Think about who you may be hurting before using r-word

Aw, give "Old Illini" a break. So far, he's the only one with enough stones to stand up to all you bleeding heart gas bags. What you people resent is someone talking back to you. Poor babies. I guess it just shows who the real retards are - and it sure isn't "Old Illini" or anyone who agrees with him.

Thanks for this very intelligent and nuanced commentary, Mary Beth. I'm proud to go to school with you.

So instead of coming out and meeting me and my children so you can meet and see who you hurt - you remain hidden in the dark. So much for putting the sunshine out there (your words). My offer still stands. When you find the courage to go face to face with us - let me know.

Mary Beth, it is clear to anyone who reads your words that you truly love your sister. As a mother of 3, including a little girl with Down syndrome, I especially appreciate the words of sibling advocates. It is with mixed emotions that I look ahead to a time when my daughter's siblings will become her advocates. My greatest hope is that the education that is being done today will make their work less necessary in the years to come. Thank you so much for standing up for your sister and all of our loved ones with developmental disabilities and know you are in good company.

I believe a point worth restating is that those of us in this movement are not asking for the "R" word to be removed from the dictionary. We are not campaigning to be PC police. Yet freedom of speech does not mean freedom from social consequences from choosing to use [hate] speech. It is our hope that by educating people on the harmful effects of this word that *you will actively choose not to use it out of respect.

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month and the Champaign County Down Syndrome Network is hosting our 5th Annual Buddy Walk for DS awareness on October 24th at the Champaign County Fairgrounds. The event is free and open to the public (http://www.champaigndsn.com)

Please do your part to help make this a more inclusive and safe world for all. I encourage you to take the "R" word pledge by visiting www.r-word.org

…or more specifically, how it is argued, is at the core of vast numbers of legal and social arguments, rational or otherwise. Fully deconstruct any portion of the multitude of legal and Constitutional precedents set in our country and you eventually arrive at a root cause that is based on abstract concepts such as “fairness,” “justice,” “pursuit of happiness,” and “respect.” Though individual interpretations of what constitutes “fair” and “right” varies, it is the fundamental human valuation of these traits that has shaped our society and governance for centuries.

In any case, that is beside the point. That the First Amendment is designed to protect speech, even unpopular speech, has not been questioned by any of the people wanting to see the “r-word” retired, nor have any of them argued that Congress and the courts should get involved and restrict its use. There is a misconception (often held by those who loudly bludgeon others with the principle of “FREE SPEECH”) that the law or Constitution were intended as the only regulatory standards for expression in society. They are not – social norms freely adjust, change, and dissipate over time, completely independent of the government’s intervention. There are no laws outlawing cursing at the dinner table or mocking someone’s dead family members, but a large portion of the population opts not to engage in these behaviors because it does not fit within the currently established acceptable social convention.

That is not a legal issue. It is not a Constitutional issue or a free speech issue; it is the presence of common decency.

What is being threatened here by people asking others to refrain from using the “r-word” is not the First Amendment, but rather the unconditional social acceptance of people who refuse to change their behavior despite increasing evidence that many others find it unpleasant, offensive, and hurtful.

Simply put, some people want to be inconsiderate jerks but not pay the consequences of reduced self-esteem and loneliness when they find they don’t have any friends. They feel the completely legal and ongoing process of social evolution rendering them extinct, so they write blustery, bullying responses to heartfelt letters in student newspapers that do nothing more than demonstrate insensitivity and (at best) a loose and inaccurate grasp of American laws.

Right on, Mary Beth! It is an uphill battle, but one that is well worth the effort, especially when it involves a loved one. Here's wishing the best to you and your family, as I am sure you've all had to put up with all sorts of jokers like this "Old Illini," who don't realize is that calling for respect and recognition of the power of words is not incompatible with free speech. Ultimately, it comes down to their sense of self-importance to pretend that a call for decency is somehow an assault on civil liberties. (Oh, and on an unrelated note: First Amendment rights are hardly absolute. You'd think that our self-appointed constitutional scholar here would have actually heard of Schenck v. United States! American constitutional history neither begins nor ends with the actual constitution! Back to the books, Old Illini!)

I think the person's above comment completely overlooks the purpose of this article. Regardless of the whole constitutional bit this writer is clearly trying to bring awareness to the use of this word. Its similar to using the n-word or any other derogatory term. People are verbal about that term and others similar to it and Mary Beth has every right to be verbal about this. Putting a personal touch on it only strengthens the article and its purpose. I completely agree with her, and, as someone who works with those with Down Syndrome on a daily basis, greatly appreciate her bringing awareness to the use of this word.