Working Mom with a Child with Down Syndrome: "I Want to Shriek"

In the Phoenix New Times, Amy Silverman writes eloquently about raising three children, including one with Down Syndrome, in McCain's home state. And she explains why "As a Working Mom with a Child with Down Syndrome, Sarah Palin Makes Me Shriek." She says of her 5-year-old daughter:

"Sophie's one of the smartest kids with Down Syndrome her teachers have ever seen, but the reality is that she'll never be completely independent. And if something were to happen to me and my friends and family, Sophie would have to rely on the kindness of strangers -- namely, the government. I don't know if Sarah Palin would create a safety net strong enough to catch Sophie."

She adds: "Just last month, I met a mother with a 6-year-old son with Down Syndrome. He's pretty much never had any therapy at all; he's not speaking, he isn't potty trained. The mom gave up after someone told her there was a waiting list for services (not true) and several of her calls went unreturned. All you need to do is drive to the center of any large city in America and watch homeless schizophrenics push shopping carts to see the effects another social conservative — Ronald Reagan — had on another disenfranchised group, the country's mentally ill."