President Barack Obama appeared with Jay Leno on The Tonight Show last night, and in an attempt to make a self-deprecating joke, wound up offending people with intellectual disabilities and their families. In a lighthearted discussion of his bowling skills, the president said that he bowled a 129, and as Leno mockingly complimented him on it, the president responded, "It's like Special Olympics or something."
That thud you heard was not a bowling ball hitting a lane, but the jaws of all those who think of Special Olympics as representing effort and achievement, not bungling and failure.
It was an offhand remark, certainly ill-considered, and soon apologized for. According to a Disability News post, "A White House spokesman said the remark was not intended to disparage Special Olympics athletes, who have intellectual disabilities. The president 'thinks the special Olympics is a wonderful program that gives an opportunity for people with disabilities from around the world,' said White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton." A wonderful program, but one where the bowlers are pathetic, apparently.
Many will say that it's overreacting to take this comment too seriously, but you know what? In the long run, it's the offhand remarks that kill you. It's not the big R-rated movies that are trying to be offensive, but the relative who calls your kid a retard and claims not to mean it, or the teachers who make jokes about their students' disabilities and say they're just blowing off steam. It's this notion that it's okay to be demeaning as long as you don't mean it. Isn't that the kind of thing the president should be speaking out against?
If you missed the show last night, you can see the remarks on video here. Do you think it was offensive, or no big deal? Share your thoughts in the comments, and check the Today's News folder throughout the day for more on this story.
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I couldn’t believe it as I heard it. The man who is so “eloquent” and that just slips out. The fact that it slipped out shows that in his mind children who have special needs are less perfect. And yes, I’ll say it — I don’t trust our president with the future of our “imperfect” children, especially those yet to be born.
He sure could have used his teleprompter that day. That’s just low.
I think it just shows that even the “smart” or “Gifted” can be foolish at times. I don’t believe he meant to hurt anyone but lots of times we just don’t think before we say things and some things really hurt, especially when you are aware of more. I still enjoyed watching my son take a big interest in politics and watch his candidate elected. I really believe he would accept his apology.
My daughter is in Special Olympics bowling and most of the athletes can out-bowl me!! What the President said just confirms that most people think that those with disabilities are slow and not able to do what “normal” people can do. He needs to go spend a day at a Special Olympics bowling tournament. It would probably be one of the most special and enlightening days of his life (and I bet my dd could beat him anyday!!)
“Off hand” remarks are often what a person really thinks. Scary.
I’m glad he apologized, and I’m pretty sure he meant it. This might have been a very good thing to have happened this early on – Obama now has to consider the way he thinks, and maybe it’s never been something he had to notice before.
I’m glad he was called on it, too. It was a little thing, in intent – and little things become bigger things, as others echo and return and amplify and they become cultural. Role models who care about the messages they send don’t have the luxury of not considering their actions.
While I think that Obama’s comment was wrong, I do not believe that a man who puts $12 billion in his budget for special education meant to insult the people he proposes to help.
I’m glad that someone realized that what the President said was hurtful. I do wonder though if he immediately realized it or if someone else brought it to his attention soon after. I do believe that most people do not intentionally say things that are hurtful, but people with developmental disabilities have always been an acceptable group of people to poke fun at. A good example is the continued use of the “r” word. It’s always interesting to me to hear people excuse their use of the word by saying that they didn’t mean it in a bad way. Their is no other way to use it. People do not use this word as a compliment when they are talking about someone’s behavior or abilities. Someone from the Whitehouse said the remark was not intended to desparage Special Olympic Althletes who have intellectual disabilities. How else is it intended when you say my bowling is like the Special Olympics. It is no different than a child on the playground using the “r” word to describe someone’s behavior or abilities. I think it would have been better if he had apologized and said that there was no excuse for what he said, that he too needs to think before he speaks as comments like this perpetuate a stereotype that is so hard to break. As a mother of a child with developmental disabilities and a 12 year old in middle school, I find it incredibly hard to exlplain to my twelve year old how or why such comments are made amongst his classmates that basically poke fun at people with disabilities. He sees how hard his brother has to work to do the most basic things, he sees how hard we try as a family to live, have fun and laugh even with all of the struggles we face. At least with kids, I have tried to explain to him that not everyone has had the experiences he has had, and that they are still kids, they are still learning. How do you explain it when the President uses such poor judgement. I guess the same way, that he is still learning too. Maybe instead of offering to have Special Olympic athletes to the White House he could be a spokesperson for the Special Olympics Spread the Word to End the Word campaign on 3-31-09 to try to bring national awareness to ending the use of the “r” word. That’s something I would be proud to tell my 12 year old.
