You're So...Really?

I hear you (believe me, you’ve forced me to listen): Freedom of Speech.

I know the argument; it’s been used to death: Literary license.

But guess what? Those excuses to say or write disparaging and hurtful things in reference to a whole population of beautiful people are just that…excuses. And I, for one, am so done with them.

You know the word I’m talking about.

Retard.

Or retarded.

Or ‘tard.

I’ve heard people use it to mean “stupid” or “foolish” or when addressing someone who is not acting the way he or she should be. It is meant to link someone’s less-than-intelligent behavior with cognitive disabilities, Down syndrome, CP, and Trisomy 18 to name just a few, thereby victimizing and undervaluing people who have never done a single thing to harm anyone else. These are people who are loved, people who bring joy and happiness to others’ lives, and people who have no control over their diagnoses. But you can control your language. You can show compassion.

I’ve lost respect for writers who have used the word in their screenplays, directors who have allowed it in their films and television shows, and authors who’ve inserted it in their books. I don’t give a @#$% about literary or poetic license or if the word fits the character. Get an f---ing dictionary! You’re a writer, for goodness sake! Whether spoken or written, it’s time to display some sensitivity. To stop discriminating.

Today is Spread the Word to End the Word Day. Please think before you speak. Please realize the pain you inflict when you casually toss out the r-word. In the end, the ones who use the r-word are the ones who come out looking like the least educated people in the bunch.

Compassion and awareness go a long way.