Mother and Child

Sorry to say, that the baby being passed around, being held by the preg teenager, I felt that they were all on display to further fuel their Mother's ambition. I think this women should get her "lipstick, her hockey stick, and the whole brood " and should go back to whence they came. It's just one more stunt to get people talking about anything but the real issues facing th American population. It's not going to work

I quit a successful career to stay home with a special needs child (whose needs are probably less than those of a Down's Syndrome baby). Although we are active in politics, my husband and I have both declined offers to run for statewide and local political office. McCain has it wrong -- Family is what the average American puts first. Palin may want to pursue her political ambitions someday, but now is NOT her time.

It's so much easier than issues isn't it - vote for the woman who has a tiny needy baby. The manipulation left me feeling sad and fearful that the same people who voted for Bush would vote for McCain.

sorry for double posting (by accident) below...

I and my wife share your concern; below is few thoughts I've been trying to share on different blogs:

5 month old baby belongs neither in the audience nor on stage, surrounded by loud screaming and flashing lights, at a gathering of thousands.

Trig Palin was born with Down syndrome. According to NADS (National Association for Down Syndrome) ???Many children with Down syndrome have health complications beyond the usual childhood illnesses??? [they] have a higher incidence of infection, respiratory, vision and hearing problems as well as thyroid and other medical conditions???.

Perhaps Trig Palin suffers from none of these ailments, but any infant???s high susceptibility to infection might be reason enough for the parents to avoid subjecting him to large crowds. Would it not have been wiser if baby Trig made his appearance in the convention hall via satellite from a hotel room in care of a family member or a baby-sitter?

Trig Palin is obviously a very quiet child. He does not scream or struggle the way other infants his age might have done. Down Syndrome genotype affects a toddler???s response threshold and intensity (1). Because of a muted response to stimuli, infants with Down syndrome can appear less volatile and fearful than other babies, and often exhibit less anxiety upon being separated from their mothers (1). Baby Trig's inability to express the level of discomfort and anxiety he is experiencing seems to have made him an ideal political prop for his parents.

Governor Palin would like us to entrust her with the welfare of all the children in this country. Yet in caring for her own baby, she showed an alarming lack of judgment.

Dr. Pavel Osten and Julia Kuhl

Reference:
(1) Children with Down Syndrome: A Developmental Perspective; Edited by Dante Cicchetti & Marjorie Beeghly; Cambridge University Press

ABOUT SARAH PALIN:

http://webpages.charter.net/suasponte/

If you really want to know Sarah Palin's history (in detail) this is a "must read". It was written by Anne Kilkenny, a resident of Wasilla, Alaska.

The thing that bothers me is that Sarah Palin will undoubtedly utilize the public school system's special ed classes yet she is anti government in virtually all other areas of life. If only everyone could pick and choose what govt. programs they want to support. Is her child any less precious than one born to a poor working mother? Could Palin or her daughter possibly have made their choices if they had no health insurance, like 44m others?

I too, have a "special needs" child; a daughter with spina bifida, age 7. I am not only, or merely, cynical, about Sarah Palin; I am appalled. This is a woman in denial; about her family, and about her own sense of self. I am a Midwife; I've been "catching" babies for a long time. This woman is postpartum, for heaven's sake. How can she possibly BE an advocate for families with special needs children when she is so clearly in need herself....a need she clearly does not yet recognize nor has she the self awareness to even reflect, honestly, on the possibility that her infant son may have very real, urgent and potentially chronic needs that cannot be anticipated. Yes, men are parents too and I would have the same questions about a man taking on such a time and energy consuming responsibility with a young, and already obviously stressed, family. The McCain Campaign should be ashamed for accepting this woman and taking advantage of her short sightedness and, perhaps, postpartum vulnerability, for political gain. Sarah Palin is not qualified to be anyone's "advocate"; for her to make such an offer in the face of her total inexperience is sad and pathetic. To have done it within the context of a speech notable only for it's sarcasm, lack of substantive content and hypocritical attacks and utter lack of charity. The "Christian" Right should hold their applause long enough to think through what this is really all about.

Oh, in answer to the obvious other questions - Gov Palin can afford nannies... But I'll bet by the age of 4 Trig doesn't recognize his mother.

Even though I'm a guy I have to admit I wondered the same thing: "What is that little 4-5 month old guy (w/special needs) doing in that place with people clapping, screaming and carrying on?" Oh well, rest assured - he'll be dragged out anytime the campaign thinks it might draw some oohs and ahhs. They'll stoop to ANYTHING!

thank God someone else thinks this too!! First her daughter wearing a huge scarlett A that her mother put for alllll the world to see--then this poor baby is handled like a sack of potatoes -no emotiion fm either parent then at the end of her speech she whips his little face to the camera and smirks -like he is her badge of courage!! what does she know about raising a handicapped child??she stayed out of work all of 3 days-my gosh she hasnt even bonded with the poor child!! what kind of mother would expose her children to this ??A very self centered ,attention grabbing,gun toting,insult slinging psycho!!!!!!!!!

So does that mean that Palin would push for federal funding for special needs children now that she has one? Do we want someone in office who can't empathize with others who are not in her situation? I understand she vetoed funds for housing for unwed, pregnant teens. I find it hypocritcal that she can use her sons (one going to war and one special needs) to advance her political life, but her daughter is off limits, making the press the enemy. So we show off the kids who help us, and we hide the others? Remember, she kept her daughter out of school for months to hide the pregnancy. Was that to benefit her role as governor?

I agree with the article's author. What's more, I have known mothers with Down Syndrome babies and they are a tremendous amount of work (even more so than tiny infants who require round the clock care). How in the world does Mrs. Palin take ANY care of her young son while attending to her duties as governor? It would be different if her husband stayed home, but he works as well. It's all well and good for her to tote around her son and talk about how wonderful and beautiful he is (in person and spirit) when she probably sees him for all of two hours a day.

This is one of the most disgusting postings of the week, which would make it pretty bad. Where would you like him to be? How would you suggest he fit into their family? The liberal world has suddenly turned its message around. New script - "stay at home mom", " protect the kids , "we are just plain folk " message machine. Are you kidding? Smacks of the highest form of hypocricy

Very good question...What is a 4-month old "DOWN-SYNDROME" baby doing out that late? Shouldn't the American people be asking PALIN why allow her child become a political pawn? It shows to what extent people can really go to get POWER!....I hope they know what to do with such power, because if going by what DUMB DUBYA has given this country in the last 8yrs, Republicans should ALL move to ALASKA.

Very good question...What is a 4-month old "DOWN-SYNDROME" baby doing out that late? Shouldn't the American people be asking PALIN why allow her child become a political pawn? It shows to what extent people can really go to get POWER!....I hope they know what to do with such power, because if going by what DUMB DUBYA has given this country in the last 8yrs, Republicans should ALL move to ALASKA.