President Obama’s offhand remark was insensitive and derogatory, and he was right to apologize for it.
What steams me now are the people who are ‘defending free speech’ who put forward the opinion that as long as individuals with developmental disabilities were not specifically targeted, his comment should not have been recognized as offensive.
I am certain our dear president knows better than that, and that he has compassion for the most vulnerable Americans.
Those who are using this opportunity to define advocates and families as humorless or “PC police” are the real villains. I would not be surprised to learn they were among the ignorant bullies in schools and neighborhoods where they grew up. It’s a shame they waste their potential and are so proud of it.
I believe our president can learn as much from what they have written as he must have from the more eloquent and moving comments of parents raising children with disabilities.
It must be obvious to him that many of those who are writing supposedly in his defense are not people who can think their way out of a paper bag. They obviously have become so elitist that they have lost touch with anything truly authentic or meaningful in their own lives that would give them the insight they need to understand the consequences of comments like the one Obama made on the Leno show.
I believe that we should continue speak out, in hopes of reaching those who are educable or trainable, and to challenge and then tune out those who do not engage their capacity to be the change we would like to see.
If my son had not been born with Down syndrome, I would be highly unlikely to have reacted at all to hearing President Obama’s remark on Leno last week. I can’t pretend that I would never have made a comment like that myself. Many parents I have spoken with do remember with great anguish the hurtful language they used casually before their children were born.
I believe now that Barack Obama knows better, he will do better. And if he does not, I will write a letter to Michelle and ask her to straighten him out.
I agree with comment #7 from E. Coplan. It may not have been the brightest thing to say, but President Obama does care about those with intellectual and physical disabilities. Putting #12M in the budget for special education says alot. I personally think that the media and those who would swear otherwise are looking to disect and find something negative to bring him down.
I don’t think this is as bad as everyone is trying to make it out to be. There are a lot of other things he could have said that would have been worse, like the “r” word. Parents would not have been offended if he had said he bowled “like a child”, so I don’t feel offended at this. I would like to see him bowl against the Special Olympic bowling champion, though. That would make a good story.
What PNWmom said…and very well, I might add.
I expect fools to regularly throw the “r” word around like it’s candy. He’s suppose to be the President. Perhaps he should start acting like one.
Oh, give me a break. His comment did not offend me in the least bit, and I have a son with mental retardation and autism. He recognized his mistake — it’s one many could make who are unfamilar with people with developmental disabilities. I’d like to think of this as a positive learning experience for him — he cannot possibly know everything — but here is a good chance for him to learn something about the range of people who have DD, etc.
He is a good man, but like everyone he makes mistakes because no one is perfect. He certainly is the best we’ve ever have, or could have given the field out there.
Cynthia
I agree with the comments who point out how much Obama has done and has pledged to do to help special education in this country. Obama made an insensitive remark that he quickly apologized for. I have no doubt that this gaffe has meant that he has further educated himself on this issue in order to avoid such gaffes in the future.
In contrast, our Alaskan governor — who campaigned partly on the promise that she would be a “friend” for special needs kids in the White House — has just rejected over 100 million dollars in education funds for Alaska, much of which was slated for special education for special needs children in rural Alaska. With “friends” like these . . . . .