#3

Thanks Gracie.

#5

Here, you're making up stuff that I never saw. Trig was born with Downs Syndrome and I've never seen anyone making light of his condition. Trig became a topic due to his mother and the strange stories surrounding her pregnancy - something I was obviously guilty of myself that never should have been brought into the political realm.

With Barron, what I saw were people speculating whether he was on the Spectrum like Gus - is by different names - since his biological issues are shared by those who're ASD, if my son is correct. The only questions about Barron revolved around whether he was Asperger's, and that was due to how he appeared during his rare public appearances - along with the fact so little of his life was ever publicly shared unlike the Obama girls, Bush girls, Chelsea Clinton, and even Amy Carter - all children who grew up in and around the White House. People with or around autistic children recognize the obvious signs when they see them. Mentioning so isn't a criticism, it's an informed observation as long as no uninformed judgments are passed.

Even Melania pulling Barron back from the campaign involvement his father announced, even though Barron is 18 and supposedly free to make his own decisions as an independent young man is puzzling and appears to be a mother protecting her child from the undue scrutiny being involved in presidential politics would bring.

Every parent has every right to protect and love their children as they see fit. And when one does have a special needs child, those that do understand both the joys and frustrations inherent. Nothing to be criticized at all across the board, regardless of party. Children are precious, not political pawns for punditry fodder.

And to make clear for those who may not know, Asperger's people can be geniuses and savants - but they have other socialization issues and quirks most people don't have.

The best example of an Asperger's type would be the character Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. He's a physics genius but completely socially inept. Over the shows 12 seasons, the character questioned his friends and then tried to mirror them and replace his social anxieties with a more comfortable humanity that included feelings. I've watched my son deal with some of these same fears and anxieties as he's grown into a new husband and partner for his wife.

I saw it here a thousand times. I don't think very many people did it but it was pretty rough.

I guess my mind has been trained to ignore stupid demeaning posts that don't have anything of substance to bring to the discussion. I truly don't remember anyone of substance going after Trig's condition. As I said earlier, I certainly talked about Trig but it was always due to questioning his mother as his mother, based on stories going around then.

I am neither a liar - and Gracie knows this to be true from her own experience - and I certainly don't live under a rock. Before moderation, I didn't suffer fools at all, but I've never besmirched politicians' children. And I don't countenance it, and if I did see anything directed toward Trig's biology I must have dismissed those posting it.

But it was also latched on to by elements of the online right, with Coulter writing "Talk about weird..." in a post on X Thursday. The Harris-Walz campaign has successfully been using the weird' description to describe Donald Trump and JD Vance.

I think it's obvious that Coulter didn't know about Gus' condition. When she found out, she deleted the post. When Gracie posted #6, I did a quick search and found what I already knew would be there: Reporting about pro-Trump folks posting snide things about Gus.

But that doesn't belong here if it spoils those few moments when we saw unfiltered love and emotion that was genuine and pure. I would rather celebrate the joy. Lord knows there's none to be found on The Nooner nor anywhere in Trumpworld unless it's connected to their perverse enjoyment of someone else's suffering.