Op-Ed: Stop Using ‘Retard’ As An Insult

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  Carolyn

  November 6, 2012 12:53 pm

  I have a sister with Asperger’s (diagnosed in her late 50s) and work in the mental health field, although not directly with this population. I have never gotten over an episode on Bill Maher’s old show, Politically Incorrect, now many years ago, where he likened people with cognitive disabilities with being on the level of dogs. Guests on the show, Martin Short and Sarah Ferguson, the Dutchess of York (a.k.a. “Fergie”) protested, but he did not back down. That was the last time I ever watched Mr. Maher. I still change the channel if he ever appears on my screen. By the way, there was NO public outcry at the time, although I registered my protest on their website, as did others. It is a process to educate the public and I am glad this issue has emerged on such a high profile site as NPR.

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