In Sarah Palin's unapologetically rambling resignation speech last week, she mentioned one thing this world needs more of. And that is "more Trigs". Trig is her youngest son, a boy of 14 months with Down's Syndrome. Palin said one reason for her resignation was that some "mean spirited adults" had been making fun of Trig and that it was very hard for her other children to witness. Then she said, "Um, by the way, sure wish folks could ever, ever understand that we all could learn so much from someone like Trig. I know he needs me, but I need him even more. The world needs more "Trigs", not fewer."
Let's first state that all people, including those with Down's Syndrome, or any mental handicap, or even members of the GOP, are all valuable--because they're human. But what Palin is saying is that this world needs more specially-capable people.
Sarah has already done her part by having Trig later in life, which increases the odds for having a child with Down's Syndrome, but I wonder how Palin would suggest we go about having more Trigs in this world. Should we give up genetic research of mental retardation? Should we abandon the use of prenatal screenings and outlaw subsequent elective abortions? Should we encourage people with Down's Syndrome to have children more often?
Palin's call for more Trigs, beyond showing her loyalty and love for a special person in her life, is an admission (once again) that she does not value scientific progress, medical research, or personal choice. I'm glad she quit while she was ahead.
1 comment:
Interesting point about Palin, and you might be right. I would add that the scientific approach to understanding human variation, e.g. autism, can backfire, especially if basic scientific research is passed off as potentially benefiting parents or caregivers, when really it's about taking all the pieces out to see how they go together, which might be medically relevant or it might not. Auties value their own existence, and the more functional ones among them don't care for people trying to "explain" or "cure" their condition, like it's a problem needing to be solved. Earlier today I excerpted from a post by a guy who had suffered mental health problems and didn't much care for rhetoric that calls for a genetic explanation of schizophrenia. Somewhere along the line, we are creating a narrative that alienates groups of people suffering from disease by preying on the fears of the groups who want to care for them.
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