Danielle
I got a Sib e-mail about this. Danielle I thought you'ld apperciate it the most...
"Once upon a time, the term 'mentally retarded' ment only a diagnosis, and
then it was used so many times in the wrong way that it stopped meaning what
it was suposed to mean. Then the correct term became 'mentally chalenged'
but that was also used so many times that it became an insult. Now the term
is 'special needs'. I don't know how long it will take, but eventually I
guess that 'special needs' will become almost as hated a frase as
'retarded'. "Fear of the name creates fear of the thing itself". The word
'gay' was an insult (and still is) for years, but then it was used enough
times to just mean 'homosexuality' that it means a definition, not just a
mean name. If we were to do the same with the word 'retarded', then maybe
it won't mean as much when kids say it. We want people to face and accept
our siblings' disabilities, so we should face them and take away one of
their favorite weapons. A word means only what you define it to mean."
"Once upon a time, the term 'mentally retarded' ment only a diagnosis, and
then it was used so many times in the wrong way that it stopped meaning what
it was suposed to mean. Then the correct term became 'mentally chalenged'
but that was also used so many times that it became an insult. Now the term
is 'special needs'. I don't know how long it will take, but eventually I
guess that 'special needs' will become almost as hated a frase as
'retarded'. "Fear of the name creates fear of the thing itself". The word
'gay' was an insult (and still is) for years, but then it was used enough
times to just mean 'homosexuality' that it means a definition, not just a
mean name. If we were to do the same with the word 'retarded', then maybe
it won't mean as much when kids say it. We want people to face and accept
our siblings' disabilities, so we should face them and take away one of
their favorite weapons. A word means only what you define it to mean."