“Retarded”

Warning- you or someone you know is about to be harshly reprimanded simply because of what you may have just said.  Portions of this blog post are coming from The Vision, ARC Marion’s newsletter, Fall/Winter 2008, but since I wrote it there, I’m posting it here.  It’s important for people to know how we,as advocates for the developmentally disabled, feel about this topic.

Isn’t it time that we start considering the word “retarded” as derogatory as it truly is?  School children and adults alike speak it as casually as they would the word “geek,” but they never truly understand just how offensive it can be.  It is a medical diagnosis, and something that the individual receiving that outcome cannot change.   However, removal of that word from everyday vernacular hasn’t caught on like it has for other lingo.  And you know what words to which I’m referring…stop and think about negative words that were once a part of regular conversation that have pretty much been labeled as hate speech.  Now think about why those were eliminated and “retarded” hasn’t been…  Because the people group to which most others refer when using the word “retarded” in such a negative tone are not able to speak up for themselves.  Period.

Hollywood hasn’t helped matters much either by simply dismissing their use of the word and theatrical depictions of such individuals as mere comedy.  Well I don’t think it’s a laughing matter at all, and I am going to start advocating for the removal of the word “retarded” from people’s vocabulary.  After all, for ARC Marion is the Advocacy Resource Center!

You know who you are.    You are parents, teachers, students, business professionals and even my friends.  You say “I can’t believe how retarded I was when I did XYZ…” or “Stop acting like such a retard.” I have friends on Facebook who have photos with captions like “Simply being a ‘tard.”  There are local radio hosts who use the word so flippantly when referring to each other that they have no regard for the feelings of those who actually deal with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities on a daily basis.

So, now’s the time to make a change!  If you catch yourself saying it in casual conversation, stop.  If you hear someone else use the word negatively, ask them to refrain from it in your presence.  I know I wish I had mentioned it as recently as this month when talking to a close friend.  I even petition teachers to start reprimanding children for using it in casual conversation—consider it as offensive as cursing—and see if we can start making a change in the youth of today to really change the generation of tomorrow.   Our desire is to eliminate the word “retarded” when used in a negative or joking connotation from all people’s vocabularies so that we can once again advocate for the developmentally disabled clients at ARC Marion!  Won’t you help?!