The problem with being PC...
Even if we change every word in our dictionary that offends some politically correct idiot, will they be happy? If we start calling retarded people intellectually differently-abled, will they be any less retarded?
Come with me for a ride back in the past in my trusty little Web-Delorean, back to 1910...
The Association of Medical Officers of American Institutions for Idiots and Feeble-Minded Persons (yes, that is the actual name of the organization) regularly used medical terminology such as morons, idiots and imbeciles to describe various stages of retardation.
Zipping right ahead in our time travels, to 1959, the same organization (now called the American Association on Mental Retardation) then began to use mild, moderate, and severe retardation to describe these same individuals. Where they any less imbecilic? More idiotic? NO. Do you think even for a minute that some retard was throwing a party because he suddenly was less so?
POOF!
(Sorry, you should have been wearing your seatbelt, retard!)
Rub your flat face and try to keep up...
We are now back to the present time. Unretarded people want to use what they People First Language: this is to say "People aren't mentally retarded, they are individuals with mental retardation."
This all comes quickly to my point: Would a retard by any other name be any less retarded?
12 comments:
I'm not gonna lie, that was a bit harsh. Funny though. I completely agree with you about PC. Lefties are so obsessed with it.
I'll never forget what Hilary Clinton said. When asked if english should be the "official language" in the United States she said No. She referred to it as the "common unifying language" in the US. Give me a freaking break!
I really hope that makes leftists feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Di dike dour dtory dof detards. It make me feel dood.
I don't think I've ever read anything as offensive as your blog.
Today you are smug, your children are beautiful and healthy. Not much to worry about. Lucky you. But things change in life, your child gets in a car crash and doesn't come out the same person. A family member goes off to Iraq and comes home with a brain injury. Your boys grow up, go to college, get married and you become a grandmother. And...one of those beautiful grandchildren has Down Syndrome or autism. It can happen to anyone. The odds are that one day you will have someone with special needs in your family. Maybe not tomorrow, but it will happen.
Funny, that someone as fortunate as you would choose to be such a mean spirited cruel woman. I actually don't feel sorry for you, I feel sorry for those beautiful boys who will most likely grow up to be as ignorant as you.
For the record, this blog was not about hurting the feelings of anyone who happens to be disadvantaged or handicapped. You don't know who I am or what I am all about, so you may think I am judgmental, hard-hearted, or ignorant, but the people in my life who do know who I am will understand that I am being silly and just "stirring the pot". I am simply making the point that changing the name won't make anyone sleep better at night. By calling someone obese (instead of fat) doesn't hurt their feelings less, right? A name is simply a name (or in this case-a condition), and there is nothing mean-spirited in that. People can find just about anything to be super-sensitive to... thank you for the compliment about my beautiful boys. They are the light of my life and I am blessed to be their mamma (they are also blessed to be with me - by the way). Worse things have happened.
hmshore,
it's funny because your comment has proved her point.
The way we believe is when a person is born with a mental handicap they are more blessed then those of us who are "normal". When their life is done they get an automatic one way trip back up to Heaven. That's our belief.
We also believe people have become much too sensitive in this world. "PC" is so important now days. It's only crippling the communication between us as people.
People need to toughen up a bit.
You're contridicting yourself when you call Becka ignorant. You don't know her, you know nothing about her. You can't judge someone because you've never met because she doesn't think the word retard should offensive.
Get over yourself. Go solve world hunger, save the planet, and live green and all that other garbage. We'll be here in the real world living life, contributing to those close to us and raising our beautiful boys.
We should only be so lucky if one of our grandchildren had autism or down syndrome. We have the comfort of knowing they'll return to Heaven for sure. I couldn't be happier.
You don't need to worry about our boys "growing up ignorant." Those close to us can easily attest that we are good parents.
Think of something better to say next time.
Jeremy, I can understand your wanting to defend your wife, but you wrote in your first blog that it was "a bit harsh." Remember that?
Do you think Jesus would write a blog like that?
Here's an idea... print it out, show people you know, your minister, people you work with, people you know casually and see what they think about it. Show people who won't be afraid to tell you the truth like close friends and family sometimes are.
I also plan to show your blog to lots of disability and civil rights groups to see what they think. Who knows, you might even end up on the Today show spewing your hateful content. Now that will be great.
Becka you wanted to stir the pot, right? Let's expose you for what you really are. A person who thinks it's okay to demean and offend people less fortunate than you, right in front of your children. A person who has the ability to teach her children to do well but hides behind her theory that it's okay to be cruel because people with special needs get a pass into heaven.
So stir your pot Becka because you did a terrible thing with your words.
Deremy and Decca are dood darents. Decca is pretty.
Oh, thank you for your wonderful comment, another retard... it's good to see that people can still have fun with words.
Hmshore, I think it's absolutely great that you want to do good and preach to me, but I'm just not buying. Interesting to me is that this blog has done it's job for me, it's gotten noticed and has been very thought provoking. As I said earlier, this blog is not hurtful to retarded people, it's about how the rest of us being all PC doesn't improve their mental handicap.
It is a little interesting to me, though, that even when you are so super-sensitive and offended by my words, you insist on coming back for more.
I take my blessing very seriously, I love every moment that I am able to spend with my family and loved ones, and I absolutely would not be disappointed if one of my kids was blessed with a child who had autism or down-syndrome. And you can absolutely bet your buttons that they wouldn't be disappointed in me either. I have a warm, caring, compassionate personality that is very tender.
In MY blog, I write things that are thoughts I have. Whether they are popular or not, they are mine. If you are so super sensitive and offended by my blog, then don't read it... no one's forcing you to. Sometimes I read or see things that offend me, but I turn the other cheek. Just a suggestion, read on if you like.
Thanks, I think... I really didn't expect this little blog to be so upsetting. It's just my point of view and even if everyone else thinks differently, it's my thoughts.
I actually have even thought of taking the post off, but that would be ruining my personal thoughts and demeaning what I intended. No matter what anyone else thinks about me, I know the truth. And truthfully, that's good enough for me. I appreciate knowing that my friends and family love me (even if they don't love everything I do or say) but I absolutely know with my heart what was meant by this blog, and I'm plenty happy with that.
And that's all I'm gonna say, no more needs to be said...
Becka, I am sure you are a good person (and a good mom) who didn't plan on hurting anyone with your blog. But even if you didn't intentionally plan to hurt anyone with a disability that's what happened. If you planned to write about being politically correct with language, then why just focus on "retards." Even free speech has it's limits. That's why you can't run into a theater and scream fire. The results of doing so hurt people. When you say things like "rub your flat face and try to keep up" you hurt people. You must know that.
So, on this September 11th, a day that should bring us together I'm hoping we can just agree to disagree. I have a lovely daughter with a cognitive impairment. I love her as much as you love your boys. I worry that blogs like yours give people the license to abuse people who can't defend themselves. People (and I'm not saying you) think that people with special needs have a life not worth living. The more people feel comfortable using language that's hurtful and demeaning the more people abuse this population. Yes, it doesn't make them less retarded, but it does give them dignity. Something that we all deserve.
I'm coming to Idaho in February for the Special Olympics. If you and your sister want to have coffee and talk about it more, I'd be happy to.
Best wishes.
Hannah
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