If advocates for the disabled became disheartened after the recent success of the movie “Tropic Thunder,” perhaps they will find a new ally in Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

In case you missed it, many advocates, parents and friends of mentally handicapped persons decried “Tropic Thunder” for its offensive use of the word “retarded” and the harmful stereotypes they claim it perpetuated.

In sharp contrast, the recent focus on GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin told the story of her four-month-old infant with Down Syndrome.

In speaking of her son, Palin called him “beautiful,” “a gift” and an “unspeakable joy.”

Such words would hardly be newsworthy in the context of a developmentally normal child.

When speaking of children with Down Syndrome, however, words of thanksgiving and praise seem to be few and far between lately.

Current studies suggest that nearly 90 percent of expectant parents who receive a positive prenatal diagnosis for Down Syndrome choose to abort their child.

90 percent.

Certainly some of these couples might have chosen abortion regardless of the outcome of the testing, but I find it impossible to believe such a hypothesis would hold in every case.

It would be natural for expectant parents of a child with Down Syndrome to be afraid of the unknown, to be nervous about the responsibility and to be anxious about money or a lack of resources.

Unfortunately, all too often the doctors of these parents do nothing to allay their fears.

Recent studies present a grim picture.

According to a study published in the January 2005 edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, doctors and other medical professional showed a bias toward abortion as a solution after a diagnosis of Down Syndrome — all of this despite the high rate of false positives.

I wonder how many of these doctors have known a child with Down Syndrome or volunteered with Special Olympics. Perhaps they could then speak to the joys and blessings of such a life, as well as the struggles and challenges.

As it is, mothers in the study reported that their doctors often failed to give them accurate information regarding the reality of life with a child with Down Syndrome and neglected to refer them to Down Syndrome support groups.

Lest I be misinterpreted, it is not my aim to pass judgment on medical professionals in general or on couples in such a situation.

I do, however, wonder at a society in which the story of a governor who chooses to welcome her infant with Down Syndrome makes national headlines.

I wonder if resources and support will become scarce for the 10 percent of couples who choose life for their special-needs child.

I wonder if those who promote abortion for babies with Down Syndrome because of the suffering the child will endure could say the same while looking into the face of such a child who has no idea she is “suffering.”

I wonder at those who claim to love diversity, yet fail to speak up for the selective termination of a subset of our population — because of the very diversity it brings.

I wonder about the future of prenatal genetic testing. Will only “perfect” babies be given a chance to live?

I wonder if anyone else notices how frightening the possibilities could be once we start to allow arbitrary “imperfections” to make a human person unworthy of life.

Speaking as an imperfect person myself, it’s a scary thought.

Andrea is celebrating the gift of life — all life — today. If a person with Down Syndrome has brought joy to your life, share your story with her at andrea.summers@asu.edu