PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
  1. Signatures
    192 out of 200
  2. Created By
    E S
    Hemet, CA
About this Petition Pledge

I have been thinking a lot lately about "hateful speech" and how people use certain words so casually.  Words DO wound.  This is what bothers me the MOST: The word "retard" or "retarded" has gone "mainstream."  It's on TV.  In movies.  On the radio.  In books.  In music.  It was a title of a Black Eyed Peas hit song, "Let's Get Retarded," which was changed (because the ARC of the United States, formerly known as the Association for Retarded Citizens, wrote and objected) to "Let's Get It Started."  Thankfully it was changed, but how disgusting!! 

People with disabilities constitute our nation's largest minority group (1 in 5 Americans has a disability).  Heck, I think we ALL have at least one!  Seriously, it is the most inclusive and most diverse: both genders, any sexual orientation, and all ages, religions, ethnicities, and socioeconomic levels are represented.  Yet people who have been diagnosed with disabilities are all different from one another!  The only thing they have in common is being discriminated, misunderstood, and prejudiced against.  Furthermore, this largest minority group is the only one which ANY person can join at ANY time!!!  You can join at birth or later, through an accident, illness, or the aging process.  We are all aging right?  If and when that happens, (except the aging one, that will happen!)  How will YOU want to be described???  PEOPLE FIRST!!!  You ALWAYS refer to the person FIRST!!  Not the disability!!  Using "people first" language is CRUCIAL!!  People first language puts the person BEFORE the disability, and describes what a person HAS not what a person IS.  Everyone knows someone who is challenged in some way.  (like I said, we ALL are). Someone who has Autism, or cancer, who is head-injured or depressed, who has war wounds, who is old (that damn aging process again!) People who need extra time, help or support to get along in this world, and in our world today, we assist these people.  We (most of us) DO NOT mock them!! 
Here are the rules:  We DO NOT mock those with challenges, we listen, we strive to understand, and we USE OUR WORDS WISELY!!!

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

USE YOUR WORDS WISELY!

I pledge to...

I have been thinking a lot lately about "hateful speech" and how people use certain words so casually.&nbsp; Words DO wound.&nbsp; This is what bothers me the MOST: The word "retard" or "retarded" has gone "mainstream."&nbsp; It's on TV.&nbsp; In movies.&nbsp; On the radio.&nbsp; In books.&nbsp; In music.&nbsp; It was a title of a Black Eyed Peas hit song, "Let's Get Retarded," which was changed (because the ARC of the United States, formerly known as the Association for Retarded Citizens, wrote and objected) to "Let's Get It Started."&nbsp; Thankfully it was changed, but how disgusting!!&nbsp; <br /><br />People with disabilities constitute our nation's largest minority group (1 in 5 Americans has a disability).&nbsp; Heck, I think we ALL have at least one!&nbsp; Seriously, it is the most inclusive and most diverse: both genders, any sexual orientation, and all ages, religions, ethnicities, and socioeconomic levels are represented.&nbsp; Yet people who have been diagnosed with disabilities are all different from one another!&nbsp; The only thing they have in common is being discriminated, misunderstood, and prejudiced against.&nbsp; Furthermore, this largest minority group is the only one which ANY person can join at ANY time!!!&nbsp; You can join at birth or later, through an accident, illness, or the aging process.&nbsp; We are all aging right?&nbsp; If and when that happens, (except the aging one, that will happen!)&nbsp; How will YOU want to be described???&nbsp; PEOPLE FIRST!!!&nbsp; You ALWAYS refer to the person FIRST!!&nbsp; Not the disability!!&nbsp; Using "people first" language is CRUCIAL!!&nbsp; People first language puts the person BEFORE the disability, and describes what a person HAS not what a person IS.&nbsp; Everyone knows someone who is challenged in some way.&nbsp; (like I said, we ALL are). Someone&nbsp;who has Autism, or cancer, who is head-injured or depressed, who has war wounds, who is old (that damn aging process again!) People who need extra time, help or support to get along in this world, and in our world today, we assist these people.&nbsp; We (most of us) DO NOT mock them!!&nbsp; <br />Here are the rules:&nbsp; We DO NOT mock those with challenges, we listen, we strive to understand, and we USE OUR WORDS WISELY!!!

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