Rejecting the ‘R’ word
Fargo North Dakota students encourage others to end use of hurtful word, stick to respect
The word “retard” has become casually used slang among young people to imply someone is stupid or mentally disabled.
“I think when you’ve got older kids trying to set an example for younger kids, it always works.”
Ending the R-word In Pursuit of Social Justice
By Chris Rhodenbaugh
http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/viewpoint/ending-the-r-word-1.2008888#
“Spread the Word to End the Word.” At Notre Dame and across the world people are uniting to end the hurtful use of the word “retard.” Here is why I am joining them: In middle school it felt like I was given the keys to the word. “Swear words” were off limits at school or in front of my parents, but somehow retard toed the line as appropriate. Some pushed back, including my mom emphatically, but once the word became the cool way of calling someone or something stupid there was no stopping it. I never used the word hatefully at people with disabilities, so I cleared myself of responsibility that I could be hurting someone’s feelings.
In high school I started volunteering with Special Olympics. The judgments and preconceptions I had about people with disabilities were quickly replaced by enormous respect for the athletes and gratefulness for the energy they brought to my life. Working with the Special Olympics is my first memory of enjoying volunteer work. I left every practice or event inspired by being around so many people that seek friendships without reserve and that possess a full appreciation for all they receive.
Despite making friends with people who have intellectual disabilities and becoming increasingly involved in Special Olympics, I still used the r-word occasionally in high school. Hearing the word so often, my brain’s subconscious had disassociated it from the cruel word people use to slander or mock those with disabilities. It was a challenge to eradicate it from my vocabulary. That was until one day when I was on a bus full of Special Olympics athletes heading down to a basketball tournament. I laughed at a story told to me by another volunteer from a couple rows up and responded without thought, “That’s so retarded!”
All that heard me immediately got quiet and then a couple athletes looked at me and said with utmost seriousness, “Chris, we don’t use that word.” Most people never have that moment. After apologizing profusely, I committed to myself to never say the word again. I made the commitment because it became simple to me; why should we use words that offend an entire community of people just by hearing them? None of my friends, athletes or volunteers on that bus thought I was using it hatefully. The athletes stopped me because they were well aware of their medical classification as “mentally retarded” and that society found it acceptable to make retarded synonymous with stupid or ridiculous.
To all those concerned with censorship and the removal of a word out of regular discourse, no one is trying to police you from saying the word. Instead we ask you make a decision for yourself knowing that simply overhearing the word is offensive and often damaging to at least the 5 percent of people in the US with an intellectual disability and their friends and families. The number of people who disapprove of the word is growing, especially at Notre Dame where more than 2,500 students signed a pledge last year to end their use of the r-word. Special Olympians and people across the world who believe in the value of every member of our human family are asking you to be a fan of respect. On End the R Word Day, March 2, we hope you will enthusiastically pledge to end the hurtful use of the word retard.
Posted by The Elm on February 4, 2011
By Laurie Mcdade
Elm Staff Writer
I know we all say it–it’s an easy word to slip out—but that does not make it ok. Calling a friend a “retard” is the equivalent of saying “that’s so gay.” When someone utters a “that’s so gay” people respond with disdain and anger, but calling a person a retard is not met with the same reaction. How come using one group of people as a synonym for stupid or weird is wrong but using another group of people as a synonym for brainless is accepted? There are public service announcements all over MTV speaking out against using the word gay as slang for dumb or strange, but not one that includes using the word retard for the same thing.
However, there are many organizations that speak out against the use of this word and educate people on why this slang is so boorish. The website www.r-word.org gives people a place to pledge against using this word and to help eliminate its use. I encourage all readers to visit this website and make a pledge after reading what I have to say.
The word “retard” means to slow down or hinder progress or delay. However, during the 1920s the word began to take on the meaning of someone who is mentally challenged or developmentally stunted. Back then it was used as a medical term to describe someone with a mental handicap, but now it is used as an insult. The medical community no longer uses this term when diagnosing a person who is mentally challenged or autistic. Just like using the “n-word” this word is no longer politically correct and is just down-right inappropriate.
But you have to remember that when using this word as an insult you are not only insulting the person it is intended for, but a challenged society who works hard just to have a “normal” life. Using this word as slang for dumb or stupid diminishes all the work societies like the Kent Center have done. People with challenges such as these have to work ten times harder to understand social cues and maintain everyday routines. They are also some of the nicest and most non-judgmental people out there, so why continue using this word when all it is doing is hurting the wrong person?
This is an insult that only backfires on the person uttering it; this word makes the insulter look ignorant and stupid, not funny or intelligent. Please stop using this slang. This pledge is a hard one but it is attainable. Choose to stump your friends with better insults or jokes using correct synonyms for the term stupid, not a word that harms an innocent group. Before using it, think of all of the friends the Washington College community has at the Kent Center and then decide if that is the suitable word to use. Think before you speak, we are a smarter campus than this.