Sometime you just want to deliver a good swift kick in the ass

I had hoped to avoid writing about this, but I can't. People keep asking me what I thought about John McCain mentioning autism during last night's debate.

Conventional wisdom says anytime you have the attention of 63 million viewers is a good time to mention autism, however, I just ended up being mad about the whole thing.

I was HORRIFIED when John McCain said Sarah Palin understood autism because she has a child with Down's Syndrome. Ummm, what? That makes NO sense; he is comparing apples and oranges. Let's break that down:

1. Down's Syndrome and autism are different. They are both developmental handicaps, but ultimately nothing alike (Down's Syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality).
2. Sarah Palin has a 5 month old with Down's Syndrome.....she isn't even an expert on THAT yet. Mr. Little Man was diagnosed as autistic 4 years ago and my autism knowledge is barely scratching the surface of all there is to know and learn.
3. Yes, I want a candidate that has an idea of how hard it is to raise an autistic child; and, yes, I want them to realize that autism is becoming an epidemic. And more than anything I want them to do something about it. But Down's Syndrome is not autism, so stop comparing them. You may confuse some people. Or perhaps McCain is confused....I could argue for both.
4. I still can't believe McCain used someone else's handicapped child to further his own standing. So, let's get this straight: you don't want anyone to mention Palin's pregnant teenaged daughter because that's wrong (let's call it "a private family matter"); but parading her 5 month old handicapped child around is OK (lets call it "a strategy to help us get elected")?

As a presidential candidate you have media following you around NON STOP for months. If you wanted to highlight an issue that is important to you (vs. an issue you think is important for you to mention in order to get some more votes) don't throw it into a debate. I cringe to think how the conversation would have gone if Obama or Biden had a developmentally disabled child.

If you don't know someone with autism it's just a matter of time.