Joe Pitts: “most homecoming kings are probably athletes or student government leaders, the ``in crowd''; but students at a Tempe…”

“most homecoming kings are probably athletes or student government leaders, the ``in crowd''; but students at a Tempe, Arizona, high school broke the mold. Marcos de Niza High School's landslide winner for homecoming king was a 21-year-old student with Down Syndrome, Poco Carton. Poco is well-known around campus for his dance moves at lunch and for his insistence on saying hello to nearly everyone. The election is a vivid reminder that each and every life, regardless of what value the world places on it, is worthy of living. Every day, Poco and those who share his challenges offer priceless contributions to our communities, but too often they are taken for granted, excluded from the opportunities many of us take for granted. Studies show that 86 percent of unborn children who are diagnosed with Down Syndrome are never given a chance to be elected homecoming king. They are aborted. Down Syndrome is a challenge that taxes anyone facing it. Families caring for children with this disease need our support and encouragement, but if we believe that the way to kill Down Syndrome is to kill babies, we are dead wrong. How many Poco Cartons have we lost to this strategy? How many lives could have been touched at schools like Marcos de Niza? It is a cost too high to calculate.”