Max Braverman (Max Burkholder) with his mom Kristina (Monica Potter) on NBC's "Parenthood." (Byron Cohen/NBC)
Television Embraces Disability
From “Temple Grandin” to “Glee,” characters with developmental disabilities were hard to miss when flipping the dial this year.
Some were played by individuals who have disabilities themselves — Lauren Potter and Robin Trocki of “Glee” both have Down syndrome, for example — while other characters were remarkably portrayed by typically developing actors, such as Max Burkholder who plays a boy with Asperger’s syndrome on “Parenthood.”
The presence of characters with disabilities didn’t go without notice. HBO’s biopic “Temple Grandin” scored seven Emmys for capturing the experiences of the autism self-advocate. And the cable network also aired the award winning documentary “Monica & David,” which follows a couple with Down syndrome who get married.
The death panels STILL exist. The were added to the FIRST stimulus bill passed. The disabled need to live in FEAR of the government until we are sure that this has been rid off the face of America. We have just as much right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness as a NORMAL person. I have looked into this myself and have asked a doctor and another individual in the medical profession and they assured that they DO exist and would target ALL ages when it comes to the disabled community. This is NOT right and this is barbaric.
I’m disappointed that someone is still fanning the “death panel” flame. Show me in black and white where it exists. You have a moral responsibility to present cold hard facts when calling people to sharpen their pitchforks and rise up. By stating that you “looked into it” and talked to unnamed people in the medical profession, you fail to bring intellectual honesty to the debate. Stop living in fear and present facts. It’s the digital age, so it is not hard to do.