“I don’t feel I should have to justify my existence.”

And then he did.

Before and after making that seemingly inane statement, Frank Stephens went on at length justifying his existence.

He made attempts at humor.

“Seriously, I have a great life, I have been to the White House twice, and I didn’t have to jump the fence either time,” he quipped.

He was emphatic.

“My life is worth living” he stated pleadingly.

But mostly, he simply pleaded and sounded … sad.

“Is there really no place for us in the world?”

The man was essentially begging for nothing more than his life. You’d expect to hear that refrain from a man on death row with the executioner standing nearby.

But Frank Stephens isn’t a criminal and he didn’t make those statements under duress … he made them earlier this week while testifying in Washington D.C. before a House subcommittee.

What Frank Stephens is … is a man with Down syndrome.

Stephens made his remarks Wednesday while lobbying lawmakers on the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services for more Down syndrome research funding. Beyond that request, though, was a broader discussion into eugenics.

“Sadly, across the world, a notion is being sold that maybe we don’t need research concerning Down syndrome,” Stephens said. “Some people say prenatal screens will identify Down syndrome in the womb, and those pregnancies will just be terminated.”

He noted in Iceland nearly 100 percent of unborn babies screened with Down syndrome are aborted.

“We are giving the world a chance to think about the ethics of choosing which humans get a chance at life,” he said.

He also emphasized a lot of people have a negative perception of quality of life in relation to Down syndrome, a notion largely rooted in ignorance.

“No one knows more about life with Down syndrome than I do,” he stated. “And that view is deeply prejudiced by an outdated (view) of life with Down syndrome.”

And then there’s that extra chromosome.

Forgive my gross oversimplification, but Down syndrome is essentially a genetic disorder in which there is an extra chromosome (the 21st chromosome, if you do want to be more specific).

However, as Stephens pointed out, that extra chromosome may contain a gold mine in terms of medical developments.

“We are a medical gift to society; a blueprint for medical research into cancer, Alzheimer’s, and immune system disorders,” he said. “On a deeply personal note, I can’t tell you how much it means my extra chromosome may lead to an answer to Alzheimer’s.”

And then there’s the whole happiness thing.

Stephens cited a Harvard University study which found people with Down syndrome, along with their immediate family, are happier than the rest of us.

“Surely happiness is worth something,” he said.

Our nation’s capital can be a geyser of cynicism, grandstanding and insincerity. Stephens testimony was in stark contrast to that norm.

But don’t take my word for it. After typing Frank Stephens into a Google search, spend eight minutes of your life watching his testimony. You won’t regret it.

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Gregory Orear is the publisher of The Journal. His award-winning weekly column, “What’s Going On,” has been published in four newspapers in three states for more than 20 years. He can be contacted at gorear@nujournal.com.