00:00 | For more reaction to the Presidents comment about Special Olympics, just a few moments ago, I spoke to the Chairman of the organization, Tim Shriver. |
00:06 | He said the President called him from Air Force one before the tonight show even aired. |
00:12 | He expressed his disappointment and he apologized, I think, in a way that was very moving. |
00:17 | He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate this population... |
00:20 | ...certainly didn’t want to embarrass or give anybody any more reason for pain or just, you know, kind of suffering, I would say. He was very sincere. |
00:29 | Expressed uh, openness and an interest in being more engaged in the movement, and said he was a fan of the movement. |
00:35 | And I think, importantly said, he was ready for...to have some of our athletes over the White House to bowl or play basketball, or help him improve his score. |
00:44 | Is that enough for you, or do you think there’s something else that he should do? |
00:48 | Well, I think it’s important to see that words hurt. And words do matter. |
00:52 | And these words that are in some respect can be seen as humiliating, or a put-down to people with special needs, do cause pain. |
01:00 | And they do result in stereotypes. They do result in behavior that is neglectful, and almost oppressive of people with special needs. |
01:08 | This kind of language needs to be a teachable moment, I think, for our country. |
01:11 | ... I would hope every parent whos at home this morning, watching this show, could turn to their children and say... |
01:17 | ...this is a chance for us to recognize that when we talk about Special Olympics, when we talk about people with special needs... |
01:22 | ...let’s make sure we talk about it in an affirming way. |
01:26 | And Tim also said there is a special Olympian in the Detroit area who has bowled three perfect games. |
01:31 | Three games, 300. And that he said he was sure that he would be more than welcome to... |
01:36 | …could find the time to come to the White House. And teach the President, yes... |
0 comentarios:
Publicar un comentario