Posted on 02/13/2010 9:22:21 AM PST by Steelfish
Sarah Palin Should Beware Of Exploiting Her Youngest Child
By Kathleen Parker February 14, 2010 A hurdle familiar to any mother is learning to view her baby as separate from herself. How many of us have answered questions about our babies in first-person plural?
-- How old is your baby?
-- Oh, we're 22 months now.
Well, no, we're not; he is. Yet we nod in universal understanding of the profound sense of oneness that evolves in part from pregnancy. For nine months, mother and baby are inextricably "we" -- linked in body and spirit, every move and morsel belonging to both.
These thoughts surfaced during Sarah Palin's latest public scolding of someone who spoke disparagingly of the special-needs population. This time, Rahm Emanuel was singled out for using the word "retarded" to describe the behavior of certain out-of-favor Democrats.
Palin's defense of people with special needs is commendable. Her obvious love for -- and pride in -- her Down syndrome child, Trig, is touching. But each time she sallies forth as Mama Bear to America's special-needs citizenry, invoking Trig's name amid demands for her children's privacy, a tiny bit of uneasiness slithers between text and subtext.
At what point do Palin's noble intentions become Trig's exploitation?
The genius of Palin's good-heartedness is that she can't easily be criticized. Her public images as Mother and Politician are so entwined that to question one is to impugn the other. Equally unprofitable is any effort to impose perspective on her condemnations lest one appear to be defending the indefensible.
This is virgin territory for politicos and pundits alike. How does one proceed?
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
maybe Kathy meant “exploding”?
The assumption here, of course is that the reporter thinks it necessary to proceed in criticizing.
No other course seems available.
Petrified Liberal Alert.
Kathleen Parker should get herself to a nunnery and pray. SHe has really become evil in her attacks on SP and I refuse to read anything she pens.
Has she ever heard of the virtue of kindness?
Michelle Obama exploiting her daughters for obesity.
My God! Could this person be any more bitter toward someone who has something she never will.
Ok let’s add up Palin’s crimes:
She wrote on her had.
She is really into her kids.
Phew, some bad stuff there.
Did Kathleen Parker offer the same advice to Cindy Sheehan . . . or Michael J. Fox . . . or Christopher Reeve . . . or anyone wearing a pink or red ribbon? When a health issue or death hits home, people often work to gain understanding or research $$$ to learn more about the problem.
And, it might be said that Ms Parker was riding Sarah Palin’s comet to get herself noticed.
The fact is that the special needs community reached out to Sarah when Rahm’s comments were made public. They asked her to respond and she did.
Thank you Sarah for speaking up for those families.
No, on second thought, Parker has gone from a virtual unknown to a media darling since she has started blasting Sarah Palin.
It will scar them for life. “My mom said I was fat”.
The WP claims that Kathleen Parker is a “conservative” columnist. This is what happens when a liberal is sent out to shop for a conservative commentator.
She should offer her advice to Levi & to Channel 2....they exploit his son & it’s shameful.
Those kids aren’t fat? Are we resorting to picking on kids?
Any child less than two should not be exposed to this.
And she’s a hockey mom.
And, she can field dress a lib.
Where was Parker’s righteous outrage when Letterman was exploiting Palin’s daughter?
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