Banish the R word

This film is meant to be a satire but the result is far more sobering. You see, "Simple Jack" is described as a "retard." Marketing materials and a website sport the tagline, "Once upon a time...There was a retard." Scenes include Robert Downey Jr.'s character advising Stiller's character to "Never go full retard." This phrase is already available on T-shirts.

A coalition of advocacy organizations met with DreamWorks and Paramount executives in an effort to educate them about how offensive this portrayal is. Although the companies agreed to remove some of the offensive marketing materials, they fail to realize the impact this movie will have across America.

Advocates have been told they are overreacting, that the intention is not to make fun of people with intellectual disabilities. They've been told that it's just a word, and words have no power.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. The words we use define who we are, and define how others see us. Words that denigrate and dehumanize an entire segment of the population have far-reaching effects. People with intellectual disabilities are routinely targeted for ridicule, abuse, and violence, all because of how a word defines them.

Films like "Tropic Thunder" not only foster a negative stereotype, they tell young people that it's okay to belittle others, especially those who can't defend themselves.

In a few weeks, I and hundreds of other parents of children with disabilities will be sending our children back to school. Students can be cruel to children with differences and we are already cringing at the thought of our kids enduring the "Full Retard" remarks.

I call on parents and teachers to make sure this doesn't happen. Avoid "Tropic Thunder". Banish the word "retard" as hate speech in your home and school. Educate people about why this word is so offensive. Don't allow my charming, funny, and yes - smart - child, and others like her, to be targeted.

Julie Arthur
York Area Down Syndrome Association