Spread the Word to End the Word

Actor John C. McGinley of "Scrubs" shares a message about why you should pledge to stop using the word "retard(ed)" and begin helping Special Olympics and Best Buddies International create a world of respect for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Join us on 3.3.10 to make your pledge to end the R-word.

• Category

  Nonprofits & Activism

[Smilephile]

Well, if Dr, Cox is telling me to stop i probably should.

[x1134x]

7 months ago

Kids used to tease each other calling each other "retards". The teachers banned the word explaining that mentally retarded kids were "special needs". Soon the kids had were calling each other "special needs" and "special" with the SAME derogatory tone. Nomenclature cannot change connotation people! Any sounds you want to make with your mouth to mean "not fully functioning mentally", will eventually obtain the same stigma that the previous word had.

[TheBumperBuddies]

To everyone who says it's not okay to call a man a womans name to insult him:

It's JD. A fictional TV character. Who has a feminine energy around him.

Johnny C McGineley has a son with Downs Syndrome, so he runs Buddy Walk, a charity for kids like his son.

GET A GRIP!

[EpicHobos]

I agree. now "special" is an insult, and it hurts because teachers don;'t know so they say it anyway.

[BOITENOIRE123]

Lol right, so calling a man a womans name to insult him when he does or says something you consider weak, stupid and/or incompetent, therefor insinuating that all women are as such, is perfectly fine, so much so that you'll use it as an example, but saying retarded is unacceptable? Sure thing. If you want to get your message across, why don't you all lobby for just being nice to people. Lobby not to use any derogatory terms at all. Hmm?

[steelskyblue]

I don't get it, so it's ok to call a male with a female salutation?? that has no insinuation at all?

[markandjenna91011]

I stopped using the r-word. But I think that maby the r-word's meaning has changed. anyway stop using it!

[ExEverest10]

I feel that that was a poor choice of words at 0:27; aren't they less valued? I mean, if you assume that reduced mental capacity reduces your ability to preform every task bar existince, doesn't that mean that you aren't as valuable as an individual? i.e. you have less value?

I'm not saying that these people should be made fun of, I just don't take it further and say they're effectively equivalent to everyone else, which I think is the implication and undertone of some of these PSAs.

[henkjansmazaag]

i understand the idea, but you can't remove words out of a languege, you can change the meaning, but the word will live on

[Harry McFann]

kk the "r-word" is bad but it is a-ok to make insults clearly with a homophobic vibe?

[VishalSinghFilms]

The point is the thought behind the word. They're both mental disabilities as McGinley put it, something not to be used as an insult despite any kind of lack of offensive intent.

[Garrett Higgins]

End the Word! :)