From the Special Olympics:It is time to “Spread the Word to End the Word” and on 31 March 2009 Special Olympics is calling for a national day of awareness for America to stop and think about their use of the R-word. That R-word is not “recession,” but something more hurtful and painful – “retard.”
Most people don’t think of this word as hate speech, but that’s exactly what it feels like to millions of people with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends. This word is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur.
Spread the Word to End the Word will raise the consciousness of society about the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the R-word and encourage people to pledge to stop using it. America will be asked to declare their support for more respectful and inclusive language, specifically that referring to those with intellectual disabilities.
Created by young people with and without intellectual disabilities, Spread the Word to End the Word is one element of Special Olympics’ vision of a world where everyone matters, where everyone is accepted and, most importantly, where everyone is valued. Leading the way in promoting acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics opposes prejudice and discrimination, continuously working to dispel the negative stereotypes associated with this population — the use of the R-word being one such stereotype. In a world that has worked to eliminate pejorative racial and ethnic language such as the “N word,” among others, the R-word is gaining popularity.
On 31 March, young people across the country will lead local efforts to raise awareness and collect pledges on http://www.r-word.org/ from peers and the community to vow not to use the R-word. Actor and activist John C. McGinley, of the hit show “Scrubs,” is helping with this effort by making national media appearances on behalf of the campaign. On 2 March 2009, he appeared on "The Bonnie Hunt Show."
And Facebook has set up a group, FACEBOOK: STOP ALLOWING HATEFUL GROUPS THAT MOCK PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, which almost 9,000 people have joined. It says:
Currently there are over 1000 groups on Facebook whose goal is to mock and demean people with special needs. These groups include names like RETARD ATERZ, RETARDED CLUB, I'M RETARDED, TEAM RETARD and RETARD NATION. These groups post pictures of children with Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities for a laugh.
Facebook's terms of service clearly go against what they are allowing on their site "groups that attack a specific person or group of people (e.g. racist, sexist, or other hate groups) will not be tolerated. Creating such a group will result in the immediate termination of your Facebook account."
Let's see if Facebook is really willing to live up to their terms of service and stop mocking children and adults who have special needs. Slurs and stereotypes hurt any way you look at it.
Please help us stop these hateful groups on Facebook by joining our group.
We have a mission! Help us spread the word and invite your friends to join our group.
