My dear friend Tovah, a dedicated supporter of our MPS II Fund and good friend, shared this letter with me today during hockey practice (not ours, our 7 YO’s ;-)). It speaks to “difference” that I wrote about in my last blog.
It is a letter by Special Olympics athlete John Franklin Stephens to political commentator Ann Coulter, in response to her using the R-word during the presidential debate on October 22. Here’s a quote that tells a bit of the story: “I’m a 30 year old man with Down syndrome who has struggled with the public’s perception that an intellectual disability means that I am dumb and shallow. I am not either of those things, but I do process information more slowly than the rest of you.”
And here’s another: “being compared to people like me should be considered a badge of honor. No one overcomes more than we do and still loves life so much.” All of it, but especially this last bit, reminds me of Trey…
The letter is worth a read. We are all worthy of love, consideration, understanding, compassion, humanity.
Here’s a link to the letter: http://specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/an-open-letter-to-ann-coulter/
