Mom on a Mission column May 2007

[Guest guest]

Mom on a Mission: The R Word

In the midst of political correctness, the spotlight has been focused on the

N word and its denigration of African-Americans. For people with

disabilities, the R word is just as denigrating. The R word, " retard " , is

used to express utter contempt. What began as a benign medical diagnosis

has come to be a disparaging and offensive word used to describe someone who

is " stupid, obtuse, or ineffective in some way " (according to

www.dictionary.com http://www.dictionary.com/> ).

Soeren Palumbo, a Palatine high school student, made local news with his

speech about the R word. His speech has gained accolades among disability

advocates and has been widespread on the Internet. There's not enough room

to reprint his speech here so I urge you to find it online and read it.

It's powerful stuff. Google " Soeren Palumbo " or try this link:

http://www.ncpad.org/yourwrites/fact_sheet.php?sheet=514

Soeren eloquently speaks for his younger sister - one of the many people

with disabilities hurt by the R word. These are people who often literally

cannot speak for themselves, who have been discriminated against,

uneducated, isolated, ignored, devalued and dismissed. Historically, people

with disabilities have been deemed less than human. They have been kept

hidden in their family homes or sent off to an institution where they could

be warehoused away from the rest of society. In some cultures, they have

been taken to the hills and left to die. Today, people with disabilities

still struggle to find their place in their communities.

The irony is that every person knows someone with a disability. Disability

is a natural part of life affecting approximately 5% of Americans.

Statistically, we all know and love someone with a disability. Disability

crosses all boundaries: ethnicity, economics, race, gender, and age. Yet

we do not protect our loved ones from hatred and victimization. Because we

don't even think about it, we may inadvertently add to the problem.

Each time you use the R word, you dig deeper the chasm of segregation,

dehumanization, and discrimination of people with disabilities. Having a

cognitive disability is not a bad thing. And it's not at all the same as

being ignorant. Ignorance leads to discrimination and hatred. Ignorance is

when people make assumptions about others based on their looks, their

ethnicity, their gender, or their labels. Ignorance is devaluing a whole

group of people by using an offensive word without thought to the

consequences. Using the R word is ignorant.

Michele Westmaas is a mom, a wife, and an advocate for people with

disabilities.

Contact Michele by email at momonamission@....

[Guest guest]

michelle as allways one for me to save and think bout i was wondering

weather ud do the collum and was wondering botu the topics as id seen this

and a few others pop up on here this is a topic that should effect many how

would those epople fee if we went around calling then dumb idiots or

something i could go on and on but i wotn lol hugs ellen

>

> Mom on a Mission: The R Word

>

> In the midst of political correctness, the spotlight has been focused on

> the

> N word and its denigration of African-Americans. For people with

> disabilities, the R word is just as denigrating. The R word, " retard " , is

> used to express utter contempt. What began as a benign medical diagnosis

> has come to be a disparaging and offensive word used to describe someone

> who

> is " stupid, obtuse, or ineffective in some way " (according to

> www.dictionary.com http://www.dictionary.com/> ).

>

> Soeren Palumbo, a Palatine high school student, made local news with his

> speech about the R word. His speech has gained accolades among disability

> advocates and has been widespread on the Internet. There's not enough room

> to reprint his speech here so I urge you to find it online and read it.

> It's powerful stuff. Google " Soeren Palumbo " or try this link:

> http://www.ncpad.org/yourwrites/fact_sheet.php?sheet=514

>

> Soeren eloquently speaks for his younger sister - one of the many people

> with disabilities hurt by the R word. These are people who often literally

> cannot speak for themselves, who have been discriminated against,

> uneducated, isolated, ignored, devalued and dismissed. Historically,

> people

> with disabilities have been deemed less than human. They have been kept

> hidden in their family homes or sent off to an institution where they

> could

> be warehoused away from the rest of society. In some cultures, they have

> been taken to the hills and left to die. Today, people with disabilities

> still struggle to find their place in their communities.

