Republican presidential candidate John Kasich struck an emotional chord Monday with the mother of an autistic son during a town hall at George Mason University.
The mother tearfully voiced her concerns to the Ohio governor about how her son could live happily and independently with few resources available for autistic adults.
Kasich addressed the woman’s situation after inviting her on stage and putting his arm around her.
“When you hear these things, you can’t put your head in the sand. We have to figure out how to fix it,” Kasich said.
Kasich voiced his own concerns about opportunities for the disabled in the workplace.
“If you have a business, you can bring the developmentally disabled in. They don’t have to be CEO, but they shouldn’t have to be pushed to the side in some workshop. That’s not right.”
This is not the first time the GOP candidate has comforted a voter during a town hall. Kasich hugged a student who opened up in South Carolina about going through an emotionally trying time and finding hope in God and Kasich.
“I’ve heard about the pain of people all across this country, and what I’ve learned is we’re going too fast in our lives,” Kasich said. “Let’s care about one another and not be disconnected, and together we will rise this country.”