From the JFA Moderator:
Last week there was a lot of buzz around Rahm Emanuel's use of the R-word (for more see the previous posting). AAPD's own Andy Imparato was invited to participate in a meeting between Mr. Emanuel and the Special Olympics, the Arc and several self-advocates who are leading the campaign against the R-word. Find below the Joint Statement of Disability Leaders who participated in the meeting and a statement about the media coverage by Jamie Lazaroff, Self-Advocate.
For Immediate Release (2/3/10):
Joint Statement of Disability Leaders
We came here today to meet with Rahm Emanuel and share with him our view on the importance and impact of language. We wanted to invite Mr. Emanuel and all of America to understand the collective efforts of our community to remove the words “retard” and “retarded” from everyday speech.
The R-word is polluting our language. Every day our community hears this word – in schools and workplaces, in print and in movies, on radio and television. And every day they suffer its dehumanizing effects – mockery, stigma, ridicule. This is a word that is incredibly damaging – not only to the seven million people with intellectual disabilities, but also their friends, family and to all of us.
We are thankful to Mr. Emanuel for meeting with us today and hearing our concerns. He sincerely apologized for his mistake and the pain it caused in our community.
We are happy that he will join more than 54,000 other Americans in pledging to end the use of the R-word at www.r-word.org, and that he committed that the administration would continue to look for ways to partner with us, including examining pending legislation in Congress to remove the R-word from federal law.
Our community has earned the right to be respected instead of ridiculed. We have suffered injustice for generations and we are demanding that it end.
This is another small step on the road to a country that accepts the gifts of all.
Julie Petty, Ricardo Thornton, Hannah Jacobs, Andy Imparato, Peter Berns,
Tim Shriver
From Jamie Lazaroff (2/5/10):
As a self-advocate, I would like to comment on the R-word. As you may know, it came out this week that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel used the word in anger at a political strategy meeting last year. There is no excuse for using the R-word. My question is where’s the outrage over Rush Limbaugh, he used the word about 5 to 6 times in a row, live, on his radio show. I’M sorry to tell you Rush, this is not politically correct. It is just the way it, just like not using the N-word. I guess if you had or have a family member with an intellectual disability you don’t get it how it hurts.
People with Intellectual disabilities have abilities and are capable of many things, but ignorance leads some to describe us in this way. We know you don't mean to make us feel that way, but it hurts and is very demeaning. When people start making "retard" jokes or references, it makes me very sad. I would just ask you to please start putting yourself in my shoes and imagine if we started making jokes using a term that describes you. It would hurt you to.
I get it; people who use the term “retard” don’t always realize how it hurts those of us who have an intellectual disability. The problem is, it isn’t OK to those of us who make up the largest minority group in the country. If you think a "retard" is someone who is dumb and stupid you haven’t met anyone who has the medical diagnosis of mental retardation. Well I am here to tell you that I have that medical diagnosis and I am not dumb or stupid, I have been a broadcaster, I have interviewed Governors, and spoken in front of five thousand plus people. Do you think a dumb or stupid person could do all of this? Every time the term is used in a negative way it tells other people that it is OK to think of me and all of my friends this way.
The R-Word is the 21-century N-Word. Would you use the N-Word to describe black people? No, than please stop using the R-Word.
Just my opinion
Subject: The"End" Words
It amazes me that "progressives" will end using the "R" word, will end "Don't
Ask Don't Tell", but refuse to "END THE INSTITUTIONAL BIAS". Though we should give credit when the Administration supports "progressive" issues, we should also speak up aggressively when they abandon a campaign pledge and as a result our brothers and sisters are warehoused in nursing homes and other institutions.
Let's do away with language that devalues us but also policies that physically and mentally harm us.
END THE INSTITUTIONAL BIAS
Bob Kafka
Posted by: Bob Kafka | February 07, 2010 at 02:33 PM