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March 20, 2009
Deriding the Special Olympics: A Window in our Society
Last night President Obama appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Â This was an historic event, as he became the first sitting president to appear on the late night show. Â His intention was to continue his campaigning for economic stimulus. Â One thing I can say about President Obama, he can campaign well. Â He is most comfortable in campaign mode, and seems to prefer that to sitting in the White House all day. Â But as part of the "ice breaker" session of jokes and kidding around, President Obama compared his bowling to that of the Special Olympics, in a sarcastic manner. Â So much so, that President Obama called the President of the Special Olympics before the show aired to apologize for his remark. Â He knew what had happened, but too late. Â First, I would like to say that I'm glad he apologized in a timely manner. Â It shows that our President isn't too big to admit that he made a mistake. Â But the damage had been done. Â Those who are least able to defend themselves, those who still look up to the office of the President of the United States as the supreme example of all that is America, heard that remark. Â If they didn't hear it that night, they would probably have heard it since as it gets aired on news networks. Â Those with special needs know they are different. Â They are told they are different in countless ways and by people around them. Â Bullies who pick on children and adults with special needs while ordinary people look the other way tell them all they need to know. Â People who make snide comments about being "retarded" when they do something stupid... Â How do you think that would make a person with special needs that do things like that feel? Â I grew up with people who constantly attacked my older brother because he was special needs. Â The comments, the mocking laughter, and the bullying. Â It was terrible, and I tried to call them on the carpet for it. Â Teachers would punish my brother for defending himself, but wouldn't lift a finger to help him. Â It was maddening. Â I learned just how painful and hurtful our society was then and there. Â And now our President, the one that is supposed to be the defender of ALL AMERICANS, not just the people who voted for him, has made those same hurtful comments. Â All with the intention of getting a laugh. Â Perhaps this will be a good opportunity for our President to start a dialogue about the Special Olympics, and those with special needs. Â Perhaps he can help redeem himself by becoming a true advocate. Â Perhaps one day he will have someone in his family that has special needs, and will truly understand the perspective that we have. Â Perhaps. Â But until then: Â Mr. President, I'm very disappointed in you.
I have to say I disagree with you.
You are comparing the actions of horrible people with intent on hurting people with disabilities to that of the President's words. His intent was not to hurt people, but to jokingly deprecate himself. The intentions of these two things are in complete opposite directions. Don't compare them.
Next you claim the President needs to be an example of the best American. I agree with you, however your expectations are wrong. No human can be perfect. The President made a mistake, a very common mistake among most Americans. His actions following his mistake show him to be a great example for Americans. His apology was quick, and sincere.
Thanks for your comment Lonnie! It is true that he apologized, and I did acknowledged it. The issue here isn't intent, the issue is how it was received. Many children with special needs (like autism) can't tell the difference between joking and serious, sarcasm or sincerity. Their brains are just not wired correctly to understand these social nuances. President Obama's remarks may have had the air of a self-depreciating joke, but to someone who is in the Special Olympics, who is proud of their accomplishments, such a "joke" may not register as a joke, or register as a joke against what they have accomplished with their disability, instead of registering as self-deprecation.
So again, intent has nothing to do with it. Ends and means are not connected. You can have the best of intentions, and still end up hurting people. Does that make it better than hurting people with the worst of intentions? People still get hurt, regardless of the intentions. So yes, I will compare them, because we have two issues here: A society that accepts such painful comments about those with special needs, and a President that, whether intentionally or not, supported such action.
Yes, I have high expectations for the Presidents of the United States. Yes, I know they are human, but for Pete's Sake! They have a staff that reviews every single sentence and word they utter. Couldn't they have caught this? Couldn't they have thought, just maybe, the Special Needs community may be a little upset by this comment after years of fighting for some dignity? And if he did it off script and off the cuff that makes it even worse, because he did it out of his own thoughtlessness. Sure, it's easy to ask for forgiveness after the fact, but shouldn't our President, the man who is supposed to care and for and protect every single American regardless of who they are, have perhaps given a bit more thought to his joke?
Maybe I am too sensitive to the comment, and the degradation of those with Special Needs. But I grew up in a world where my brother with Autism (not diagnosed at the time, because they didn't do that often in the 1970's) was ridiculed for being different. He was marginalized, not just by students, but by teachers, administrators, and the freaking bus driver! He was treated as a punishment for others, and not as a real person. So yes, perhaps I expect a bit much from the man who represents who I am to the rest of the World, but quite frankly, It's time someone takes a stand against these kind of comments!
And finally, the real problem is the debasement of those who are Special Needs in our society. The President or his staff members may not have caught the impact of the comment because our society has allowed the mocking and ridicule of those with Special Needs for generations. But if he really is interested in bringing change to our nation, perhaps it's time he rethink either his comments, or his staff members that manage his comments. So while I'm glad he apologized and did so in a timely manner (before the Tonight Show even aired), and I'm glad the President of the Special Olympics accepted the apology as sincere, he hasn't apologized to my son, my brother, me, or others who heard the comment, was hurt, and only hears about an apology from a third person. That, to my mind, is the wrong kind of statement to make to a community as vulnerable as those with Special Needs.