22 Comments on "“Special” Edition: President Obama and Special Olympics"

F Smith on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 6:22 am 



Some people can turn an innocent comment into a negative. Let’s get a life and concentrate on the problems instead of making them.

David on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 7:37 am 



Good Morning.
Can I say “Good” ’cause I don’t know about anybody’s morning but mine.

Wow. How about the patronizing references to “our world’s most precious and unique people…”. Republican Governor Sarah Palin added that she hoped the president’s comment did not reflect his true feelings about the “special needs community.”

Come on, I’m sure that Palin’s son is “precious & unique” to her as my own son is to me, but I’m not labeling all 6′2″ atheletes with asthma as anything.

All people, with or without a disbility have needs, some different-some similar-doubtful identical.

Also, “special needs community”?! As a PwD my needs arent special. They are basic. I want public access like everybody else. I want to vote. I want to continue to work. I want to dine in any restaurant I choose. I want to exercise my Civil Rights. I want to do all of this & more without obstruction.

Everybody is PC & word conscious yet the ADA is always scrutinized & jeopardized. Where are all the talking heads then? I have a lot more to say then space allows, but the truth is we have bigger concerns than the ‘lot’s of talk & no walk whiners’ groan about.

Disability Advocates know
the real issue(s) and the issues remain because well-intentioned folks lose sight of the prize & become a ‘talking head’.

That’s it for me - let the onslaught begin.

Carl on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 7:38 am 



Ok, so Obama made a stupid remark about Special Olympics. Big wow.

So does the rest of the country. We, the disabled, are lower forms of human life. We pay the same taxes as everyone else, we can do the same work as most other people, but it doesn’t matter.

We aren’t normal therefore less human and less American and we have fewer rights.

Get used to it.

Derek Varsalona on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 7:40 am 



STUPIDTY OF OBAMA
By: Derek Varsalona

This past week, President Barack Obama went on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and dissed disabled people a core constituency for the Democratic Party. When President Barack Obama was on Jay Leno they talked about bowling at some point I guess because there is a bowling alley or bowling lane at the White House. It was then that a dark cloud fell over the studio. Obama responded, “It’s like-it was like Special Olympics or something.”

I find this to be rather insulting. I was a child with special needs and do not find any humor in this one bit. First, why in the world would a Democratic put down a core constituency? It just doesn’t make any sense. Governor Sara Palin was right to claim that she was , “Shocked to learn of the Comment. This was a degrading remark about our world’s most precious and unique people, coming from the most powerful position in the world. These athletes overcome more challenges, discrimination and adversity than most of us ever will. By the way, these athletes can outperform many of us and we should be proud of them. I hope President Obama’s comments do not reflect how he truly feels about the special needs community.”

This is something that I can never forgive President Obama for. This is the most absurd thing I have every herd. And it is mind boggling. First of all, the Democratic Party has been supportive of upholding the ADA. But the Republicans have been better at upholding the Right to Life of all innocent children, especially those with special needs. And the Libertarian Party has probably been more supportive of inclusion within society for the disabled and but I am not sure where the stand on better funding for special educational resources. In any case, the media is also to blame here. Everyone who reads this blog today knows that if President George W. Bush were to say that his ass would have been grilled for weeks on end. The media must hold President Barack Obama’s feet to the fire for this comment and as of yet they have not done that. The media tried make it a 24 hour news story or but it was the Republican Party that has kept this story alive and I applaud them for that.

I will admit it that my views have changed on Obama and he has a lot of making up to do to the special needs community. We must hold Obama’s feet to the fire for this. As always comments welcomes as my views have definitely changed on Obama, what will he think of next?

COME READ MY DAILY POLITICAL BLOG ON MYSPACE KNOWN AS THE DAILY RANT

marie mambuca on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 7:55 am 



i don’t care what he said… i think he’s going to do great things for this country.. i’m tired of people freaking out over words.. actions speak louder than words…

Edward Quinn on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 8:02 am 



It was an unfortunate comment by our President I certainly have heard far worse comments from local elected officials especially with regards to attempts to take corrective measures in my community. I think the President deserves a pass on this comment mainly as a result of the real action he has taken in just the first 100 days in office. I feel that for the first time in 8 years we have an allie when we need one and that his leadership will serve us on the local level extremely well, I have already seen changes in our last commission meeting seeing local officials attend for the first time in Years. For many of us stereo type comments are the hardest to change and society has certainly been slow to this point as with any of them from comments about women, race, ethnicity, as well as disabilities we need to continue to educate and advocate and win society over to where they leave this in the past our job as advocates is not done until this occurs.

Teri Saltzman on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 8:39 am 



President Obama is the first president that during his campaign consistently included persons with disabilities and used person first language. This tells me that he is concerned with the issues that persons with disabilities face each and every day. President Obama has appointed several post filled by persons with disabilities so that the issue will always be in the front of business.
Previous Presidents made remarks however never indicated that they had even considered the rights of persons wiht disabilities.
I feel that the community should focus on his actions and words and not his poor choice of words.
sometimes I think our community is too sensitive and can perpetuate stereotypes.

