Jon Will’s Gift

~ Laura

Jon-will-with-dogs--606x404From George Will:

Judging by Jon, the world would be improved by more people with Down syndrome, who are quite nice, as humans go. It is said we are all born brave, trusting and greedy, and remain greedy. People with Down syndrome must remain brave in order to navigate society’s complexities. They have no choice but to be trusting because, with limited understanding, and limited abilities to communicate misunderstanding, they, like Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” always depend on the kindness of strangers. Judging by Jon’s experience, they almost always receive it.

Published by Laura

4 thoughts on “Jon Will’s Gift”

  1. I also thought the column was a lovely tribute to his son.
    But, as with all stories about how people deal with challenging parenting (including, as another completely different example, Sheryl Sandburg), I’d like to hear more about how they give their child a good life.
    Where, for example, does Jon Will live? How does he get from there to the baseball game? How did he find the job/activity? Who pays for what he needs? How did they manage his needs over the last 40 years? How have they arranged parenting when the parents are divorced?

    Like

  2. I think that is lovely. I will say though that someone I knew had a son who had Down syndrome who was quite angry and frustrated as a teen and ended up standing trial for sexual assault (he received probation).
    I think sometimes if we characterize people who are differently-abled as uniformly brave and trusting or sweet or whatever that is not respectful of them as unique human beings. I am not saying I have an answer to that either or know where the line should be drawn. I am however just a little uncomfortable with some of the statements in this piece, although they are well-stated.

    Like

  3. Will’s comments are appropriate if they are talking about a specific individual, who he knows well, but I do see the line where he seems to generalize or attribute his son’s characteristic to his genetic a typicality and not his son’s personality.

    Like

  4. See, I thought the cutesy elision of Jon’s privilege — he is George Will’s son in Washington DC and that gives him access to services and kindnesses that other children do not — was irritating. I really loathe the habit of referring to oneself in the third person, and when it’s in service to this fake idea that “Jon Will” can stand in for EVERY child with Down syndrome — NO.
    The people I know with Down syndrome are especially friendly and outgoing. But one of them is also prone to bouts of physically-expressed rage.
    It might be the case that having Down syndrome does not in fact transform a person into an angel. It just means you’re a person with a particular range of physical and cognitive traits.
    (Also, I love that Will is outed for plagiarizing his own work by his own organization. And — do we trust a parent’s insights into their child if those insights were acquired decades ago and apparently never revised?)

    Like

Comments are closed.