Tim Shriver: ‘Stigmatizing people stinks’
February 17th, 2009Writing in the Washington Post’s “On Faith,” Special Olympics CEO Tim Shriver describes what happened recently when a group of young people complained about the use of the word “retarded” on “The O’Reilly Factor.” Political strategist Dick Morris had used the word on the Fox News show when mocking the economic stimulus package.
Host Bill O’Reilly responded favorably to the complaint on the air. “We understand that word stigmatizes millions of people,” O’Reilly said. “… We are sensitive to the point. Shouldn’t use that word.”
An excerpt:
The mighty O’Reilly, unlike so many others, got it: Stigmatizing people stinks. Words matter. People don’t need to scoff at others to make a point. Everyone has a gift and the world would be better off if we recognized it.
Sometimes, the world needs the weak to teach the strong. Sometimes, God hides from the wise what God reveals to the weak.
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