I used to be a job coach for people with disabilities. All the people I worked with were adults. My job was to teach them how to do their "jobs." Technically, my job was not to do their "jobs" for them.

A friend of mine, Mary, was a special education teacher for public school children. Both of us encountered in the course of our work people with Down's Syndrome. Both of us liked our jobs and working with people with special needs.

Once, Mary and I had a conversation about what we would each do if we became pregnant and a test indicated Down's Syndrome in the prospective child. Both of us are prochoice. We arrived at opposite answers. I said that I would have an abortion if the test indicated a significant probability that the fetus had Down's syndrome. Mary said that she would not.

What made the difference in our imaginary choices? Our jobs. Mary said, "Down's Syndrome kids can be really lovable." I said, "For many of them, it is almost impossible for them to function on their own." Mary saw children who attempted the simple tasks she planned for them. I saw people who were being used as temporary labor that was government-funded. They needed self-motivation and self-regulation and the ability to accomplish more complex tasks. Over and over, I had tried to teach one nineteeen year old boy to count to above six as he peeled trash bags off a plastic row. There were four trash bins. Each bin need to be double-bagged. He needed to be able to count off eight bags. We worked at this task and others, including dishwashing, for six months while the fast food restaurant enjoyed the benefits of both my labor and his, paid courtesy of Uncle Sam. Over and over, I said the same things everyday, things like, "You just came to work. What is the first thing you need to do?" He would usually look at me blankly, as if her were hearing this question for the first time. (The answer was: "Put on my apron.") He often forgot that first thing. He always got upset at the way the pieces of egg clung to the egg rings as he scrubbed the dishes. He never did learn to count past six. He was not permanently hired.

His is only one example. None of the Down's Syndrome adults I worked with were permanently hired. Instead, they moved from one temporary job to another, having to start the learning process again and again. The young adults I worked with had IQ's between 50-60 and were classified as mildly retarded. There are others who are more functional.

The qualifications of my job were lots of patience and lots of patience. I could never lose my temper. I could never be critical. I had to explain things over and over on a simple level. I needed to be unfailingly positive and put up with the criticisms and frustrations of the "employer" who often expected me to do my consumers' jobs for for them -- despite the fact that they all knew perfectly well that that was not my role. (I am glad I don't work as a job coach anymore because I really did lose patience with the so-called employers!)

Most people, when they have children, dream not only of their lovableness but also the prospect of their growing up. These children never grow up. They are complete human beings with a full range of emotions, but they rarely function on their own.

Parents facing this decision can look at this upside of the all time and the tests that are necessary before they have full information: They can look carefully at all issues.

I have known wonderful parents of children with Down's. They are loving and encouraging and they have wells of hope. I have also known parents that either through loss of hope or a neglectful temperament have not been able to adequately parent their Down's Syndrome child.

You say that people should "get the facts straight on Mormonism." When you characterize other people's writings here here you should also get the facts straight.

I did not say Mormons did not believe in birth control. I said that a Mormon leader told me this in the distant past. I asked if this was still so.

I did not say my Bishop said that black people were evil. I said that a Mormon missionary had told me at one time that black people were "carriers of evil." I asked if Mormons still believed this.

However, since you are here and since you seem to know quite a bit about Mormonism, perhaps you can tell me the official Mormon position on a woman's right to choose.

The reason Romney's faith is relevant now is he seems to be doing quite a back flip on his own position on abortion. The reason religion is relevant to politics now is that the Bush League has made it so very relevant for the past six years. That's not going to go away.

Now that the Republican star seems to be dimming, why should the Democrats release that particular bone if there is something useful left to chew on it? You can bet that religious issues will be very much a part of the conservative agenda once we get closer to the primaries. Why should Mitt get a pass?