I chose to be a parent. And when I made that decision, I chose the responsibilities that came with it. There are many times I have had to balance my needs, my wants against theirs, and as it is true with Mom's or Dad's all across the horizons of the world, our individual needs usually come in second.
After having our son I gave up many things: privacy, sports games on TV---some very IMPORTANT playoff games on TV (!!!), time to myself, spur of the moment outings with my wife, a clean house, and a clean car to mention a few. I gave up reading the newest or latest gadgets on the market and have learned to be happy to get through just on the stats of my new favorite quarterback Jay Cutler! Heck, I have even given up some of my pride - yes I have been out in public with nose hair sticking out and unshaved beard simply to get both of us out of the house.
After having my child I learned that giving up all those things was the best thing I ever did and will do. I learned what unconditional love really is. I realize the most precious things to see are the smiles on our little ones and hear their naughty laughters or smirks. I learned that a clean house (and car) is not nearly as important as playing toy train tracks or building lego towns or spending the day at the park. I learned that the best books out there are the ones you read to your kids and later, their reading back to you. I learned that while I may not have time to do the things I want but I always have time to wash my kid's hair and have a little chat time while I give him a bath.
In other words, I learned that being a parent meant that your kids will, and should come first. It meant that never, not for one minute, would they not be on your mind and that you would do anything to protect and care for them. Putting their needs first above our own. That you would think and rethink your own actions knowing that they could affect you children, knowing they were watching and learning by our actions and words.
This is what brings us to GOP Veep Candidate Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is a mother of five, including Trig Paxon Van Palin. Trig was born in April 2008 with an extra chromosome. Down Syndrome.
One must understand that raising a child with Down Syndrome while having a political career is undoubtely difficult. In fact, it is difficult for any family. I can't even imagine myself taking care of a special need child for a minute! With the news that Sarah had last year before her son was born–--the news that her child will likely have Down Syndrome–she knew having her son would change her life and possibly put her career on hold. The Palins never considered aborting the baby. That means that Trig Palin is now in a very rare group of very special children. It is now believed that the vast majority of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome before birth are being aborted [up to 90 percent of all Down Syndrome pregnancies end in abortion]. Governor Sarah Palin chose to have the baby. She and her husband never considered abortion. Like every human being born since the begining of time, I know Gov. Palin is a imperfect just like the rest of us. No one is perfect. I doubt her political goals are 100 percent dedicated to the goodness of humankind. But, at least in this circumstance, I know that she loved her son, Trig, enough to give him a chance to live and be enjoyed by her family. I know that she looks at her son like any mother should and adores him. Sure he has an extra chromosome. Sure it will be difficult. But just like you and me and every person who has been born, Trig bears the image of God and has a right to his life, to give us hope, to show us the wonder and beauty of a child with special needs, and to enjoy the world as well. Often politics and law disappoint us. But at least one politician has made a beautiful choice: she knowingly gave birth to her son, Trig. So no matter how bleak the contemporary political or economic scene gets, there is at least one thing I hope comes to pass in my lifetime. That one thing is to see an end to abortion and to see God honored and glorified in the birth of every precious child, like Trig Paxon Van Palin.
What Sarah Palin has chosen to do is fantastic. The love that she and her family have for Trig was clear in her speech at the Republican National Convention. It was inspirational to see a mother in a position of political power stand up for a child with special needs. According to legal experts, should Roe v. Wade be overturned, some states could outlaw abortion for Down syndrome or other birth defects.
