Last August, at a private Democratic caucus meeting, Rham Emanuel made a crack to members of his own party who were giving some pushback on health care reform. Now, in the midst of a controversial upheaval, the White House Chief of Staff is apologizing to members of the community. But the reason he’s in hot water is because of one single word.
“Retarded.”
Not surprisingly, an outbreak of giggles erupted from the audience.
But miles away at Quinnipiac University, a small group of students did not laugh and neither did their ”buddies.”
Best Buddies, currently recognized by the university as one of the five branches of the Community Action Project (CAP), is dedicated to providing friendship and opportunities to people with intellectual disabilities. On campus, the group is required to organize at least six events each semester.
Sophomore occupational therapy major and first-year president of Best Buddies Lindsey Raffol said the r-word is offensive to some people and unfortunately has become a common insult.
“I think it’s a word that’s basically been integrated into our language,” sophomore Lindsey Raffol said. “It causes a lot of harm without people realizing it.
One of Best Buddies’ most anticipated events held each year is called Spread the Word to End the Word.
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Raffol joked before regaining her composure. “I think it’s a very important day of awareness to college students, especially who use language without thinking how it would affect others.”
Raffol said the event is close to her heart because worked with people with special needs for six years. She said, “I know firsthand that it’s very hurtful to those with intellectual disabilities.”
Spread the Word to End the Word is a national campaign originally created last winter when a group of athletes at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Idaho asked the organization to remove “mentally retarded” from its literature.
Legislators nationwide have sponsored measures to purge the word from the law books. A Maryland congresswoman sponsored a measure in the U.S. House of Representatives and similar efforts are under way at statehouses in West Virginia, Washington and Idaho, according to The Associated Press.
“It is wrong to pain people with your language,” wrote John C. McGinley, an ambassador for the National Down Syndrome Society on the Special Olympics’ Web site. “Make no mistake about it: words do hurt! And when you pepper your speak with ‘retard’ and ‘retarded,’ you are spreading hurt.”
Motivated by society’s current understanding of the “R-word,” the McGinley said he was inspired to join the cause.
“Most people don’t think of this word as the language of hate, but that’s exactly what it feels like to millions of people with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends,” McGinley wrote. “I choose to believe that most of us are fundamentally good and that we’re just not aware that the word is offensive and that it hurts.”
March 3, 2010 marks the second annual Spread the Word to End the Word national day of awareness. At Quinnipiac the event will begin on March 1 and end on March 3. Best Buddies is encouraging students to rally and pledge their support with a goal of 800 pledges, according to Raffol.
Since volunteering at a summer camp for mentally challenged students and adults, Raffol became closely involved with Special Education programs including Best Buddies. Her current buddy, Jackie is 26 and “just loves life.”
"I’ve grown passionate about that population and believe that while I can offer my friendship to those individuals, I can also learn an immense amount about acceptance, compassion, and enjoying life,” Raffol said.
She continued, stating her hopes for promoting social awareness, particularly within the Quinnipiac community.
“Change must start somewhere,” Raffol said. “Why not here?”
McGinley echoed a similar sentiment encouraging a theme of change.
“So many times in life you are asked to change,” he wrote. “Change your clothes. Change lanes. Change jobs. Change the sheets. Change flights. Change your tune. Change horses midstream. Change your latitudes and your attitudes.”
The former president of Best Buddies, Melissa Trinks agreed.
“The R-word is not only hurtful and a sign of hate towards people with intellectual disabilities, but it is also offensive to people, such as myself, who are friends with them and care for them immensely,” said Trinks, a junior physical therapy major.
Corey Sherlock, junior nursing major and membership coordinator for Best Buddies said she became interested in Best Buddies almost immediately and its important to bring Spread the Word to Quinnipiac.
“My cousin’s a year younger than me and has Down syndrome. I grew up around him and his friends and never really thought they were different,” Sherlock said. What people don’t realize is that they notice how people treat them, if they’re being degraded or looked down on.”
In its campaign to eliminate “retard” from being used as an insult, Special Olympics is encouraging people to take the “R-word Pledge.” For more information or to participate, individuals can visit www.r-word.org and click the pledge box.
“It gives them a voice,” Raffol said. “A lot of times the population doesn’t have the voice to speak up for them or what they don’t like. It comes upon us, as members of society, to stick up for them in a situation where they don’t have much power.”
It’s hard to speak up and tell your friends for fear of being judged and fear of how you’ll be received for standing up for someone else. But it’s important.”
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