November 14, 2005

Tell Ms. Kelly your children are not embarrassed!

We received a comment from Sandra Scales-Siwek that deserves wider distribution:

On Nov 4, columnist Maquerite Kelly, in her Family Almanac column in the Washington Post ("Outings Will Help Grieving Daughters With Inner Feelings")
says that children with disabled parents are embarrassed:

Having a hospitalized parent is much more embarrassing to a child than is a working mom, because chronic illness is unusual, while working moms are the norm these days.

She goes on to recommend that the children be encouraged to remember the father "when he was young and virile."

"They knew him only as an invalid," she writes.

ARRRRGH!

Through the Looking Glass tells us that nearly 9 million -- or 15 percent -- of all American parents are disabled -- it's not that rare! And how long have we fought to get beyond the attitude that a disability is a "stigma?"

Please send an email to Marguerite Kelly protesting her "advice." Send an email to the Washington Post's letters department, too, to say you are disappointed that they let such an attitude persist in one of their columnists.

And why not post a copy of your email in the comments section, below?

Posted on November 14, 2005