Most Hurtful Word?

I’m mad.  Really mad.  It’s not that “once a month” mad.  Truly upset with something that of all things happened on American Idol the other night.  Now as American Idol has plunged into the depths of obscurity I did not see this happen but read about it days later.  I wonder why we didn’t hear of it sooner?

Caleb Johnson is apparently one of the contestants and when after he performed his fan chosen Aerosmith song he had this to say:

“[Twitter] gives access to a bunch of retards to talk to me,” Caleb said, astonishingly. “I don’t really enjoy having to see somebody telling me what song I have to sing. I think at this point of the competition, I can pick and choose my own songs and represent me. I don’t need 10,000 people saying, ‘You should sing this, you should sing that. Listen to me!’ Fortunately, guys, I’m going to listen to myself, whether you like it or not.”

I hope you can see where in Caleb’s statement he lost me.  Caleb is not alone in using the word “retard.” In fact I heard it the other night while at a friend’s house.  To my surprise it came from an older woman who was describing something she thought was ridiculous.  Why just not use “ridiculous?”
Before you think that I am just being sensitive, let me explain to you why that word hurts.

Special Olympics is an organization close to my heart.  I have worked with them for years and have met some incredible people through them.  I will never forget playing golf with Phil (who has down-syndrome) and every time he teed off he would proudly hold his driver in the air and yell “Big Dog!” He taught me a valuable lesson in enjoying the moment and helped to turn a very competitive girl into one who was blessed to just be outside playing golf.

When hearing the r-word started to hurt and bring tears to my eyes was when Randy’s daughter Isabelle was born with down-syndrome.  Isabelle lights up the room with her smile. It makes you wonder how anyone can use the r-word as a slur and/or period.

There are so many arguments why people use the r-word “it’s a medical term.” It does derive from the term “mental retardation” which was a clinical diagnosis years and years ago.  Now the word “retard” and “retarded” have evolved into insults.  Congress even found something to agree on and replaced “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” in federal health, education, and labor laws with the term “intellectual disability.”

I have also heard it said, “it’s a generation thing, it used to be acceptable.” Really?  So were separate water fountains, but we don’t have those anymore.  Words that put down or alienate based on ethnicity, class, sexuality are looked at being taboo so why hasn’t the r-word been painted in this same light?

Listen, I am not perfect.  And I am not lambasting you if you use the r-word.  All I am asking is that you think about what you are saying and how it will make people feel before you say it….I know, this coming from No-Filter Alana, but I would appreciate if you took the time to sign the pledge to Spread The Word To End The Word.  Words do hurt but let's all try and leave this world a little bit better place than when we got here.  I think at that point we all win.