Language Is More Impactful Than We Know by Jason Hahr

 

Image of President wearing a suit speaking into a microphone while outside holding his right hand upward into a fist with the American flag in the baground.
                                   


Many years ago, I wrote a blog post entitled “Terminology Debate,” which explored the impact of language on society. Well, as they say, evergreen material constantly circles back around. The time has come to revisit the topic of language.

We all know President Trump does not pull punches and is not the most sensitive or eloquent person. That being said, this blog has nothing to do with politics; instead, it addresses some insensitive remarks Trump made late last year. He used the “r-word” about former Vice President Kamala Harris. I am not only blaming President Trump for the resurgence of the “r-word; however, it cannot be denied that he has a large following and a great deal of influence. When political figures use such derogatory language, they make it seem acceptable.

As an article written for Disability Scoop states, there has been an increase in the use of the term, both online and in popular culture. The author Michelle Diament pointed out that the language is so antiquated and serves as a hurtful reminder of the past. For years, advocates have been working to “Spread The Word To End The Word”.  Indeed, from 2009 to 2019, the Special Olympics organization led a campaign to end the use of the word, which proved highly effective; however, since 2019, the campaign has shifted its focus to encompass inclusion overall, rather than just eliminating the use of the “r-word”. For more information on the article, please refer to the link located at the bottom of this post under 'Resources'.

When I first read this article, I was not surprised. Trump inserts his foot into his mouth all the time. He must like the taste of feet. If Trump ever gets tired of his own feet, I guess he could use Melania’s, but I digress.

Language is powerful, but it only has meaning if we give it meaning. I'm not justifying the use of the “r-word”. That word should never be used in a derogatory way. Technically, it means to slow things down, but society has so distorted the word that the original meaning no longer applies. It is not like the word crippled which disabled people have taken back and now use as a term of empowerment, for example, in movements like #cripthevote. I use the word crippled daily, but it does not have a negative meaning for me because I have never encountered it negatively; however, it is different with words such as the “r-word”.

In conclusion, language is as powerful as we make it, but just because something doesn’t offend us, it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t respect the rest of humanity. Anyway, until next time, your Friendly Neighborhood Super Advocate is stepping off his soap box, Jay.

Definitions: The "R" word - even though I don't like using this word, it has come to my attention that some of our readers, especially those outside the United States, may not be familiar with this term. I define it here for clarification purposes only. It refers to the word "retarded."

 

Resources:

Resurgence Of ‘R-Word’ Alarms Disability Advocates: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2024/10/21/resurgence-of-r-word-alarms-disability-advocates/31122/

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sad Times in Ocala, Florida Reflect Overall Poor Treatment of The Disabled Community in America Today

 The movie-going experience has been part of American life for decades now. At the same time, being disabled has also been a part of the human experience since the beginning of time. This piece will address the idea that although we are thirty-four years into the ADA era, movie theaters in Ocala, Florida, demonstrate how little respect people with disabilities have earned in thirty-four years. Over the weekend, I was treating my friend/caregiver, who I will call Jane, on a trip to the movies for her 24 th birthday. She was nice enough to not only drive my van for only the 10 th time since she started working with me but also because my power wheelchair broke several weeks ago and there was a delay in the delivery process of my new chair; she was willing to push me around. The first of many problems we encountered that day occurred when we got to the front door. It was only then we noticed that even though disabled people do go to places by themselves without caregivers or atten...
Read more

Life Behind the Camera: Observing the Neurotypical World from the Autism Spectrum By: Michelle Zeman

Image
  Imagine that you are a photographer covering a story. You aren't the story's subject - your only purpose is to zoom in, adjust the settings, and click the button. The subject(s) of the photo are the story - they know what to expect and how to respond given the situation. However, you're not in the picture as the photographer - you're just observing. You aren't asked to be in the photo, let alone be involved in the story, outside of clicking the button. You see the final image, and you publish it online, and when people see it, they comment on the people within the photo and the event that occurred. That is what life is like from my perspective of being on the Autism spectrum - I am on the outside looking into neurotypical life.   Growing up, I didn't have many friends. In elementary school, I went to a Christian school. You would be incorrect if you think a Christian school is different from a public school in terms of how friendships are created. There w...
Read more

The Movie “Conclave” Makes Me Rethink the Concept of Acceptance and How It Applies to My Own Life: By Jason Hahr

This post comes with a note to readers. This may or may not make complete sense. This post comes from a perspective of being stuck in my head. As much as I use this blog to teach and inform, this time, I am using it as a therapy tool as well. When I ask you, the readers, a question, please know that I am questioning you and my own subconscious. Now that I have said all of that, here we go. Initially, I was going to write a post about a movie I recently saw called “Conclave.” On the surface, the film has nothing to do with disability or disability-related issues. Still, if one looks deeper, one can see that the movie is about both self-acceptance and being accepted by others. I will not go into the movie's plot because, like I said, this is not a film review. I only reference it because it got me thinking. For eleven years now, I’ve been an outspoken voice for The Voiceless Minority, of which I am a member. However, I wonder if I have been an adequate advocate for people with disabi...
Read more