‘Retarded’ shouldn’t be a bad word.
It’s a medical term that refers to people with mental handicaps that causes their IQ to be below a certain point. Unfortunately every time I hear that word I get offended. Because the word has become an insult. It is now, in the modern “urban” vernacular, another word for stupid, which is not what it is supposed to mean. Mentally challenged people are not stupid. They have some sort of chemical imbalance in their brains that cause them to process information differently than “normal people”. In point of fact, I have met a majority of three truly idiotic people in my life. none of them had a mental disability.
Another disgusting social fact is that people seem to believe that any form of a Learning Disability automatically makes you “Retarded”. I was Talking to some grade nines in the hallway and one of them did something really add. So I made a little jokey comment and then these two girls (who are complete bitcahs) say, ”Oh my god that’s SO mean! Chiku’s not stupid!”
I stared at them and said, “Excuse me? I have ADD.”
Then they went (all bitchy) “ ... oh.”
Now, this was not the first time I encountered someone who thought that ADD meant you were stupid. That shocked me.
I am appalled that people are so ignorant to something that is so present in our society today!
But then, oh then, there are those who aren’t ignorant. who don’t laugh when people unjustly make fun of people with mental disabilities. But I’ve gotta say, Sometimes those people are worse.
A few years ago, at The Randolph academy summer program, the group was doing an improv scene in which this one girl, Julia, was supposed to be a homeless person and Julia made herself mentally handicapped. I didn’t care too much because she reminded me of this guy I had met on the subway that morning, but this one guy, Tyler, raised his hand, interrupted the scene and said; “You really shouldn’t make fun of people with special needs. I mean, I work with people with autism and they are, like, the nicest people in the world! They are seriously so sweet. And Julia, I find that kind of impersonation really offensive”
Now, I’m a passive person, so I didn’t say anything. But I have to tell you I have NEVER been so OFFENDED in my LIFE! This kid, this 16 year old boy, had the nerve to assume that he had the right to get offended on behalf of autistic people because he “worked ‘with’ them” Because, the truth of the matter is he didn’t work with them as an equal, he worked ‘with’ them as a better. And as soon as you think that you’re better than someone, you loose your right to be sympathetic to their plight. Me, I have actually worked with autistic kids as an equal and I know that the whole thing about autistic people being super sweet is a load of crock. It varies! Just like any other human being. There are people who are super sweet, but then there are those who are spoiled vindictive brats! But more often then not there are those who are super sweet to the people they do like and Spoiled vindictive brats to people they don’t like.
I know Tyler wasn’t intending to be a complete and utter jackass when he said that, But seriously guys. That’s like me saying, “ Omigiod You Guys, Black people are Super sweet! It’s not there fault there different!”
I bet all of you are really appalled that I just wrote that. I bet some of you can’t believe I made that comparison. But you know what? It’s not a stretch. It’s EXACTLY the same thing. It’s just as appalling and it’s just as wrong.
Only people don’t seem to get that.
But get this people, “retard” is the “n-word” to people like me. I hear that word and I go crashing back to grade three all the kids made fun of me because I was in Special-Ed. Back to the time when I threw up every week because my body couldn’t handle the level of acidity in my medication. Back to the time when I used to cry myself to sleep every night, wishing, praying that I wouldn’t be different anymore. Because no matter how many times my mother told me that “everybody’s different”, I knew that I was too different. Different to a point where nobody liked me, where everyone thought I was stupid. I knew even at the age of eight that I would never fit in.
So, the next time you think something is stupid, the next time someone says the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard, think about what you say. Think about the message you’re spreading. Think about who you’re hurting.
Because I’m sure that you don’t want to appear ignorant or spiteful , because I’m sure you’re not.
Intolerance of any kind is wrong.
Just think about it.
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