Excuse me while I vent. I present to you three words that should be abolished from the English language. Retard, Retarded, Retardation. And/or any form of the word. Hearing these words in ANY context is simply unbearable to me. While out to lunch with a friend today, I overheard a conversation from the table adjacent to ours laughing and joking about one of them being “such a retard.” As I tried to contain my anger and continue on with the conversation at my table, I couldn’t help but feel the anger building inside. I feel that this word is not a word that should EVER be used in a jokingly way. It isn’t a joke and should never be used as a joke. Bottom line, IT ISN’T FUNNY!
When I hear these words, I picture MY CHILD coming home from school one day crying because somebody has called him a Retard. When I hear these words, I picture a doctor looking me in the eye to tell me MY CHILD will be mentally retarded. When I hear these words, I can’t help myself from cringing and wanting to bust into tears immediately because I know it is reality for MY CHILD.
I have to be honest with myself and imagine that I must have at some point in my life laughed at somebody and said such horrible things like “you’re acting like a retard” or “such a retard.” I guess I could use the excuse that I didn’t know any better. Now that I do, I will never utter those words again.
[Side note: The big surprise is not complete yet. It needs a bit of tweaking before it is reveled. HA!]
LOVE LOVE LOVE
When I hear these words, I picture MY CHILD coming home from school one day crying because somebody has called him a Retard. When I hear these words, I picture a doctor looking me in the eye to tell me MY CHILD will be mentally retarded. When I hear these words, I can’t help myself from cringing and wanting to bust into tears immediately because I know it is reality for MY CHILD.
I have to be honest with myself and imagine that I must have at some point in my life laughed at somebody and said such horrible things like “you’re acting like a retard” or “such a retard.” I guess I could use the excuse that I didn’t know any better. Now that I do, I will never utter those words again.
[Side note: The big surprise is not complete yet. It needs a bit of tweaking before it is reveled. HA!]
LOVE LOVE LOVE
5 Responses to “Retard, Retarded, Retardation”
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About me
- I'm Aspen
- From Clovis, New Mexico, United States
- Happily married to Logan for 5 years. We have a precious son Daven Tate who was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome (a genetic disorder)at 11 months old. What a joy it will be to watch him grow. Daven just turned TWO!
- My profile
Tweaking? T-W-E-A-K-I-N-G... tweaking? Hmmm... You know I hate surprises. Better just call me and tell me what's goin' on!
XOXOXO
Out here in New England you hear a lot of "retard" -- mostly it's "retahd" - no r -- and while I never used the word myself I never gave much thought to it. Until Brady was born. Now I get so annoyed so quickly, even though when people use it around me I know they don't mean anything derogatory about it... it has just become socially okay to use it. Like "queer". I also think that the people around me don't picture Brady that way, so they don;t think they are saying anything wrong. (Did you see The Office episode where Michael says, "You don't call your retarded friends retarded, it's not nice. You call other people retarded.")
Long story to say I agree with you! :)
I have an odd relationship with that word. I try to be okay with it, because it is a word that is an accepted part of medical terminology, which is my career. In a medical sense, I AM okay with it. I know that is is part of Erik's syndrome. It's easier saying it knowing Erik's mental disability is strangely asymmetrical, and he will show great skill in areas even though he lacks in others.
On the flip side, when someone says it in jest, I'm not okay with it at all, and it makes me want to throw up. It's an ugly word to throw around for no reason. It makes me wonder what other words I use that hurt other people.
Your a trip!!! With the surprise thing...
Not so big on the retard word either...
I fear someone well someday hurt Tatum with it too...
It can make me so mad, too, but then I try to keep in mind that maybe I was that same person before Clare came into my life. Our children make us (and others who know them) better people in more ways than one.