Subject: The R-word and Bravo’s responsibility
Date: Fri, February 05, 2010 5:19 pm

I had the TV on in the background last night while I was working and Kell on Earth was on.  Twice in less than an hour, her employees used the r-word.  One employee stated that he had left a very successful career in California to come to NY only to be treated like a retard.  The second employee was frustrated with something she had done and was crying that she felt like she was retarded.
 
I turned if off and will not watch it again, have posted comments on facebook and submitted a complaint to Bravo.  I hope that you will contact them as well.  While it is inappropriate for individuals to use it, Bravo has a bigger responsibility not to promote such behavior.
 
Thank you!
 
==================================================
 
To Let BRAVO Know How You Feel About The Use Of The r-Word On This Show Write:

Bravo Viewer Relations
3000 W. Alameda Ave., Suite 250
Burbank, CA 91523

Or Use The E-Mail Form At:
http://www.bravotv.com/contact

“Our politically correct society is acting like some giant insult’s taken place by calling a bunch of people who are ‘retards,’ ‘retards,’ Limbaugh said on this radio show, according to the transcript. “So now there’s going to be a meeting, there’s going to be a ‘Retard’ Summit at the White House.”

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/02/05/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6177457.shtml

====================================================

You can call The Rush Limbaugh Show program line
between 12 Noon and 3PM Eastern Time at: 1-800-282-2882

You can e-mail Rush at:

You can fax Rush at: 212-445-3963

You can write Rush at:
The Rush Limbaugh Show
1270 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

From Wednesday, February 3, 2010 – Autism Unexpected by Jean Winegardner:

“It might actually be a good thing that this happened so publicly. Maybe it will bring the hurtfulness of this word into the open, because that message is not out there yet. I hear people use this word all the time. I’ve heard very smart, caring people who know I have an autistic son use it. I’ve heard doctors use it. On one memorable occasion, I even heard someone who runs a group home for individuals with disabilities use it.”

“Every time, it makes me cringe.”

“I have seen several articles about the Emanuel incident in which his slur is reproduced in print as, “f**king retarded.” I know which one of those words bothers me, and it isn’t the one with the asterisks in it.”

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/autism-unexpected/2010/feb/3/rahm-emanuel-and-r-word/

 Across the United States and around the globe, young people on college campuses, in high school cafeterias and workaday offices have joined a movement of mutual respect and human dignity called Spread the Word to End the Word.  The goal: get people to stop and think about their hurtful and disparaging use of the word “retard” and pledge to stop using it.

http://www.specialolympics.org/03-31-09_Spread_the_Word.aspx

Feel free to use the following Sample Proclamation in announcing a “Spread the Word to End the Word” Awareness day for your community or state.  Change the words to fit your community and submit it to your school principal, city mayor or state governor!

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, according to the 2005 U.S. Census Bureau, 604,245 Oklahomans, 19.0% age 5 and over, have some form of disability; and

WHEREAS, people with disabilities constitute our nation’s largest minority group, almost one in five; and

WHEREAS, this group is also the most inclusive and most diverse group: all ages, genders, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic levels are represented; and

WHEREAS, when the words “retard” or “retarded” are used without thinking to mean something stupid or bad it is hurtful to people who have disabilities and the people who love them; and

WHEREAS, it perpetuates prejudice and discrimination towards people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, this word is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur or hate speech;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BRAD HENRY, Governor of the State of Oklahoma, (OR YOUR MAYOR, CITY OFFICIAL OR PRINCIPAL) do hereby proclaim

March 3, 2010, as

“Spread the Word to End The “r” Word Day” in the State of Oklahoma, and encourage all Oklahomans to Spread the Word throughout their communities and schools encourage everyone to stop saying the “r” word.

Spread The Word Image for T-Shirts or Small Posters (pdf)

Spread The Word Image Large Posters (pdf)

Other FREE Materials To Make Your Voices Heard!

Special Olympics Resource Materials for “Spread the Word to End the Word Awareness Day”

Using the word “retard” is as offensive as a racial slur like “nigger”, Special Olympics New Zealand says.

The organisation had asked the Broadcasting Standards Authority to ensure using “the R word” was unacceptable after TV One’s Breakfast host Paul Henry last week called Scottish singer Susan Boyle “retarded”.

Follow link for the rest of the story:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/television/news/article.cfm?c_id=339&objectid=10612584

“It was more than words to us,” she said. “We all felt like you cannot separate what you call people from how you treat people. Attitudes have been changing and everybody felt that with a new term, it was a new beginning.”

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/rosas-law-asks-senate-kill-slur-mentally-retarded/story?id=9109319

Oregon:
No more ‘R’ word at FGHS: Students form group to integrate disabled kids at Forest Grove High
http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=125745200471913200

Nevada:
Students Want To Eliminate ‘R’ Word: Volunteers Pledge To Stop Using Word ‘Retarded’
http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/21458892/detail.html

Texas:
Lake Waco Montessori students campaign to eliminate ‘R word’
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2009/11/02/11022009wactheRword.html?imw=Y

“That word is hurtful to some people,” Inglis said. “This is the population we serve, and we need to be sensitive.”

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/10/11/1011name.html

House Adds Hate Crimes Protections for People with Disabilities http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/10/09/house-votes-hate-crimes/5734/

Background information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard_Act

Other hate crime legislation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crime_laws_in_the_United_States

Contact your U.S. Senator and urge passage of this legislation:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Study: Disabled more likely to be victims of violent crime

By Terry Frieden
CNN Justice Producer
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/02/crimes.disabled/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) — People with disabilities are 50 percent more likely to be victims of violent crimes than are people without disabilities, according to a government study released Thursday.

The first national study of its kind found that a wide range of disabled people — including blind, deaf, developmentally disabled, and others with physical and mental limitations — were victims of assaults, rapes and robberies in 716,000 cases in 2007.

The study by the U.S. Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics said instances of violence against disabled people occurred overall 1½ times the rate of those without disabilities, but the numbers varied by age group.

The most vulnerable groups were disabled people ages 12 to 19 and 35 to 49, for whom victimization occurred at nearly twice the rate of non-disabled persons.

Michael Rand, chief of victimization research for the Bureau of Justice Statistics, did not speculate on the reasons for the findings.

“It’s hard to say,” Rand said. “We didn’t try to get at motivations.”

Rand, a co-author of the study, said many of the crimes were committed by people who did not know their victims. Forty percent of the crimes against disabled male victims were committed by strangers versus 45 percent against those without disabilities.

The difference for females was greater: 34 percent of disabled females were victimized by strangers versus 24 percent for women without disabilities.

The study found that people with cognitive disabilities such as mental retardation, developmental disabilities and cerebral palsy represented the largest group of victims.

Simple assaults accounted for about two-thirds of the crimes against disabled people in the study, which tallied 476,000 simple assaults, 114,000 aggravated assaults, 79,000 robberies, and 47,000 rapes or sexual assaults.