The Center for the Advancement of Capitalism states that as a group "dedicated to advancing individual rights and economic freedom through philosophy of Objectivism and Like many, I am troubled by the implications of Alaska governor and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's decision to knowingly give birth to a child disabled with Down syndrome," Nick Provenzo the head of the Center for the Advancement of Capitalism continues to write. "Given that Palin's decision is being celebrated in some quarters, it is crucial to reaffirm the morality of aborting a fetus diagnosed with Down syndrome (or by extension, any unborn fetus)a freedom that anti-abortion advocates seek to deny," he adds. Provenzo advocates not only a discriminatory, but apparently a pro-eugenics view of the disabled that had roots tracing back to Nazi Germany. He goes on to contends. "Because a person afflicted with Down syndrome is only capable of being MARGINALLY PRODUCTIVE (if at all) and requires constant care and supervision"
WOW!! people can you imagine if we use this definition to define the right to life? If you are not Marginally productive then you should be terminated. We have a lot of nuts out there and this guy is one of the biggest of all nuts. I guess he is fighting to not be marginally productive himself!
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34 comments:
She should be applauded instead of being attack by the media. Sarah Palin is a Hero even if she never pick up a gun and defend her country. She did raise her first born to defend for this country.
We need to support her by voting for her. I am a black lady living in the South and it's Democrat country. Democrats have been talking about change since the very beginning and now we are still talking about change. When is it going to end? Abortion should not be a deciding factor in this election but it sure helps to know who among us value individual's life to defend those who can't defend themselves.
You totally rock! This is my prayer: "Please, oh please, Jesus, let me be like live.love.eat when I grow up! Amen : )"
I am so glad for Palin
she would make a better stand up comic than a vice. McCain does not stand a chance. watch the up coming debates. Not to mention that i didnt here much about health care. to be honest, my family come before my country and health care is top on my list. being in a war doesn't mean nothing to me neither or shoud it to you. i am a vet, infact there are thousands of vets, are they ready to be pres? heck no, it means nothing to me. so McCain, who care about your war history.
I beleive Sarah would never make a decision without taking serious thoughts of the outcome! If she did not have the know how on things --feel she would not just go to one for info but would search through it all. Think she has what it takes to be behind McCain. McCain has shown through his records nothing scares him away from life decisions which is what the country needs GUTS! Thanks for leaving me still have the freedom of speech which we might lose as well as the English language along with many other things if we are not careful. No we do not have a good Govenor here in Ks. Sorry to say I voted for her. She has not doing as she promised, so why beleive one who says he is going to change. Where is his background? Read some of the books on him.
The Liberals(Democrates) are just upset because they are being pulled out fo the closet,they support the gays, the criminals and love the ACLU. The Democrates are to blame for the lost American jobs,remember NAFTA? Yep, that was Clinton and his group that came up with that. That allowed American jobs to go to Mexico,so they need to look in the mirrior when pointing the finger. Also we all know that we have a Democratic Congress,what ahve they done since they took over? Nothing except high gas prices,housing market issues and job losses. Don't blam Bush for that,the Congress runs the country right?? Liberal Democrates are what is screwing up this country,they want to take away from the people that actually work hard for a good living and give to the folks too lazy to get off their rears and get a job!!
The media have gone bonkers again: Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant and will marry the father. Why don't we pay more attention to the 17-, 16- or 15-year-olds in our society who get pregnant and then abort them? How about the moral ethics of these people?
Comments like those comparing Sarah Palin's education to Barack Obama's by Maureen Dowd reveal the blatant knowledge deficiency she has regarding history. Someone should remind her that it was an uneducated "bumpkin" whose face now appears on our penny and $5 bill. Political excellence isn't limited to those with Ivy League degrees.
When are people going to learn to hate their own faults as much as they hate the faults of others? When will we spend as much time working on our own character flaws as we spend on pointing out the flaws of others? Palin's actions with regard to her pregnancy are deeply personal and cannot be judged by any of us; her reaction to having a Down's syndrome baby is right in line with the typical parent's reaction. Choosing to give birth to Trig was not a political decision, it was simply the actions of a woman who lives what she believes. Maybe those who are twisting this story into more than it is are fuming with jealousy over their own inability and failure to live the way they think everyone esle should.
I've never seen such fear before. I'm trying to understand if it's fear of a working mom, fear of a mom who is boldly raising a child with a disability, or fear that mom is on the Republican side instead of Democrat. I hope Trig (his name isn't "the one with Down Syndrome") is frequently seen in the Oval Office. The nation needs to wake up and see a multitude of our citizens with various disabilities working and living in the White House. Many of us have children with disabilities we did not know, she knew and still welcomed her child. She's a top angel of this world.