Teri Saltzman on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 8:55 am 



President Obama is the first president that during his campaign and his inaugural address consistently included persons with disabilities and he used person first language. This tells me that he is concerned with the issues that persons with disabilities face each and every day. Also, President Obama has appointed several positions in the White House that he filled with persons with disabilities; to me this indicates that these issue are important to him and will remain a priority.
Previous Presidents had made overchurs towards persons with disabilities and other minority populations however they were just that.
I feel that the community should focus on the Presidents actions and not his poor choice of words.

Marie Pike on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 9:06 am 



As a Sr. with a Son with a disability President Obama’s remark wasn’t the big deal everyone is making of it. It was an “off the wall remark” and your pretty unusual if you haven’t done that at sometime in your life.
Do some good,spend your time trying to be helpful in getting Cities,States and establishments to comply with ADA laws.
Pathic (is that an insult) Palin. How about her remarks about Obama during the campaign.
The majority of people with a disability do not want to called “handicapped”, they aren’t looking for pity, just a chance to show their ability.

Jack from Nashville on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 9:40 am 



Any reasonable or thinking person can see this for what it is, an un fortunite gaffe.

In no way was Mr. Obama poking fun, or being cruel to people with disablities.

Anyone who uses these commits to further a political agenda, is simply not crediable.

Luis Androuin on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 11:08 am 



Where are all the other generally “get over it” comments (including mine) which were previously posted. (I am a disability rights advocate, similar to the others who posted like minded remarks such as: let’s get on with the real battle. Political correctness does nothing to assist the mainstreaming of the disabled community. I remind all that even now, over 40 years since the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, people of color continue to face discrimination everyday and lawsuits continue to be filed pursuant to this Act. In some cases, the discrimination is less overt but even much more insidious than in the past. Cease complaining about an off-hand remark by a President who has set aside funds for disability rights in his State programs (which, “I was shocked to learn,” Sarah Palin rejected), and participate as Plaintiffs in ADA Titles II and III actions for barrier removal. I can tell you that having individuals with disabilities actually do something which will make a difference (rather than merely venting on their computers) is not easy. In our organization of over 250 members, only 2-3 are actively participating in any type of actions which will bring about real change. So, I repeat: get over it…please.

Sylvia Smith on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 12:50 pm 



I am disabled, use a w/c and thought the comment was rather humorus. Some of these people ought to get a life. I’ve been called a crip as well as other names some would take as offensive but I just laugh them off. If you can’t laugh at yourself, you won’t make it through life very happyily.

Heidi McGhee on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 2:19 pm 



I am a person who had a stroke during the birth of her child. Initially my whole right side was paralyzed. Through rehabilitation I have learned to strenthen the part of my brain that wasn’t damaged. I was rehabilitated with a person who learned to walk with a paralyzed leg. Then I got into the general population a experienced how EVERYONE has some type of an inability. I WAS NOT OFFENDED BY HIS REMARK. I AM DISABLED AND LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, THE SOONER YOU ACCEPT IT THE EASIER IT IS TO COPE WITH. However, I am crippled by the previous governments unwillingness to listen to the GROSS legal and medical malpractice that caused my inability to get a life!! I have a brain INJURY that you cannot see, therefore understand. The uneducated interpret it as mental illness. I have a short term memory problem. The court records from my divorce do not reflect what was said. Was the judge and social worker paid off? Were they paid off with my out of court settlement for the GROSS malpractice? WHY, THROUGH THE REHABILITATION AND MY FURTHER RANTINGS HAS NO ONE HEARD ME? PEOPLE HAVE PROFITED FROM THIS CASE OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE. NOT ME!!!!

Monica J. Foster on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 2:54 pm 



I am no more special or precious than any other human being on the planet simply because I move about my differently and with a little more creative thinking. Palin needs some education. Obama apologized QUICKLY and yet we are still talking about it days later like there’s a major natural disaster in our laps threatening our country. Let’s appreciate the apology Obama made, understand he made an honest gaffe, and continue to advocate for his administration to champion for equity and access for all people with disabilities into the human experience. I think every public official deserves to be put through a diversity training like any corporate employee has to go through and add a particular piece of disability awareness and rights history. No public official will ever see us as people if we don’t continue to act like people who deserve equitable consideration in the world and demand the world continue be continually reminded of our humanity. Repetitious actions and messages DO work. Let’s keep beating our communities over the head about what we want, need and deserve to be productive alongside our counterparts without disabilities.

