The R Word Again

So a few minutes ago I read a news article about some parents whom found a picture of their son with Down Syndrome had been used by media in an 'offensive' way.  Apparently, their son had drawn a picture and was holding it up for the camera.  But apparently the image of what he had originally drawn had been altered to say the words "Retarded News".

How sad.  How low can someone get??

And the media station apparently went on to say that the segment "Retarded News" is designed to highlight odd stories and is not about disabled individuals.

At least all of that is what I understand.

Well, dear media station -- in my book, and probably the books of lots of people, you just added injury to insult.

From the News Article:

"Last summer, the group "Spread the Word to End the Word," which campaigns to end the use of the word "retard" to describe people with mental disabilities, contacted the radio station about the photo."

I thought it wasn't so much about stopping the use of the "R-Word" as a medical term as it was stopping the use of it as a derogatory insult instead?

Then we have the people who try and justify it, like it seems this media station did.  Or we have the people who try and justify it by saying things like, "I don't use it to describe disabled people - only (insert profession here)." 

That is not okay.

There is no justification for being rude, mean, and disrespectful.  And then we have people who say, "Oh come on, it's just a word."  And that is their justification for it.

But maybe these people know they are wrong and so they form excuses?  I don't know.  But I do know that more and more people each day understand this hurts.  This is not okay.  More and more people are stopping using this word as an insult.

To all of those, thank you.

Had to get this out here tonight everyone.  Talk to you soon.