For all you who think it's nuts she didn't lay around for weeks after she had a baby, strong women do this all the time. My friend having her 8th child birthed her baby and was back home that night. Some women are very in touch with their bodies and consider labor and delivery a natural process. As to her flying back home, when you know you are about to give birth to a child with probable health concerns, it's very natural to want to deliver with the team of doctors you know and trust. It's very normal and natural for working moms to push themselves to the edge, such as flying while in early labor and returning to work days later, to get the job done. Her examples only furthers how tough this woman is.
Our second child was diagnosed with Down syndrome by amniocentesis @ 16 weeks into the pregnancy. Today she is thriving in a mainsreamed 5K classroom. I personally think that Sarah Palin is not a "hero', but unlike 95% of others who are faced with this diagnosis. We were told that 95% terminate the pregnancy. I can't imagine how people cast stones when they have never walked in her shoes. Sarah Palin knew this was a blessing!
My daughter has taught others how to love unconditionally like most children with Down syndrome. She "gets" what so many of us miss about life. She loves others from the depth of her soul. People fall in love with her because she sees them as "perfect". She recently brought many to tears at our church when she got up in front of the entire congregation @ 6 years old to sing her favorite song..."Go Tell It On the Mountain..." after the Minister spoke about how to strengthen your Faith. Afterwards, someone came up to me with heartfelt tears in their eyes and said, "leave it to the beautiful little girl with Down syndrome to get the message across to the rest of us." Words cannot express how proud I was.
If more of us could love so unconditionally...what a better America we would live in.
I am the father of a child with Down Syndrome. As an engineer that works over 11 hours every weekday of my life, it is true that professionals that have a child with DS or other abnormality do not need to shut down their career in order to be a good, resourceful, loving parent. There are genetic disorders far more devastating than typical DS that begin to rattle the foundation of my pro-life beliefs, but it is very sad to realize this is a world where an estimated 90% of children with DS are annihilated before taking a breath of air. Human beings with DS are of among the most benevolent and innocent to be encountered...and 9 out of 10 of them are extinguished before ever given the opportunity to say 'I love you Daddy' ...for economics, for convenience, for choice, for fear, for hatred? I know of liberals who have made the same choice that Sarah Palin has made. But statistically, this is indeed an uncommon, heroic act of one Republican Christian.
I had to respond to this. I am a mother of 3 children. My youngest, Trent, has down syndrome and is as much as a blessing as my other 2. Although we face challenges as a family I dare say that every family has its own challenges and unique situations to contend with and like all familiess we are enpowered by the divine choice of whether we decide to make it a positive or negative one. Excuse the cliche but when we stop hindering and side lining individuals with stereotypes we find out that the world is a place of tremendous possibilities. Down syndrome is characterized as higher in older women because less women have babies as comparatively to teenage/early 20 yr old girls. Therefore statistically it distorts. I think I am going to sit back and learn more about the candidates and 2 questions come to mind, how many men have children in their later years and 2nd this couple has been married 20 yrs. parenting is best with two and so far the positive message I see from the Palin family that when you stick together as a family viewing life (the American Dream) that the true choice isn't what we may be born with.. its what we do and persevere and overcome that makes all things possible.
I have no issues with Governor Palin's wonderful family. I do have issues with McCain being the next President of the United States. I want a President who will not have knee-jerk reactions to issues. We don't need a maverick to run our military. We need somebody with intelligence, calmness, patience, reflection, global thinker, and bi-partisan. You may disagree with my view, but I do not see McCain reflecting these values.
--Father of Four :-)
That has been at the back of my mind from the get-go, but I wasn't able to find the right words. Pro-choicers probably are saying in their heads, 'what an idiot Palin was for not aborting" while they're pasting on a charitable smile at the Special Olympics giving sound bites about "these wonderful kids." What messed-up "values" the pro-abortionists have.
