By Alyssa Askeland – OPINION

“That’s so retarded” is a simple phrase used by Americans every day. But do we really understand the meaning and impact of that one simple word? Retarded: it isn’t derogatory.

According to organizers of the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign, respectful and inclusive language is key to the movement for the dignity of people with intellectual disabilities.  However, a lot of people do not recognize the hurtful, dehumanizing and exclusive effects of the word “retarded.”

Have you seen commercials on TV about the “Knock it off” campaign? Even though it is about the use of the word “gay” in a derogatory way, “that’s so retarded” is a similar misuse of language: using a category of people as a term of insult.  “That’s so boy-with-blond-hair,” might capture the offensive nature of using “retarded” or “gay” as in a degrading way.

People may use the phrase “that’s so retarded” not to offend the people people with learning disabilities, but to simply describe a frustrating, annoying, or confusing situation. Even though the word isn’t intended in its literal meaning, the phrase is an insult to children, siblings, cousins. friends–people who know and love someone with learning disabilities.

I personally don’t have any relatives, that I know of, who have a mental disability, but I still have a strong opinion of use of the word “retarded.”   Sure the word slips, more often then not, but I always find myself hurting for the families who are affected by this terminology. People with intellectual and learning disabilities enjoy sharing life experiences like listening to music, playing video games, watching the latest movies, and having fun. Working together toward athletic success and enriching friendships as demonstrated constantly through Special Olympics and Best Buddies International is another way I share common goals and efforts with those in the learning disabled community. They can attend school, drive cars, get married, get jobs, participate in decisions that affect themselves and others, and contribute to the public in many ways. So why do we use this category to describe the things that bother us?

In October I joined my fellow Student Council members at the Super Bowl to help with the Special Olympics bowling tournament.  Interacting with the athletes was a blast! They practice a lot to get that first-place ribbon at the competition and are very competitive about their sport.

In an article I wrote about this event back in October, I interviewed a mother of a competitor: “Becky Sales, the mother of eight-year old Vanessa Sales, from Afton, Iowa, says ‘It has [Vanessa] more active in the community, helping her be involved and makes her feel like she is good at something.'”

This just goes to show how a little encouragement and a lot of fun can really change a person with developmental abilities.  While working at the theater, I meet people from R.E.M. and Willow Heights. They are some of our regular customers and they are the most polite people we service. I’ve had a lot of experience with the mentally disabled and they are pretty awesome people.

They come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities–just like the rest of society. So why treat them like a separate species and use their “category” as an insult? We are all humans, deserving the dignity of every other human being on the planet. So stop the use of the word “retarded.” It is rude and offensive. Spread the word to end the word.

To find out more information about this national campaign click here.