Spread the word to end the word.

I pledge and support the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.
Do you? Will you? Spread the word to end the word

There are so many blogs out there with explainations on why you shouldn't use the word, how it makes us parents of children who have fallen behind feel, but I'm sure those things aren't hard to figure out. But just to put it in perspective: I remember when the doctor told us Ellie had Septo Optic Dysplasia. "It could mean that she could have no vision, from completely blind, to having no vision problems....(as if in slow motion)... and she could be developmentally delayed, from no problems to severely retarded." As I told him to wait so I could get my notebook to start writing down what he was saying, because lets be honest these are major blows and I need to remember this, "Retarded" echoed in my head. The thought of some one, some child, some adult, calling my baby, my daughter, my life retarded was... well there are no words to describe how it felt. It's taken me a while to get to this point where the R word is unacceptable because now I see the delays and now I see how far behind she is. Before you use the word try to imagine how it feels for someone to call someone you love more than life such a word instead of using stupid, loser, weirdo, or whatever the implied meaning was meant to be.