If it's just meant to entertain and be humorous, then why does it make me want to cry?
Retard, retarded.
Originally mentally retarded was used by medical professionals to describe someone whose mind was slow. That's pretty accurate, not that offensive right?
Then it became a way to make fun of people. Not always people that have developmental disabilities either. Innocently enough, young people used it when someone they knew did something silly. I won't lie, I used the word when I was younger, never considering that it had personal implications to many. Never dreaming that it would outlast many slang terms of our time.
As history shows, words that are used to set aside a group because of it's differences end up being used to isolate that group. That word is a primary source of bullying for many people who have intellectual differences. It's used to show contempt, disregard, and yes, hate.
Hate speech when accepted by the masses leads to the marginalization of said group...think Holocaust, southern lynchings, abuse in institutions and group homes.
Retard, retarded.....they don't know any better, won't feel anything, it doesn't matter..... if you think the abuse of the disabled is of the olden days then please visit: http://www.icad.wordpress.com The fact that such a site needs to exist should be appalling to ALL of us!
12 years ago when I was still in the workforce, I STILL heard racist jokes. Sitting around the break table someone would try to get a laugh. I never laughed, I would stand up and simply say, "That is not funny, and totally inappropriate" and I would leave the room.
One good thing about being an "at home Mom" is that for the most part I get to choose my company. I don't choose to hang around with people who are filled with bigotry. However I know it still exists. And it saddens me. For the most part though, I know if I give even a little effort my children will be protected from racial remarks. They won't hear those words at school said in front of the whole class. They most likely won't even hear these words as we wait to check out at the grocery store.
As a society we know they are wrong.
Then WHY must my family be subjected to hate speech that directly affects one of our children?
How do I protect my girls from hearing, "That's so retarded", easily flowing from the lips of a teen star during an interview? Why can't I take them to see a children's movie without worrying that we will be embarrassed when one of the lines is, "even a retard could figure it out." (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).
And now a movie that not only uses the term but goes beyond any semblance of humor is about to premiere nationally despite disability groups' protests. To read an article by someone who has seen the movie go here: Disability News
The fact that so many people are defending the movie and can not come to terms with the fact that the word is actually hate speech is the most disturbing of all.
From Cinemablend.com:
Apparently “retard” is now worse than the N word, which seems to show up in every other film without the slightest complaint. That’s right, a word used to describe mentally handicapped people who for the most part don’t know or care anyway, is now worse than a word which was for hundreds of years a symbol of slavery, oppression, and hatred.
It started with some rumbling in comments sections and on message boards around the internet, now disability organizations are apparently starting to demand changes to the movie in order to water it down, lest it hurt the feelings of retards (yep, I said it), and they’re starting to scare off DreamWorks pictures.
Pretty disgusting huh? Now I know that the only way someone like the person who wrote the above is EVER going to "get it" is if they end up loving someone with an intellectual disability in their lifetime or if they themselves become the victim of hate speech and all of it's repercussions.
Anyone who visits this blog enough, knows that Tarenne completely gets it. While she doesn't yet know that word, because we have done our best to protect her from it, it won't be long until she is at the age where it will be used flippantly by those around her, or worse, used against her with venom behind it.
I ask you as our family and as our friends to help us make the world a better place for her. Please help our community to boycott "Tropic Thunder" and most of all please say no to the "R" word.
From My Heart,
Nicole
8 comments:
I am not going
Hugs
Thanks a million and Amen! If you don't mind, I am going to link my post back to yours (let's just say you worded it so well:)
I totally agree Nicole. I hear that word and it slices through my heart.. Both Mike and I get upset. Mike has actually told one of his painters that if he kept using the r word he would be fired! the guy stopped using it ;) Mike speaks up the min he hears anybody use it. We need to stand up and demand that this word be removed....it is derogatory and hurtful!
Our family totally agrees with you. We are boycotting as well and have had it posted on our site for a few days now. I was actually just writing about it today, wondering when our 4 girls would be old enough that we couldn't protect them from it anymore. Hoping that we never have to face the day when Abbie comes home in tears after hearing it at school. I hate that I even have to worry about such a thing...
Julia
http://thevancegirls.blogspot.com/
Ugh yeah. There's a mom I know who uses it a lot, usually in self-deprecating fashion (ie, "I'm so..."), and it just stuns me every time--she knows me, she knows Jake, why would she think it was cute to equate "retarded" with something bad or ridiculous?
I just ordered some of these:
http://activegreymatter.org/2008/08/11/thunderous-fail/
...and I'm gonna use them, too!
BTW, "retardation" comes from the education world, not the medical--in early 20c. superintendent reports and such, "grade-retarded" kids were the "backward" ones who weren't yet in the "right" grade for their age--which only became a big deal when ages had to match grades. In the years when many ages studied together, it wasn't an issue. The word initially covered a larger group, whoever fell behind in school, whether through language or behavior or health issues... only later did it become tied up with IQ scores.
I ordered a bunch too Penny. I am thinking about handing them out at the theater. Thanks for the education about the origin of the word too.
My fiance's sister has downs so he grew up in a family where the "r word" was never used and found offensive. I on the other hand like many others grew up using it as an expression. It's been really difficult for me stop saying it. It's not something I ever think about until the words come out of my mouth... it's sort of like accidently swearing in front of your uber religious grandmother.
Unfortunately it has become a slang word like you said, and peopel who use it 90% of the time do not intend to hurt someone. It might take time but things like protesting media that encourages the language definately help.
ps... I found your blog on alltop when I was researching the movie protest. :)
Sara,
thanks for stopping by. I agree with you about neutral intentions most of the time. It's time though that we educate the public. In a sense it's good that movies like this give us the opportunity to have the publicity to make our point known. It's just sad that they didn't get it before they became the cause of so much pain!
I love your blog, btw.
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