I've always loved words. Since I learned to read at age three, I've been enamored of words and books and writing and songs and poetry and just the overall culture of language. What I've always found most striking about words is their POWER. Words have the power to do so much: they can lift you up, strike you like a knife to the heart, make you laugh, make you cry, make you think deeply, and make you shake your head in wonderment.
The power of words and my love for them is what motivated me to write this blog. First, some background: when I was ten years old, my family learned that my younger sister was mentally retarded. She had been brain damaged at birth due to lack of oxygen while in the birth canal; the result was that the development of her brain was slowed, or stunted, or retarded. To me, "mentally retarded" was a medical diagnosis, and it never held any power as a slur or insult. It was just a condition I related to my sister.
Flash forward to today. The words "retarded" and "retard" (pronounced REEtard) are now used as a way of insulting or demeaning or denigrating someone, even your friends, if they are acting weird or doing something uncool. Sure, it may be said in a playful way, or jokingly, but the effect, the power of those words, is no laughing matter to persons who are brain damaged or developmentally disabled or autistic, and those that love them. To us, using those words is as ugly as the most vile racial or cultural slur. Recently, I found out about a campaign called "Spread the Word to End the Word". The purpose of this campaign is to end the use of the words "retard" and "retarded" and - I really like the positive spin - replace them with the "new R-word": RESPECT. This campaign is partially sponsored by Special Olympics, a wonderful organization who has provided my sister with years of fun and gently competitive activities in the most supportive, respectful and empowering settings possible. Check them out at www.r-word.org, where you can "pledge and support the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech". Such a cool campaign.
Think about your own speech on a daily basis, how you talk to your friends, your family, how you talk ABOUT others. Here's an experiment to try (or at least, imagine yourself trying it): find a dirty, smelly, full garbage can; stick your hand in, scoop up a handful of garbage and shove it in your mouth. Then, spew that garbage back out, while in front of your boyfriend, your significant other, that guy you have a crush on. Think they would find that attractive? There's a reason it's called TRASH TALK. Why waste your time poufing and primping with the cutest hair and makeup and clothes, then open your mouth and maggots are coming out (now there's a visual!). Get the point? When you say ugly words, you make yourself ugly.
My sister is the sweetest soul in the universe, my best buddy and the best hugger in the world! What she is NOT is deserving of being disrespected or demeaned or debased or denigrated by being referred to as a "REEtard". NO ONE is deserving of that ugly word.
Spell it out with me: R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Respect yourself. Respect others.
Aretha says so.
The power of words and my love for them is what motivated me to write this blog. First, some background: when I was ten years old, my family learned that my younger sister was mentally retarded. She had been brain damaged at birth due to lack of oxygen while in the birth canal; the result was that the development of her brain was slowed, or stunted, or retarded. To me, "mentally retarded" was a medical diagnosis, and it never held any power as a slur or insult. It was just a condition I related to my sister.
Flash forward to today. The words "retarded" and "retard" (pronounced REEtard) are now used as a way of insulting or demeaning or denigrating someone, even your friends, if they are acting weird or doing something uncool. Sure, it may be said in a playful way, or jokingly, but the effect, the power of those words, is no laughing matter to persons who are brain damaged or developmentally disabled or autistic, and those that love them. To us, using those words is as ugly as the most vile racial or cultural slur. Recently, I found out about a campaign called "Spread the Word to End the Word". The purpose of this campaign is to end the use of the words "retard" and "retarded" and - I really like the positive spin - replace them with the "new R-word": RESPECT. This campaign is partially sponsored by Special Olympics, a wonderful organization who has provided my sister with years of fun and gently competitive activities in the most supportive, respectful and empowering settings possible. Check them out at www.r-word.org, where you can "pledge and support the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech". Such a cool campaign.
Think about your own speech on a daily basis, how you talk to your friends, your family, how you talk ABOUT others. Here's an experiment to try (or at least, imagine yourself trying it): find a dirty, smelly, full garbage can; stick your hand in, scoop up a handful of garbage and shove it in your mouth. Then, spew that garbage back out, while in front of your boyfriend, your significant other, that guy you have a crush on. Think they would find that attractive? There's a reason it's called TRASH TALK. Why waste your time poufing and primping with the cutest hair and makeup and clothes, then open your mouth and maggots are coming out (now there's a visual!). Get the point? When you say ugly words, you make yourself ugly.
My sister is the sweetest soul in the universe, my best buddy and the best hugger in the world! What she is NOT is deserving of being disrespected or demeaned or debased or denigrated by being referred to as a "REEtard". NO ONE is deserving of that ugly word.
Spell it out with me: R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Respect yourself. Respect others.
Aretha says so.