Amen. I consider myself to be pro-choice. My son has DS and we had a pretty good idea he would have it before he was born. He is a bright boy who just entered 1st grade and is reading, writing, and doing math right along with his typical peers. I can't say it has always been a cup of tea, but he is far from "handicapped" and he has taught us more about patience, compassion, empathy, heartbreak, and joy than anyone can imagine. I highly recommend everyone get to know someone with a developmental or other disability before passing any kind of judgement.
1. I think partly what happened here is that most urban types nowadays are 'liberals' on social issues like equal rights, diversity, abortion etc. and there was a visceral, instant dislike of Palin purely on that count, one that backfired in their faces since they rushed to judgment in the essentially hostile world of 'gotcha' journalism.
2. This also exposed their tendency to be enthused by Obama's reasonable and generally decent persona, so that other campaigns had to attack him, like first Hillary's and then McCains, whereas with Palin they went right at her.
3. The media was also somewhat insulted that someone could be picked who they really didn't know much about.
4. The mainstream media on the whole was okay about it. It was the 'liberal blogosphere' that went nuts - in a nasty way - and since the media did not have enough time to do any responsible research before the blogs went ape, the stories on those blogs became the only material at hand and in this time of the 24-hour news cycle, this further delayed their ability to dig into her record properly.
5. She represents a huge cross-section of American women who - although they might not be religious fundamentalists and favor choice etc. - nevertheless do not buy into the orthodox feminist dogmas that relegate motherhood as little more then exploitation by wicked patriarchalists and so forth. This has become an increasingly unpopular view amongst many women but has sort of remained under the radar. Sarah Palin embodies a modern feminist who is not really one, but clearly able to have a dynamic public career as well as being a dedicated mother and wife in a traditional sense. So she is a breath of fresh air that way, and also a bit of a slap in the face to the liberal feminists who look down on conservative types as being little better than neanderthals sometimes.
6. If Palin were not very attractive, aka 'hot', her impact would have been far less. Not only is she a Christian conservative and a successful executive, she is also a goddam beauty queen! I'm not sure exactly how to quantify this, but the fact is that an attractive woman has a whole lot of stuff going for her that ricochets around a whole lot of neurons - not to mention of the gonadic variety - on all sorts of levels making her more of a focus of attention, i.e. instant star power. So she literally blazed onto the scene.
One of the most remarkable political dynamics in recent history. It is going to be very, very hard for Obama to win now because I don't think the spotlight will ever really shine on him again. He is relegated to being old news - within less than 24 hours of his historic speech accepting the nomination. Unbelievable turn of events.
He is going to have to raise his game considerably but I don't think he can because when all is said and done he is offering the same basic American Empire policy, i.e. a continuation of the Military-Industrial-Congressional complex that Ike warned about. When some sort of flare-up happens in the Middle East in October - which it almost certainly will - McCain might not only win, but win big.
Sad. I think Obama was/is one of the most promising political figures in decades. But if he doesn't raise his game and propose some far-ranging changes (which now is too late for him to do probably), it ain't looking good.
Now I know why our ancestors didn't allow women to take leadership roles. They TOTALLY outshine the men!
My girlfriend and I talked about it but it was illegal in 1971 so...
My first son, joyful miracle of my life,was born grew up and beaome an Electrical Engineer and holder of eight patents. My wife and I didn't really understand love until you hold that infant for the first time. My wife went on, while married, broke and a parent, to receive a nursing degree. Nurses are Angels on earth in my book! With her help, I earned an engineering degree, BA in Business and an MBA at Univ of Chicago, all while working full time.
My second son announced his girl friend's pregnancy. Now proud parents to three beautiful Grandchildren, settled in a new home near us and both with careers they live a full life and they are a joy!
My friend adopted two children, brothers, from a religious family service. They are now men but one with autism will need to stay with them always. He retired early, takes him to the health club, bike rides and pool and is his best friend. He also drives the "special needs" bus for the district part time and the kids love him.
