Everyone Deserves A Chance
Two years ago, after special education funding was cut, our school held a meeting to try to solve the problems created by this and other state and federal cutbacks.
Although 20 percent of our students need special education, only my husband and I were present to represent this point of view.
At a particularly heated moment, I suggested we move on, and a board member pointed a finger at us and said, “You people are the ones slowing us down.”
“You people …”
I thought a lot about the divided way many people see one another. Us and them. Good and bad. We have had many “you people” moments.
When our daughter was 1 and couldn’t walk, a specialist told us, “She just doesn’t have it up here,” indicating his head. Well, we people didn’t give up. We dried our tears and bought her hard, rigid baby shoes. She walked that very day.
“You people …”
When our daughter was 2, a pediatrician thanked us for keeping our daughter. As if we would institutionalize her because she wasn’t perfect? We people love our child unconditionally and learn from her every day the real value of living and loving.
“You people …”
When our daughter was 3, we were told there were no services for her in the remote area of Montana where we lived. We people moved to this part of Washington state in part because of the excellent school setting.
“You people …”
When our daughter was 8, we were concerned about her ability to speak clearly. For three years, speech therapists said, “She just doesn’t have the ability to use words well.” We people finally took her to a specialist who found her entire tongue was attached to the floor of her mouth and then repaired it with surgery.
Try to understand the loneliness of raising a child with special needs. The party invitations not received. The childhood milestones missed. The lack of friendships. The medical crises. The knowledge that our child probably will not move out on her own, marry and have children.
We have only one chance to raise her. Are we to stand by and watch her chances evaporate? Where will she be as an adult if we do? Who would take care of her then - the government? A fine education can make the difference between a person who may forever depend on others and one who can contribute to society and help enrich it. I hope we can join together to create a better tomorrow as we people, for all of us.
MEMO: To submit a “Your turn” column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write “Your turn,” The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane 99210-1615.