Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Spreading Awareness, ending the "R" word, and President Obama on Leno

As a Special Education teacher and a niece of a WONDERFUL woman with Down syndrome and the advocate for my many wonderful students over the years, their parents who have become my friends and all of their triumphs that inspire me every day I am SO HAPPY to see awareness spreading to stop the use of the "r" word (retard).



If you would like to be more informed of next weeks events please click on this link:
http://www.specialolympics.org/stw_resources.aspx
I encourage you to pass it along to others and hopefully these members of our society will start gaining the respect that they so rightfully deserve. I hope that the "r" word will start to fade away from our mouths, what a hurtful word that is used way too casually.
I don't know about you, but I CRINGED when I heard our new president make a snide comment on the Jay Leno show comparing his bowling skills to the Special Olympics, how disappointing, disheartening and upsetting:

I had just been at a Special Olympics event that very day and I swear, if President Obama would have seen the smiles and tears of joy in those athletes faces as they were awarded their medals I bet that never would have been said. I await the day when all of us treat one another equally and with the respect that we deserve.
Please join me and spread the word about March 31st.

2 comments:

  1. I admit that I didn't used to think anything about using the "r" word. But I dated a guy in High School who had a mentally handicapped aunt. I wasn't even thinking one day, and I referred to myself as the "r" word when I forgot something. I'll never forget the look on Aunt Trudy's face. I can honestly say that I've never used the word since then, and every time I hear someone else say it, I ask them to please not use that word around me--and I usually share this story. Thank you for posting this.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails