The R-word has really been on my mind the last week or so with all of the controversy surrounding Tropic Thunder.  I can't believe that of all the people who worked on this movie, not one of them thought that there was anything wrong with how it portrays people with intellectual disabilities. Maybe even more sad is that they worked with many consultants from the African-American community to be sure that nothing was offensive to that group of people, yet they did not consult with anyone over the portrayal of the disabled. Yes, I know Matt and I can get kind of preachy about not using the R-word. I sometimes feel like a hypocrite when I ask people not to use it because when I was younger I totally used it all the time and never even thought twice about it. But, then we were blessed with Maddie and she opened up a whole new world for me. Now I understand why that word is hurtful and should not be used in a slang way. Now I feel terrible for my previous thoughtlessness. To equate Maddie's medical condition that she CANNOT help with stupidity and idiocy is so degrading and hurtful. When people say, "That is so r_____" or "I am such a r______" or "You're r_______," that is exactly what they are doing: using her diagnosis as an insult. It really hurts me to hear it being used that way, and I dread the day that Maddie encounters it and understands what it means.

In light of that, I wanted to share this totally awesome video online about using the right R-word for people with disabilities--Check it out! I especially love the little cheerleader girls!