Sarah Palin:

“And children with special needs inspire a very, very special love. To the families of special needs children all across this country, I have a message for you. For years you have sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters and I pledge to you that if we’re elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House.”

She spoke directly to me. She knows the biggest joys can bring the biggest challenges.

You have asked – Amy when are you going to blog about Sarah?

I am not a one-issue voter. Just because she has the gift of a child with an extra chromosome does not mean I think she is able to lead the country and I think the only change that Obama wants is what is left in my pocket. I will leave my decision to the debates and then see what I think.

I am not drawn to her because of Down syndrome. However, I am drawn to her because she does NOT speak about her child in regards to his specific disability. She describes HER SON. HER CHILD. Her whole family. She is dealing with an enormous amount of pressure and doing it beautifully as far as I can see.

She is a typical mom who was handed a typical life and she is moving along and dealing with it. Do you want her to cry “oh poor me – someone owes me something because my child has special needs. I’m going to just hide from the world and cry about it.” I am sure that the majority of my friends who have a child with special needs are doing exactly what Sarah Palin is doing. Getting on with life.

I am so sick of opening the paper, turning on the radio or TV and listening to the mainstream media refer to Trig, as her Down syndrome child or Down’s child. HELLO!! Take a people first language class PLEASE! He is a little boy. He is her son. He is Trig. He happens to HAVE Down syndrome it is not WHO he is.

Last night there was a letter to the editor in our local paper. “I am so glad she decided to have her Down syndrome baby.” I almost threw up. Do people even read the crap they write? Did the paper edit her comments like usual and reduce this beautiful human being down to a chromosome?

Oh and just FYI it’s not Down’s syndrome. It is Down syndrome. No one owns it. No one owns my girls extra chromosome. She is a little girl. She is Larkin. She is our daughter. She just happens to have Down syndrome. If you cannot get it right – then do not talk about our kids.