Ok, this is the big one- LISTEN UP.

Flyer courtesy of Helen in Washington. Her 15 and 16 year old daughter's created it. Their little brother has Down syndrome and have worked to have the "r" word banned from school. Quite the advocates for their brother, which I think is AWESOME!


Due to my getting ready for date night yesterday, I did not have the chance to post about this sooner. A couple of my friends have, and I am going to kindly refer to their posts because they say it perfectly.

First, my friend McKenna:

This is definitely not the first time I've been disappointed in Hollywood, but I think this may be the first time I am actually HURT by Hollywood. Ben Stiller's new film, Tropic Thunder has crossed the line. DreamWorks Production has agreed to meet with many representatives from disability rights organizations at 5pm Pacific today. To be honest, I don't know what can come from this meeting other than prevention of further damage. I will be very surprised if the scene is not pulled, but the hurt has already been caused. Sticks and stones may break my bones, and WORDS HURT Mr. Ben Stiller, Mr. Robert Downey Jr, Mr. Jack Black, Mr. Tom Cruise, and Hollywood!! My daughter has an intellectual disability and is not able to defend herself because of her age and her cognitive ability. How dare you use her medical diagnosis of mental retardation as an opportunity to put more money in your pockets. Shame on YOU!

The term "mental retardation" is being replaced with intellectual disability because of this misuse. This isn't the first time this has happened. You know those words, "idiot" and "moron." Those once used to belong to people like my little girl as medical diagnosis and we all know what happened to those words. How wrong is it that my daughter needs a new "term" because of the abuse of her medical diagnosis by people of average intelligence? How long until people start taking the new terminology and abusing it as well?

I have an idea....let's just abort every child with a disability before they're born and we won't have this problem! Let's just wipe our world clean of people with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, etc... and while we're at it, go ahead and take me out of that world, too, because I'm 5'10" tall and that's just not "normal!" Everyone with large noses can have their lives spared as long as they get plastic surgery.

My daughter has to fight against this ridiculous ideology that she is "not normal" and "different" and "lucky she wasn't aborted" every day for the rest of her life and I'm going to do everything I can so she doesn't have to fight against the mockery and "harmless jokes" as well!

Race discrimination is off limits (as it should be!) but discrimination against individuals with intellectual disabilities has a green light. ENOUGH! I have usually excused comments that I hear everyday: "I'm so retarded," "what a retard," because I know in my heart they are not intentionally or purposefully directed at someone with an intellectual disability. Well, enough! Intentional or not, stop it! Use it properly or don't use it at all!

Leave my child, my friend's children, and the many individuals in our world who work harder than any of you alone! ENOUGH!!

And, Amy:

It’s not often that I will offer up an email about something I disagree with. However I am taking the time this afternoon to let you know about a movie that is being released soon. Tropic Thunder with stars such as Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr and Tom Cruise will be coming to a theater near us soon and you can be certain with this cast line up and the heavy marketing, your children will want to see it.
What caught my heart was the slogan that Dream Works has chosen to promote this movie. “Once upon a time….There was a Retard” and Ben Stiller is playing an individual with intellectual disabilities. Yeah that is making me laugh pretty hard. I love Ben Stiller and I love Jack Black. I am so sad that they are among a group that has decided to make a movie about those with mental retardation to get laughs.
Once upon a time there was a sweet little girl born. Larkin has a medical diagnosis of mental retardation because of Down syndrome and further brain damage caused by a catastrophic seizure disorder. Even typing that brings this mother to her knees and I can’t even believe I am having to send an email asking that you not support this movie. I can’t believe that our children are still being used as the whipping post for actors and writers to get a laugh. I can’t fight it all the time and mostly I just shrug and move along and turn my back on those who can’t see the sunshine that is right in front of their dark minds.
So this email is for my little girl. The small one who can’t fight it. The small one who fights a war every single day to prove her worth. The bundle of sunshine who will hug you and love you in spite of the ugliness that at times like this surrounds her. I beg you to not see this movie. I beg you to voice your thoughts. I beg you to think of Little Larkin and the millions like her. I have included a link so you can read further. Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think needs to know.


For me, I have been fighting this fight for a while. Even with people I love the most. This is just not acceptable! What in the world do we have to do to make you LISTEN!?!?!?! My son is not your free pass for a laugh.

Great site to visit: Patricia Bauer