Thanks for letting me reminisce.
Sarah Palin getting an abortion is not a decision that I am in a position to make because I am not her. That is a decision that is between Sarah Palin and her Husband. If you are seeking mere opinions on her choice to have this baby knowing that he would have special needs, then I can give you my opinion on that which is that if she can actually take care of the baby and meet his needs as a parent, then she should not have had an abortion and it is good that she didn't. That is not to say abortions are a bad choice. It is up to each individual woman and her partner/husband/boyfriend or whoever helped in creating the child.
If Sarah Palin knows that she can fulfill her duties as a parent, then her decision was fine. However, if she knew that having this baby would bring many challenges and even some that she may not be able to handle, then a better decision would probably be to allow someone to adopt the child or bring in a second Guardian to help take care of her baby.
At the end of the day, she chose to have this child, so this baby with special needs is HER responsibility and not the goverment's, not McCain's repsonsibility, not her doctor's, not anyone elses but hers.
This may be harsh, but aborting a baby with special needs may actually help the baby AND the parent in the long run because what type of contribution can a special needs child make to society?
While they may be able to make some kind of impact, it is not grand most of the time and so Parents like Sarah Palin who choose to still have a kid with special needs is actuall choosing to have a baby that will in some ways be a baby forever because the parents will Always have to take care of the child, even when that child is 50 years of age and then when the parents are no longer living, who is supposed to take care of all of these "special needs"? I am not an expert on her son's condition, so what he has may actually be something mild and not something really serious like a severe mental deficiency OR disabilities that do not allow the child to perform normal daily tasks.
That is one thing that many people who are sympathetic to babies with special needs seem to not want to address.
Sarah Palin is a republican right, and many republicans OR even people that are just very conservative are all about everyone having individual responsibility. Well,
when Sarah Palin grows old and passes and is no longer here, who is going to take care of her special needs child? Some type of hospital? some type of home? some type of program that "helps" children with special needs? How is that their responsibility? Why do the homes and special needs programs have to take care of someone that does not have the ability to make valuable contributions to society like other average citizens who do NOT have special needs? When I consider this perspective, abortion seems to be the answer to that issue.
I have no doubt what my wife and I would do, knowing what we know - and Who we know - now. To take a life is unthinkable. However I am in no position to 'tell' Sarah Palin what she should do. I have just a little understanding of what a parent could be going through at such a time and we should pray for her.
You have got to be kidding me! I hope the statistic you listed regarding the percentage of pregnancies terminated due to the possibility of a downs syndrome baby, is wrong. They are the sweetest, most wonderful people in the world, who deserve a chance to see the sun and the sky...just like anyone else. Shame on whomever chooses to deny them a life.
We are the only country that makes excuses for having a woman in higher office. We are a free people and, yet, we make it hard for a woman--in this day and age--to truly be free. Few of us could ever do what Gov. Palin is capable of doing...serving the people. Those who criticize her cannot even keep their own homes clean. She is of a unique makeup and more power to her. She will make a marvelous Vice-President and still have the love of her children. Has anyone noticed how happy and proud her family seems to be of her? ...grandmother of 10, mother of a Harvard physician; mother of a daughter who home schools four boys (and pregnant) while her commander husband is in the Mid East (she is for Gov. Palin); and I have other daughter whose husband is a professor. I am Middle America and at 71--still work. We need more people like Gov. Palin. We need to be praising her.
Sarah Palin has brought many of these issues into the spotlight. And for a country that likes their answers in sound-bite form, there will be no such answers to this very personal issue. The answer will vary depending on the family and the job. We now have to face the facts of a long-time theoretical discussion. These conversations must happen, They must happen between couples, co-workers and employers/employees. America is sadly lacking in employer support of family obligations. Perhaps that is the conversation we should be having.