Pattty Orr on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 4:10 pm 



Speaking as a disabled person, I found President Obama’s remarks thoughtless. hurtful and not funny at all. Further. he seemed to enjoy it. Regretably I learned to expect such bad behavior from 8 years under GWB. but I thought this president, with his superb language skills would offer the disabled community a promising new agenda. You know “real hope”,no pandering or platitudes. However, I can and will forgive his lame attempt at humor provided President Obama affects sweeping poitive agenda within the American disability movement. A good beginning would be to protect our beloved law, the ADA.

Sue Keller on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 4:39 pm 



It’s the total off-handedness with which the President made his comment that is the disturbing thing about it. Try walking in our shoes for a while. Your child with a disability is segregated into a separate educational system at the pre-school level. The segregation continues until you get a lawyer/advocate to force the civil right of inclusive education for your child. Your friends, neighbors, even family will question what you did wrong to cause your child to have this disability. Some of them will question your right to bear this child because a pre-natal test indicated the disability. Your child will live in a world where celebrities (Ben Stiller) and politicians (Barak Obama)can make jokes at his expense and where other people who have no empathy will tell him that he just can’t take a joke. And these attitudes feed the cycle that make the segregation OK that lead to the underfunding of appropriate education that lead to unemployment for adults with disabilties.

Susan Harper on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 8:59 pm 



Personally, I do not think that the President meant to say anything hurtful ~ however, his comment show that ingrained prejudices are still around. What ones says in private can and will come out in public at some point.

In order to not repeat such a disparaging remark about any group, one must avoid the standard ‘jokes’ about any group. That way, each individual will be seen as just that ~ an individual.

Karen Dickerhoof on Fri, 27th Mar 2009 9:14 am 



What a good time for the Special Olympics program to challenge President Obama to a game of bowling, right there in the White House, with all the world watching. Use this as a teaching moment for some Special Omympians to demonstrate their skills.

SusanM on Sun, 29th Mar 2009 10:07 pm 



I wish BHO had not said “that”, but he did. I think it just slipped out, and he realized his error immediately. He was/is the first Presidential Candidate sitting and President to mention the rights of the disabled in major speeches. I do believe he “gets us”.

Gwen Winkler on Tue, 31st Mar 2009 6:39 pm 



I am a person using a wheelchair and in no way does this make me special, unique or precious. It just makes me another person trying to live the best way I can.

I think Gov. Palin has a nerve speaking up as all we have to do is look at the way she dragged her son around during the elections. No caring mother would have her small children up at all hours.

Some people can turn an innocent comment into a negative one. Let’s get a life and concentrate on the problems we already have instead of making new ones.

Richard W. Wert on Sat, 4th Apr 2009 1:00 pm 



As a wheelchair user with Cerebral Palsy who is a college graduate who has no connection with Special Olympics, I did not find Obama’s “joke” on the Tonight Show to be funny at all. I have sent 2 web-form emails to the White House, but have been ignored, including the link to my video response.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vEwPaMdLH0

Until Obama personally apologizes to the nation I will not be satisfied.

Sandy Goodwick on Tue, 14th Apr 2009 11:32 pm 



I was at the LA Town hall meeting (invited by Kareem Dale). Even though President Obama intimated in HIS ‘opening monologue’ that no one had been pre-screened, maybe 50% of us got tickets because we were conected with his campaign (no wonder everyone was cheering!). I met Gary Karp while waiting in line - he worked on the Obama campaign Disability Policy committee. I would imagine he already knew the answers to his questions since he helped to develop them. I wonder whether he already had met Obama. Makes ya wonder about that “pre-screen” comment!

Neither the White House nor the school district knew about assistive listening devices (MY ‘accommodation’). The school district SHOULD HAVE HAD them (4% of total occupancy) - and since the White House signed the ADA into law, I thought they would follow it! I learned the executive branch of the federal government is exempt from following the ADA. Let’s hope Mr. Dale works to remediate THIS ‘gaffe’.

I couldn’t find ANY Obama “apology” at the WH website. Personally, I do NOT think Obama’s slur is all that “random” - do athletes ever make disparaging comments re: their opponents? Wouldn’t a comparison to “special olympics” then be just the ticket to degrading your opponent?

Because I personally know, first-hand, the long term, permanent damage invoked by “jokes” that denigrate someone else, I do NOT consider the slur ‘trivial’. There IS a “rank ordering” of disabilities (kids know!) and people with intellectual disabilities or facial disfigurements ususally vie for the bottom rung. Down there, the ‘barriers’ are often verbal jokes, sneering, ‘looks’, etc. While the lack of physical access to a venue is a slight to a GROUP of people with mobility impairments, those sneers, jokes and looks aim directly at the one who’s at the other end.

No formal apology … Obama, Leno and the audience LAUGHED … journalists have all kinds of reasons to ignore the slur … this would never ‘go away’ if the slur was against any other minority.

Obama was soooo articulate re: racial issues when the Rev. Wright stuff aired … I guess (1) such sensitivitiy is not necessary now he’s elected, and (2) experiecing life in one minority group does not help him to understand another (how sad).

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