OPINION
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN WWW.KANSAN.COM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2007 PAGE 9A
THE LIBRARIAN YOUR PARENTS WARNED YOU ABOUT
Special needs children deserve a chance
Women should consider all of the information when deciding to whether to raise a child with Down Syndrome
My mom is a para-
professional, and she has worked with special needs children for as long as I can remember. When she got pregnant at 40, she was given an amniocentesis, the test which, among other things, looks for Down Syndrome in the baby. I was 12, and I remember asking what she would do if she found out the baby had Down Syndrome. She said, "I'd love it, the same way I love you and your brother." My mom wasn't concerned with the deficiencies her child might have; she just felt lucky to be able to have a baby so late in life.
Unfortunately, not all potential mothers feel the same way. In fact, according to the Lawrence Journal World, doctors estimate that as much as 80-to-90 percent of women terminate their pregnancies upon learning that their future child will have mental or physical disabilities, such as Down Syndrome.
This has prompted Kansas Republican Senator Sam
The bill, while a step in the right direction, is not a quick fix for this problem. Deciding to terminate your pregnancy is a serious decision, and if women are convinced to do it with little information, then more information will only impact a few women.
sas Republican Senator Sam Brownback and Massachusetts Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy to collaborate on the "Down Syndrome Bill," which, if passed, would obligate doctors to give patients more information when mothers learn their baby will be born with special needs.
EDITORIAL BOARD
I felt heartbroken when I saw the sky-high percentage of women that terminate pregnancies that will result in babies
with Down Syndrome, I have met so many happy and thriving children and adults with Down Syndrome, and I wish those other mothers had given their babies a chance.
Everyone wants their children to have the best chance at life, and learning that their child
My goal is not to turn this into a pro-life versus pro-choice discussion. Whether I am pro-choice or pro-life, I do not interfere with another person's right to do what they want with their body or their fetus. My problem lies with those who choose to terminate a pregnancy on the basis of a mental illness. I understand that a mother will initially be disappointed.
I'm sure some of the mothers felt they were being noble, denying themselves a child for the good of the baby. No life is better than a life with physical and mental hardship, right? Well, off-hand, I can think of very few people who, even on their worst day, would honestly rather choose death over living their life.
has Down Syndrome means that child will probably never be the doctor or lawyer they always wanted. However, the child will still be theirs. Down Syndrome is not an immediate prescription for an unhappy life. They will still giggle when you tickle them and smile when they see you. Most importantly, Down Syndrome does not mean a reliant life. Depending on the level of severity, they may even graduate from high school and go on to live relatively independent lives.
I hope the Down Syndrome Bill passes and is able to change mothers' minds about having a child with Down Syndrome, even if only a few. I hope that women can be brave enough to give their special needs child a chance at life. Most of all, I hope that they realize a baby with Down Syndrome is still a baby, and one that deserves a fair chance at life.
Gentry is a Kansas City junior in English and pre-medicine.
DRAWING BOARD
New Senate coalition runs on accountability Connect must avoid cynicism to have its goals achieved, platform accepted
This spring, a new Student Senate coalition, Connect, hopestomake gains in the election through a broad platform of transparency and accountability. Connect has a strong Senate pedigree and a very well-organized public relations campaign already underway. Its ideas are progressive, but it will be a feat if Connect's current goals are still intact by April.
Connect is led by Austin Kelly, Lawrence senior and current student body treasurer, and Jason Oruch, Plano, Texas, junior and current off-campus senator. They will be the presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively. Riley Dutton, Pittsburg senior and current Senate finance chair, and Jack Connor, Overland Park senior and current senator, are heading up the coalition's campaign work.
Connect first deserves consideration for the different coalitions from which its members come. Kelly formerly belonged to Ignite, as did Dutton, while Connor and Dutton have previous experience with Delta Force, and Oruch comes from United Students. The candidates said that they have gained support from members of multiple Senate coalitions.
All four men expressed a general discontent with the direction Student Senate has taken this semester. Kelly noted that roughly 20 of 70 senators have had to be replaced, and that senators in general "don't feel a sense of purpose."
Connect's main goals are general student advocacy, diversity and accountability.
In the area of student advocacy, the candidates mentioned such issues as the Oread Inn's development, parking and ticket mismanagement on the part of the athletics department. Diversity encompasses a varied body of ideas, ages, religions and ethnic groups. While acknowledging that accountability gets said a lot, the candidates said that the biggest obstacle was simply figuring out how to be accountable.
The biggest obstacle for any Senate coalition, especially a new one, is getting word out of its existence and rallying students to vote. Connect's method differs from most coalitions', however. In general, a coalition will decide its platforms with input from several of its higher-up members, and then present the ideas to the student body. Connect's mission is to seek out the platforms that students wish to see first, and form their own agenda based on what they hear. They also want to student engagement to stay high even after the elections.
"We want to give them a reason to go out and vote," Oruch said.
Students interested in finding out more about Connect can join the coalition's Facebook group, download its Facebook application or visit Connect's Web site. The site contains everything one would expect—biographies, a student survey and blogs.
When comparing their coalition to others, the candidates stress the over-arching differences of Connect's inclusive nature and a lack of rigid traditionalism (a tradition for KUnited and Ignite was to wear a white shirt over a black one on election day, for instance).
Other coalitions, the candidates say, don't appeal to nonorganizational students, and make too many decisions based on the opinions of their core members.
"This coalition is not going to be about the past," Kelly said.
The forward thinking of Connect is perhaps its best feature, and it may appear to be a breath of fresh air for those who are tired of business as usual in Student Senate.
Its aggressive early campaign can only help it, as it will be familiar to many students by the time campaign season gets into full swing; for this, Dutton and Connor deserve kudos.
If Connect stays true to its core values, which are sorely needed, then it can go far. If it abandons these goals when the campaign season is in full swing, then it will simply be another failed idea.
FREE FOR ALL: 864-0500 OR KANSAN.COM/FACEBOOK
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed.
Hell! I don't know her name!
I swear to God, I get stuck in elevators with the weirdest people in McCollum.
To the kids bitching about Johnson County's wealth: You can move there too and get a high-
Fine! I'll shower, dammit!
paying job there as well
If I am dreaming really hard for a white Christmas, do you think it might come early for finals week?
I always have to learn things the hard way, don't Free for All? Please tell us not to lead ladies on because rejection hurts, especially after sex. Now I know I am just another notch on their belt.
Everything does not revolve around Johnson County. Pathetic.
There is a whole world out there doesn't give a damn about you, your money or your lifestyle.
I think Bill Self's Christmas gift to the female population of KU should be to let Conner Teahan play more. We can't see him as
well when he is sitting on the bench.
I sleep better in Anschutz than I do in my own bed. So much for being productive.
My entire interaction with the bus system here has felt like a scam.
Okay, guy who almost ran over me with his your car, please don't look at me like I was in the wrong, he is a murderer.
I hate you, Chem 184 test.
To all the hot girls on campus, thanks for motivating me to go to class everyday, keep being beautiful.
You guys know what I haven't had in a while? Big League Chew.
No, I am not kidding, I am proud I earned it and therefore know the value of a dollar. Now that's its there, I get what I want when I want it
Please snow! I don't want to have my test today.
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The Editorial Board
Erick R. Schmidt, Eric Jorgensen, Darla Skipe, Keisley Hayes, Bryan Dykman, Brandon T. Minster, Angelique McNaughton and Benjamin R. Smith
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