I don’t want to be insensitive. I really mean that. I understand that there are parents who go through struggles that I cannot even begin to understand. I’ve not had to deal with a special needs child and my heart goes out to those who have.
Having said that, I do believe that there’s one bill making its way through Congress that is not only unnecessary but a waste of valuable time when there’s so much important work that needs to be done.
It’s a bill introduced by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) last November that would strike the word “retarded” from the federal lexicon. It’s being marked up in the Senate Health, Education and Pensions Committee and it’s considered non-controversial legislation. In other words, it’s expected to breeze through the full Senate.
The new phrase of choice is “intellectually disabled.” It’s no skin off my nose if this thing passes; I just think it’s silly. It’s another form of political correctness.
As I wrote in “The Conservative’s Handbook,” controlling language ranks right up there with controlling the currency. It is no small thing when a governing body takes it upon itself to purposely change the language. The word “retarded” has sufficed for years as a way to describe individuals whose mental capacity does not reach a certain level. For the most part, the word has served a useful purpose. Undoubtedly, there have been those who have used it as a pejorative. There’s not a lot one can do to keep that from happening. Striking it from all federal documents isn’t going to change that.
Its replacement may be out of vogue before the ink dries. Intellectual disability? I thought the word “disability” was a no-no. I thought the disabled were referred to as “physically challenged.” In fact, last I heard it was PC to refer to someone who was retarded as “mentally challenged.” I need a score card to keep up.
This, of course, isn’t the first time this has happened. Black folks used to be “negroes,” then we were told to use “colored people,” then “black,” then “African-American.” Asians used to be called “Orientals.” Indians are now called “Native Americans.”
It’s gotten rather ridiculous, don’t you think?
I think there are folks who spend their lives being purposely offended. They go out of their way looking for something to offend them. In many cases they become surrogate victims, offended on behalf of someone else. That’s largely what drives the movement to change all the Indian names. Most Indians don’t give a flip that a baseball team is named the Braves. In fact, they rather like it. Most I’ve talked to don’t care for all these do-gooders who take offense for them.
I’m afraid this latest dose of senatorial political correctness is just that. It’s not really the retarded citizens who are behind this change. It’s those who purport to speak on their behalf. Mikulski said on the Senate floor the law would benefit those “who are labeled, stigmatized, and bear a burden the rest of their lives because of the language we use in the law books.” Does she really think it’s the word “retarded” that causes people to be stigmatized? No, it’s the way we treat these fellow citizens. When I was in school they were quarantined, separated from the so-called “normal” kids. Today many schools integrate them into the classrooms. They interact with other kids. They become part of the crowd. It’s so much better.
Mikulski’s law does nothing to address the real problem. It’s, well, stupid.
I probably just offended half the folks in Congress.
