From the Special Olympics. Copied from http://adelaide.seenthis.com.au
As a college student, it is sometimes easy to forget how offensive bad language can be. For as long as I remember, swearing was a part of my family’s everyday life. There are limitations to my swearing. For example, the F-bomb is fair game, but words that degrade a particular nationality or religion or group of people are not, and there is one word that gets me every time. I hate this word in a way that I cannot fully describe. Hearing it incites the same reaction as fingernails on a chalkboard; it ignites a fire behind my eyes. It’s the R-word. It makes me entire body cringe when I hear it and ensures the end of whatever conversation I was having with the sayer of the word.
I recently read an article on boston.com called What’s up with all the profanity? which discusses the rise of profanity in everyday language. The article specifically cited the casual use of the R-word. Mentioned in the article is a campaign called “Spread the Word to End the Word,” started by r-word.org. At the site, people can pledge to eliminate “the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.”
We’re given freedom of speech, but we should censor ourselves. For my part, I pledge to never use the R-word. And while I’m at it, I will attempt to cut back on the F-bombs and other choice words. There are better, more creative ways to offend people.
The Changing Room Rotation 