Retard!

By Nick Maker

When you first read the title, how did it make you feel? Not good, right? I bet you thought I was insulting you and you felt surprise that I just lost my mind! Well that shows how people say these kinds of things and here’s why.

We pretty much know the meaning of retard and it is when a person has an impaired cognitive state and their behavior. In which I mean they have below average intelligence, about below 70 IQ. We hear it a lot in mostly comical ways on TV shows or in the internet, but they over use that word too much for comedy purpose and it’s got to stop.

They don’t really understand that it is really a disability to the brain just like Autism or bipolar! It’s not the person’s fault but is just their condition that makes the problem not them! They can’t help it and we can’t help ourselves to poke fun of them. I know that some people don’t actually mean they are stupid or something and just say it for fun but it is not. Just like you say to someone you’re a @#% is the same insult to a guy by saying retard. They really don’t know that this condition is an actual serious one and should be taken this seriously and professionally.

I hated that word not because I have any issues with myself but because it feels like an insult to other people who have that condition like it was nothing. Even if they don’t have the condition they still feel hurt to think that they really are uneducated! Just because they don’t understand some certain things and can’t know about it doesn’t mean we don’t have to do anything about it; they have feelings too.

I have an autistic brother and it is hard sometimes that I have to put up with some problems that some people do to him. My parents usually take care of the problem but someday I have to step in and help him and make them understand his condition. For a better medical word to say of someone who has that problem, you call it an intellectual disability. It is cleaner and people won’t take it as much of an insult since is more medical use for that type of condition.

I’ve actually seen two people with those conditions, both of them are adults and they act like they are five years old which is kind of interesting to see that both of them seem to be so innocent that they look like they don’t have a sin in their souls.

What I’m trying to say is that if we’re going to make something funny try to remember that there are some people who are sensitive about these kinds of topics, so it is better to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. I remember when I was in 2nd grade I called someone fat, not because I was rude but because I was curious of why he was fat, which is why I got in the time out corner. To be honest someone could have told me that it was rude because I got no explanation except a debate argue that my little mind couldn’t comprehend, not until mother explained it to me a few weeks later. 🙂

About Nick…
“I am a studious person who loves reading and loves researching about virtually anything! I play the piano and every year I have to give a performance in a church. I love video games – especially when it’s a puzzle and action game. I would like to become a programmer one day in the field of computer science. I love my family so much, even if we drive each other crazy sometimes, we’re still one big happy family.”

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