My Mom was a career woman throughout my childhood and adult life. She raised four children with little assistance from my father and never missed a beat as a mother or a professional. My three brothers and myself will attest to that. My Mom recently passed away from breast cancer. My mother was an executive and worked up until six monthes prior to her death. My Mom was not only the best mother in the world but one of the most amazing women I will ever meet. She was my mother, mentor and my best friend. This debate is not about being a mother with a career. There are just some women that can handle more than others. These are amazing women. I am 36 years old and have three small children and a career that requires me to travel. My life is not about the quantity of time that I spend with my children. It is about the quality of time that I spend with my children. My success comes from having reliable day care and a good support system. I have no doubts that Sarah Palin is a phenomenal mother and that she will make a superb VP. Afterall, she is one of the amazing women out there.
I think all of her choices are politically driven. She is not the best mother in the world otherwise her seventeen year old child wouldn't be knocked up.
She is not qualified and never will be qualified to run this country because she is not capable of running her own home.
My first and only born is defending this country. So! That doesn't make me qualified to run a country.
Oh wait, I can be sarcastic and spit out one liners with the rest of them though, so surely that qualifies me, right?
ummmmm... if Sarah Palin is sooooo pro-Life, then how did she even know that her unborn child was going to have Down's Syndrome?
If she is sooooo pro-Life and deserves so many applause...then she had no reason to have an amniotic fluid test, which in fact is risky and can lead to losing the unborn child. SUCH HYPOCRISY.
I was a little shocked at how the "should Trig have been aborted" story took off. I am about as crazy leftist pro-choice as you can get, but it's no one's business but the Palin's what they do with their child. If they are dedicated to keeping every baby, no matter the consequences, that is their right. Hence the choice in pro-choice.
In this day in age with all of the medical advances and support out there, even raising a disabled child and having other priorities is not impossible. They choose to have it and to love it, and everyone else should leave well enough alone. I mean, really.
Hey bro, great blog. Well said. :)
I think it's great that you feel the way you do about Ms. Palin and her child. However wonderful her experience, and that of some others may be, I personally know that I'd never have the patience to deal with a Down's child if one of my own pregnancies came to pass that way. But at the same time, how could I pass that burden on to someone else, much less a state that's already strapped for cash? Taking away the option to abort is not only dangerous, but detrimental to the health of women. Why should I be forced to carry something in my body that I don't want and won't want when it's born, simply because it conflicts with your views? I think you need to take a step back and learn to be more accepting of those with different views and beliefs to your own. What would Jesus do?
I'm sick to death of this crazy fuzzy love feeling that people get over Sarah Palin. Case and point is that she isn't running for president and we shouldn't be voting for McCain based on her personal choices to keep a baby with down syndrome.
I've also seen the very rare footage of her in TV interviews where she struggles to form coherent sentences (Tina Fey, you know what I'm talking about). I'm disgraced as a politically active woman that she is even considered for the role of vice president, even the people of Alaska are rallying against her bridge to nowhere policies. In Ancorage 1,400 protesters showed up at an impromtu rally. Showing that she's not even popular at home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_4GfAsKvGU
The very scary thing is that she could very well become president as McCain is 72 and has had several different types of skin cancer. In my opinion from hearing her speak she is dangerously unprepared for the role of president. I'd vote for her in a beauty contest but never for public office, what ever happened to people caring about the issues, Roe v. Wade isn't going to help your sick kid, or get you a job, or ease the pain of $4 a gallon, or the depreciation of the American dollar. American politics is a sad sad state of affairs, anyone not voting on the issues shame on you! Find out more for yourself http://themaverickandthemilf.net
well she did good thing
Please reconcile Quantity life with Quality Life.
As a mother of a child with Down's Syndrome, Sarah Palin has won the jackpot. UNLIKE other families who are caring for their special needs children, Sarah Palin has at her disposal virtually infinite resources to cover those needs. Her situation is not similar to many other families with a special needs child. She can afford to be pro life even with a special needs child.
Have you seen her interviews? She is completely incompetent. She is pro-life because it goes w her political affiliation/career. How can she be pro-life but find killing innocent animals for fun perfectly acceptable? McCain is all about experience, but his running mate has virtually NONE.
well no this is wrong.
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