Wrong to use child as a political prop

September 8, 2008

Several letters last Thursday took Susan Reimer to task for her column about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin ("Readers speak out on Susan Reimer's take on Sarah Palin," Sept. 4).

The writers seemed to think Ms. Reimer had insulted or demeaned Mrs. Palin's boy with Down syndrome. I'm not sure what column they read, but I didn't see the column "A woman - but why this woman?" (Sept. 1) that way at all. And as the parent of a special-needs child, I count myself somewhat sensitive, perhaps even prickly, about slights to disabled children.

What I read was Ms. Reimer criticizing the idea that Mrs. Palin might use her special-needs son as a public relations tool to help the McCain-Palin campaign, and that is exactly what I saw Mrs. Palin do in her acceptance speech.

I was glad to see her son was there with the rest of the family on national TV. I was touched to see the special love all his siblings, from oldest to youngest, showed for him.

Then Mrs. Palin used him, cynically, like some sort of lapel button, to demonstrate her compassion, in a simple grab for the votes of parents of special-needs children. It made me feel sick.

Special-needs children are both a challenge and a joy. They are a lot of hard work, and they can teach you many things about yourself as you care for them.

One thing they should never be is a political campaign tool.Carl AronCatonsville

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