My take on the "R" word

*****I may lose friends over this post but please hear me out*****
The topic of the "R" word is rather HOT right now.  A friend of mine was over the other day and she said exactly what i felt but hadn't put into words out loud.  I will tell you that part a little later.

 Ann Coulter is someone who just doesn't get it in one way.  I just listened (for as long as i could) about her response to Piers Morgan and was shocked that she doesn't think that her use of the "R" word was offensive to people with disabilities.  WOW!  She is DEFINITELY wrong on that one.  It was like wild fire all over my FB wall with my friends who have children like i do with special extra chromosomes!

I believe though that there is something that is DEEPER for me that is MORE offensive.  I have seen people have signs on their walls that inform people that they need to go to their thesaurus and look up another word instead of using the "R" word.  I am so sorry but i COMPLETELY DISAGREE!!!

Back to my friend.  She grew up having an uncle, who is still alive and is "old" for having Down Syndrome.  She just went on a long road trip with him last month.  She loves him very much.  She let me know that when they were growing up their whole family knew that their uncle was mentally retarded.  It was a medical term to them.  NOTHING MORE.  It is not a word that i can say that i am comfortable with BUT i can tell you that what she said next is the way that i feel.

She said that she is not offended when people use those words in that context as she doesn't believe that the person who is using it in that context is meaning it to be rude, mean or offensive.  I agree.  I also agreed with what she said next.  She said that if she was to have used the "R" word as in calling someone that word that she would have been in HUGE HUGE trouble!

THIS is the part that i am having a hard time with AND it is one that many may not agree with.  My problem with the word is the WAY that the word is used!!!   My problem with the whole thing is that someone is calling another person ANY name that is not respectful of that person.  Calling someone retard, moron, dummy, stupid, etc...... is plain ole' WRONG!!!  WHY are ANY of those words acceptable?  I can disagree with Ann on this angle here too.  If she thinks that people do not call people with disabilities "retarded" in the way that is rude and mean then she doesn't have any friends who have disabilities!  I am going to go against the norm again though and say this.....i also don't believe that those same precious people aren't called stupid, moron, dummy, etc......  I am sorry, but PLEASE do not go to your thesaurus and look up ANY names that are saying anything like these words!  ALL of them are WRONG!!!

I don't care if you are a Republican and can't stand the president who is in office right now.  I don't care if you think that his policies are ridiculous.  I don't care if you think that he should be taken out of office and believe that we need changes.  I don't care if you believe as i do that the policy that allows a full term baby to be partially born and then be aborted is disgusting and outrageously WRONG!  What i DO care about is....and ESPECIALLY if you call yourself a Christ follower....that you are calling a person, that God created, a name that shouldn't be on ANYONE!  You can despise the policies but you do NOT call the president of the United States a name! PERIOD!  NOR should you call your sister that, or your mother, or your cousin, or your teacher, or your student, or your co-worker, or your grandfather, or your pastor, or your parishioners, or your boss, or your neighbor or even your enemy!

SO, in my book.....PLEASE.....just stop calling people names that are offensive!!!  To me, ALL of them are!!!  I am ALWAYS BLESSED
PS I AM going to tell you this though....if i EVER overhear a person call either of my two children with Down Syndrome ANY of the words that have been used in this post as offensive OR for that matter any of my other five children...it will be VERY hard for me not to be VERY passionately offended and angry in teaching that person a lesson in being respectful of their fellow human beings.  PLEASE guard your words.  TEACH your children to be KIND and RESPECTFUL!