[xJones]

A beautiful article, and bookmarked. I have two friends that have sons with Down's Syndrome. They're very different, one's a live wire and the other is quiet. It's not at all what the parents expected, but they are precious children.

[Old Professer]

Darwin lamented that society would encourage the breeding of "defective" examples of the species out of "misplaced compassion"; what he saw as a barrier to the perfection of his theory, many see as the true merit of mankind, work as a joy, as in this mother's extra care for her not-so-perfect baby is an end in and of itself.

Most of us, if we admitted it, would not have the strength to be this way.

[alnick]

I work with adults with mental retardation, and they're all incredibly special people. I have one friend in particular with Down Syndrome. She calls me several times a week on the phone to chat. She has a boyfriend and so that's what we usually talk about, how cute her boyfriend is.

She has a wicked sense of humor too. Sometimes she surprises me with her sarcasm when I'm assuming that she's barely able to follow the conversation.

It's easy to underestimate these people. They've got a lot more going on in their minds than most give them credit for.