time. My parents both worked full-time, had a live-in nurse, a live-in maid and an older daughter who took care of herself (me), and even they worked themselves to the bone to take care of my sister. I refuse to believe that Palin can juggle four kids, a Down's syndrome kid, and the job of being VP all at once; there's no way she can manage it and still give her kids the attention they need, especially the disabled one.
Obama's choice of VP is 'meh', because for a guy who talks about CHANGE all the time, he went with a really traditional Old White Male choice.
McCain's choice? Thoroughly despicable. Even putting aside the anti-abortion, anti-contraception (wtf, has she never heard of AIDS?) issues, I have no respect for anyone who would deliberately bring a child into the world, knowing that child's life will be filled with nothing but suffering. No respect AT ALL.
Edit: If you want to know more about the political stances that Palin has, check out
ilyena_sylph's post here where she lays out on the line all the reasons why no liberal female should think that Palin's likely to be on their side.
no subject
Although I don't blame her for NOT aborting the child, and probably wouldn't myself under the same circumstances (I'm the same age), I think it was reckless irresponsible for her to allow herself to become pregnant in the first place, and reflected even further by her decision to take on something like a VP slot with an infant.
This wasn't a "last chance" scenario - she has four other children. This was not a late in life marriage. This was just irresponsible and stupid. When my husband and I married five years ago, knowing that he was too old to raise another child to adulthood and knowing that my chances of having a healthy baby were slim, we took care of things permanently.
My husband has worked with disabled children for years and his opinion is that children with Down's syndrome are delightful people and I trust his judgment on that. But we were not about to inflict this on any child when we already had children from previous marriages.
And this may sound a bit old-fashioned, but I don't think she should be taking on a VP slot with even a healthy, normal infant that young. I've not had a special needs child myself, but I've had a couple of healthy ones. It's a physically and emotionally taxing process and you don't recover properly until at least 12-18 months. And that's when your young. When you're "old", it's even more taxing. The reason they let us get off sinking ship first is because we have the ability to bring forth and nurture new life. That's important work. One does not take on a brand new job, especially stressful, high pressure, demanding jobs while trying to nurture a small infant and recover from childbirth.
She's irresponsible however you look at it. She's a bad parent, even if the baby was fine and healthy. It was irresponsible for her to allow herself to get pregnant, it is irresponsible for her to take on a high-pressure job while she has a small infant at home.
Oh - and Joe Biden - yeah, he's an old white guy, but he's a very cool old white guy. I'd party with him anytime. He's a firecracker and sharp as razors and with a sterling sense of honor. Joe's good people. He looks like a used car salesman, but he's good people. I'd trust him with my life savings and my firstborn.
no subject
I'm assuming that since Palin is anti-contraception, she didn't actually plan to have this child -- she just got pregnant, and then being strictly pro-choice, she couldn't terminate the pregnancy. Because otherwise, yes, one would think that four normal healthy children would be enough and she wouldn't risk having a fifth.
I liked the kids with Down's syndrome that I worked with. But the quality of their life was low enough that I don't think a woman is justified in forcing that sort of life on someone, which is what she does when she gives birth to a disabled child.
I know there are rumors going around that she's not McCain's REAL pick and that she'll step down close to election time and he'll show off someone more palatable. I hope that's true because if she ends up VP and McCain keels over while in office, good bye reproductive rights.
I just feel sorry for the kid, most of all. He didn't have a choice in being born.
Thanks for the feedback on Biden, and for your comment!
well said
(Anonymous) 2008-11-11 01:11 am (UTC)(link)May the death of her vp hopes be but the beginning of a waning career.