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Home > Blogs > Women's Life > Archives > 2009 > March > 20 > Entry
Obama couldn’t keep up with Special Olympians
President Barack Obama attempted to make fun of his lack of bowling skill by referring to his game as “like the Special Olympics or something.”
This gaffe occurred on his Thursday night appearance on “The Tonight Show.”
The audience laughed, but Obama and his handlers knew he made a mistake. On the flight out of California, Obama called Tim Shriver, the chairman of the Special Olympics, and apologized. The Special Olympics is an organization which promotes athletic contests that mentally retarded people participate in.
“He expressed his disappointment and he apologized in a way that was very moving. He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate this population,” Shriver said Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Obama wants to have some Special Olympic athletes visit the White House to bowl or play basketball.
Still, Shriver said, “I think it’s important to see that words hurt and words do matter. And these words that in some respect can be seem as humiliating or a put down to people with special needs do cause pain and they do result in stereotypes.”
Words do hurt and words are very hard to change. How often have you called yourself ‘retarded’ when you do something silly? You’re just poking fun at yourself, but is that really all you’re doing?
There are actual people who have mental retardation. What if someone took your condition and used it to disparage himself or others?
And I have news for Barack Obama. I covered the International Special Olympics in New Haven, Conn. Years ago as a reporter at the Connecticut Post. Those competitors are athletes. The track stars from Ethiopia ran ridiculously fast times. A basketball player from Panama was mentally retarded, had one leg and could likely clean up the court with our basketball-playing president.
And, indeed, there was bowling. Bowling with higher scores than Obama’s high score of 129.
I know Special Olympians, President Obama and you’re no Special Olympian.
Permalink | Comments (15) | Post your comment | Categories: role models
Comments
By Barack Supporter
March 20, 2009 11:38 AM | Link to this
Lighten up. He’s just bein’ one of the guys.
By SO Mom
March 20, 2009 12:16 PM | Link to this
Just wait until his healthcare plan goes into effect…not much of a stretch to guess which group of citizens will be rationed.
By Steve L
March 20, 2009 1:18 PM | Link to this
I’m willing to put some money on a game with Obama vs a mentally handicapped one legged guy from Panama. Don’t be ridiculous. He said a stupid thing, he apologized, he’ll make right by it. If anything he just brought more awareness to this issue.
By D
March 20, 2009 2:51 PM | Link to this
Calm down. Everyone is human, we make mistakes. Just like your grammar error with a capitalization error above after you wrote out Conn. You could’ve just wrote CT for Conneticut. See, we’re all human. Lighten up.
By Bill
March 20, 2009 4:07 PM | Link to this
If it wasn’t for mentally retarded people, Obama would have lost the election. He needs to be thankful for Special Olympians. They voted him into office.
By kim
March 20, 2009 6:35 PM | Link to this
spellcheck did that. thanks for the catch.
By George
March 20, 2009 7:03 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the idiotic comment about retarded people voting in Obama. It’s idiots like you that make the republican party proud
By Todd
March 20, 2009 7:44 PM | Link to this
Is this a situation where the President can say whatever he wants and it is fine because he is a minority? I have a Special needs child does that mean I can use racial slurs with no fear of backlash? It is all in fun if you are a democrat, it is insensitive if you are an honest tax paying citizen. A complete double standard that none of you will understand!
By Justine
March 20, 2009 8:04 PM | Link to this
Todd. Speaking of not understanding things… being a Democrat and being an honest tax-paying citizen are not mutually exclusive. Don’t throw a fit because of people overgeneralizing about Republicans and then turn around like a jackass and do the the same thing to Democrats. Talk about a double standard… Gosh!
By todd
March 20, 2009 9:08 PM | Link to this
Justine, I was generalizing about the Democratic machine and how they state that it is fun. I did not mean that Democrats don’t pay their taxes. The only ones that don’t pay their taxes are the ones that Obama elects to his cabinet. I obviously made you revert back to standard liberal tactics of calling me names. Why am I not surprised by the name calling, just as I am not surprised by the justification of the President picking on a group of people that can’t defend themselves.
By Bill
March 20, 2009 10:28 PM | Link to this
Don’t blame me for the Republican party and their shortcomings. Maybe, if they would have gave the nomination to someone younger than 120, they could have beat The Messiah. Now go back to watching MSNBC George, you brainwashed sheep.
By Verna
March 24, 2009 12:35 PM | Link to this
Does anyone really think the President was picking on the special olympians? Please, get a grip folks. He was making a joke, albeit not a good one, but really do you think the man hates those who are physically or mentally challenged? (And note I used the politically correct description.) We’ve all become way, way too sensitive about what are “just words”. And I don’t think he intended to hurt or humiliate anyone. But if you keep talking about it, you just dilute any apology that was made. Okay, what do you want him to do?
By Ruth Mctaggart
March 24, 2009 2:36 PM | Link to this
Ms. Margolis, Although I am not a subscriber to the Dayton Daily News, it was my extreme pleasure to have been given the opportunity to read your commentary,”Obama’s Special Olympics gaffe was not amusing”. I have a daughter with special needs and she has participated in the Special Olympics in the past. She has also suffered just this sort of humiliation and worse at school,especially this year where one of staff has been calling her,”miss too dumb”. She repeats this and calls herself that at times with a smile on her little face because she has no idea what it means, which to me as her mother and as a consciences human being, makes it all the more insidious and hurtful. Although I have brought it to the attention of the principal and the special education coordinator, as yet nothing has been done, at least not to my knowledge, and my daughter continues to call herself,”miss too dumb”. Thank you for your commentary. I shall look for your articles on-line. Also, thank you for your time. Sincerely, Ruth A. McTaggart P.S. I shall be circulating copies of your commentary throughout my daughter’s school in the coming few days.
By dadofaspie
March 25, 2009 10:45 AM | Link to this
Ruth - the behavior of the staff at your daughter’s school is inexcusable. You need to document that you raised those concerns, in writing - and tell them you want it to stop. Your daughter’s self-esteem is too important. Thanks Ms. Margolis, and Todd, totally relate with you.
By Ruth
March 25, 2009 4:46 PM | Link to this
dadofaspie, Thank you for your kindness,understanding, and support.