MORE FROM HUFFPOST
MORE FROM HUFFPOST
spread the word to end the word
When I was asked if I would write something for today's observance of Spread the Word, To End the Word, I decided to finish and make public a poem I have been working on for a while. I have modeled it on my favorite poem by Robert Frost.
As children, we heard the R-word all the time -- on the playground, on the bus, even coming out of our own mouths. Even as adults we hear the R-word being used in so-called polite company.
These amazing athletes are the ones that educate our community each day so that the "r-word" is not accepted.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
WHAT'S HAPPENING
Even after having Pip, close people in my life still use the word without thinking. And while I'm not normally an "R-Word Crusader," I do have to honestly admit I cringe inside each and every time I hear it said.
If you want to join us in building a world of respect and connectedness, then your directive is clear and simple: be good to people with intellectual disabilities.
We decided to take a stand to make our school a more inclusive and welcoming place. To do so, we believed our school needed to stop using the R-word.
According to some of my friends who are athletes in Special Olympics, when they hear the word 'retard' being used in that context, they feel hurt, anger, sadness, disgust -- and I even heard "It's like a knife cutting into my heart."
I want to show the world that people with disabilities much more like everyone else than many realize. I want to focus on ABILITIES!