>

> The irony is that every person knows someone with a disability. Disability

> is a natural part of life affecting approximately 5% of Americans.

> Statistically, we all know and love someone with a disability. Disability

> crosses all boundaries: ethnicity, economics, race, gender, and age. Yet

> we do not protect our loved ones from hatred and victimization. Because we

> don't even think about it, we may inadvertently add to the problem.

>

> Each time you use the R word, you dig deeper the chasm of segregation,

> dehumanization, and discrimination of people with disabilities. Having a

> cognitive disability is not a bad thing. And it's not at all the same as

> being ignorant. Ignorance leads to discrimination and hatred. Ignorance is

> when people make assumptions about others based on their looks, their

> ethnicity, their gender, or their labels. Ignorance is devaluing a whole

> group of people by using an offensive word without thought to the

> consequences. Using the R word is ignorant.

>

> Michele Westmaas is a mom, a wife, and an advocate for people with

> disabilities.

>

> Contact Michele by email at

momonamission@....

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Great column Michele and very relevant!

>

> michelle as allways one for me to save and think bout i was wondering

> weather ud do the collum and was wondering botu the topics as id seen this

> and a few others pop up on here this is a topic that should effect many

> how

> would those epople fee if we went around calling then dumb idiots or

> something i could go on and on but i wotn lol hugs ellen

>

> On 15/05/07, Michele Westmaas

momonamission@...>

> wrote:

> >

> > Mom on a Mission: The R Word

> >

> > In the midst of political correctness, the spotlight has been focused on

> > the

> > N word and its denigration of African-Americans. For people with

> > disabilities, the R word is just as denigrating. The R word, " retard " ,

> is

> > used to express utter contempt. What began as a benign medical diagnosis

> > has come to be a disparaging and offensive word used to describe someone

> > who

> > is " stupid, obtuse, or ineffective in some way " (according to

> > www.dictionary.com http://www.dictionary.com/> ).

> >

> > Soeren Palumbo, a Palatine high school student, made local news with his

> > speech about the R word. His speech has gained accolades among

> disability

> > advocates and has been widespread on the Internet. There's not enough

> room

> > to reprint his speech here so I urge you to find it online and read it.

> > It's powerful stuff. Google " Soeren Palumbo " or try this link:

> > http://www.ncpad.org/yourwrites/fact_sheet.php?sheet=514

> >

> > Soeren eloquently speaks for his younger sister - one of the many people

> > with disabilities hurt by the R word. These are people who often

> literally

> > cannot speak for themselves, who have been discriminated against,

> > uneducated, isolated, ignored, devalued and dismissed. Historically,

> > people

> > with disabilities have been deemed less than human. They have been kept

> > hidden in their family homes or sent off to an institution where they

> > could

> > be warehoused away from the rest of society. In some cultures, they have

> > been taken to the hills and left to die. Today, people with disabilities

> > still struggle to find their place in their communities.

> >

> > The irony is that every person knows someone with a disability.

> Disability

> > is a natural part of life affecting approximately 5% of Americans.

> > Statistically, we all know and love someone with a disability.

> Disability

> > crosses all boundaries: ethnicity, economics, race, gender, and age. Yet

> > we do not protect our loved ones from hatred and victimization. Because

> we

> > don't even think about it, we may inadvertently add to the problem.

> >

> > Each time you use the R word, you dig deeper the chasm of segregation,

> > dehumanization, and discrimination of people with disabilities. Having a

> > cognitive disability is not a bad thing. And it's not at all the same as

> > being ignorant. Ignorance leads to discrimination and hatred. Ignorance

> is

> > when people make assumptions about others based on their looks, their

> > ethnicity, their gender, or their labels. Ignorance is devaluing a whole

> > group of people by using an offensive word without thought to the

> > consequences. Using the R word is ignorant.

> >

> > Michele Westmaas is a mom, a wife, and an advocate for people with

> > disabilities.

> >

> > Contact Michele by email at

momonamission@...

> .

> >

> >

> >