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Home > Blogs > Women's Life > Archives > 2009 > April > 01 > Entry
Something good came of Obama’s gaffe
The Special Olympics launched a campaign this week to banish the word “retard” from casual daily conversation.
A few weeks ago, President Obama referred to his bowling skills as like that of the “Special Olympics,” an athletic competition for people with mental retardation.
While the effort to ban “retard” is not directly linked to Obama’s self-admitted gaffe, it’s not likely a coincidence.
So, yes, something good has come from Obama’s gaffe and he likely would be the first to admit it.
He said a really silly, hurtful thing unintentionally. He immediately apologized and apologized well. It would be wise of him to sign the pledge himself. (although I seriously doubt he uses the word.)
Meanwhile, people signed pledges not to use the word and students gathered to denounce its use from Florida to Alaska. Organizers hope to change attitudes about people with mental disabilities, who number more than 190 million worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
While “retard” itself was never a medical term, it derives from the phrase “mental retardation,” which by around 1900 was commonly used by scientists and doctors, said Peter Berns, executive director of The Arc of the United States, a nonprofit advocate for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
After Obama’s comment, reaction ranged from outrage and hurt from parents of people with mental retardation to criticism of folks like me who called the president to task for it.
Basically, if a word hurts someone, whether it is the ‘n word’ which we all dare not even type and for good reason or whether it is using the word ‘gay’ to suggest something is odd, if it hurts someone, let’s just avoid it.
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Comments
By Bleeb
April 1, 2009 4:42 PM | Link to this
Are you serious Kim? Some good came from Obama’s comments. If President Bush would have said this, I doubt you’d be as forgiving.