Let’s forget about any personal feelings, yea or nay, we might have for so-called “political correctness.” Have we lost any sense whatsoever of plain old human decency? Why do we consider racial slurs crass and think of people who are intolerant of other peoples’ faith as bigoted; yet too many of us laugh when the target of ridicule is those who have struggled long and hard for a place at the table, a seat in a regular classroom and the ability to just BE in society?

When do decent people, and yes there are still quite a few of us out there even though we might not be in the demographic group targeted for this movie, say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. It is time for everyone to think twice before laughing at, or worse yet using, a word whose only purpose is to demean and negate the humanity of a large number of people around us.

To say that protesters have missed the point and that the film is really trying to poke fun at those in the industry who would victimize marginalized people for their own gain is not to understand how the viewing public takes in what they see on screen. Popular culture today is embedded in the psyche of young people. They idolize “celebrities” and unfortunately often have trouble separating what they are hearing on screen or on the airwaves from what they should know to be true in their hearts. It is getting more and more difficult to believe that most people going to the movies can separate themselves from the derogatory comments they hear or images they see when put forth by Hollywood and form the desire to treat others with kindness and respect. Bullying is on the rise. Selfish, mean-spirited behavior confronts us from every corner of our daily lives; and the need to debase someone else to make ourselves feel superior has become part of too many kids’ personas.

The word “retard” should not just be offensive to people with intellectual disabilities and their families. It should be offensive to ALL of us, and NOT USED by any of us. I am not black, but am offended by the term “nigger,” and would never use it. The word “retard” is still thrown around too much in society and it is time to put an end to it. It is also time to hold accountable anyone who seeks to make a profit by being overly offensive and insensitive to any group of people. When will we finally be able to look ourselves in the mirror and say that we are decent people, and that we want to treat each other with respect?

YOUR words do not define who I am, but who YOU are. When we make fun of others and use derogatory terms about them, we are representing ourselves as cruel, tasteless individuals, willing to do anything to make a buck or feed our own egos.

The sad fact is that popular culture does contribute to the shaping of “impressions” in society. All too often, what we see and hear from others is how we form our vision of the world. If we continue to perpetuate stereotypes and condone what amounts to “hate speech,” our actions will lead ultimately to genocide. People with Down syndrome are being aborted in record numbers due to “advancements” in prenatal screening technology. If we do not stand up and speak out against those in our midst who would ridicule and demean people with intellectual disabilities, we will continue this downward spiral and risk losing our own humanity in the process. Please think before you laugh. Please consider the harm in allowing hurtful speech and negative portrayals to continue. Please stand up and speak out against prejudice and don’t let characterizations such as this continue to surface.

Thanks for all your doing; we’re doing protest in 9 sites in Georgia as we speak.

Mark

The disability coalition’s protests are valid. The word “retard” is hurtful to many people in America who have a mental disability. Just like the n-word and the c-word and a myriad of other words that have multiple uses — some of which are used in Tropic Thunder.

In recent years, America has offered special protections to minorities (blacks/women/disabled) to help these groups more fully participate in society and make up for past discriminatory actions. From Corporate America to Hollywood, we have cashed in on this social movement. We market to Hispanics, promote women to the boardroom…and produce movies about the triumph of disabled people.

Tropic Thunder reflects our own society, and exposes the satire-ness behind American idealism. The ’80s comedy Soul Man is about a white kid who pretends he’s black to get into Harvard. Affirmative action has had a positive societal outcome. Perhaps Barack Obama benefited from it, and look where he is today. But we cannot pass laws to protect certain groups, and then pretend the laws don’t exist.

The Special Olympics is a separate, “special” event that requires a physical or mental disability in order to participate. If an able-bodied person were to try to qualify, he or she would be turned away. So disability groups want to shut down a movie that parodies the inherent outcome of the rise of special groups, and special treatment for those groups. An outcome that was bound to happen; because again, you can’t create laws and protections and then pretend they don’t exist or aren’t in use.

In my mind, this issue goes beyond the r-word. America has to choose what it wants: ongoing, pro-active and special status for those who were left behind in the past — or complete, merit-based achievement. I personally believe we need a combination of both, and that we need to be more vocal about what we’re trying to accomplish as a nation.