Words That Hurt

I absolutely LOVE this blog post I ran across today!! This post was written by John C. McGinley, an actor who is also an ambassador for Special Olympics. Click the link (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-c-mcginley/what-really-happens-when-you-use-the-r-word_b_4896444.html) and please, please, please go read it. Don't worry, I will wait...
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So there I was (don't worry, this is not the beginning of a great redneck story--this time!), scanning through my news feed on Facebook, and

BOOM,there is was in all of its glory. Thank you Autism with a Side of Fries (another good blog I follow, check it out sometime)!! And then I was inspired to write about this subject. For those of you who didn't go read the article (seriously, go read it!!! Here is the link.), it is about the infamous "R-word". And by "R-word", I mean any use of the word "retarded" or "retard" in any of its forms, also including the suffix "-tard". I would also like to include the use of terms such as "the short bus" and all that entails when used in a derogatory fashion.

Now, the thing is, I know most people who use this language do not mean to verbally harm anyone. I know plenty of people who use this terminology, and I know they really don't mean any harm by it. They're just trying to be funny or silly. I've even used "retard", and called people "retarded", and said something that my friends were doing was "retarded".  I even had a T-shirt (from my uber-awesome T-shirt collection, which I used to pride myself on in my youth) that said something to the effect of 'you rode the short bus didn't you?'. Well, fast forward to now, and I have JB, who, starting next year, will be riding the short bus to school. In the words of Homer Simpson, DOH!!

What a wake-up call! I wouldn't want anyone saying that in a derogatory fashion around my son, and I sure don't want anyone referring to him as a "retard". He is not mentally retarded. He is developmentally delayed. I really can't state it in a better way than the article did; it was so eloquently written and right on point. He said it so well!! Thank you John C. McGinley! I hope your post goes viral. It deserves a TON of attention! Please share it with your friends. With the autism numbers rising (and the number of special-needs people in general), we are all going to be affected in one way or another very soon. Think about that world where 1 in 50 people has some form of autism. Think of how many people you will be offending then if you're making fun of the short bus or you're calling someone a "retard".  Please think about what you're really saying next time you use the "R-word".


Check out the website http://www.r-word.org/ to learn more about the "Spread the Word to End the Word" campaign and take the pledge to never use the "R-word". This is a great cause! Please help by spreading awareness!