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Well Katherine spent another 5 days in the lovely 4West med/surg unit at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Egleston (hey ladies!!) with another bout with pancreatitis. Not that the accommodations are pretty darned nice (and the food is really darned good for a hospital) but I’m ok with that being our last stay for a while. She’s been home for 3 days and I’m still exhausted – and behind on everything. Because to top it off my youngest’s 3rd birthday was this past Friday. So it was pretty crazed week last week – but you all can relate – I know you can!

Because the pancreatitis is an ongoing concern we are now having the exciting <rolling eyes> opportunity to change seizure medications. Oh let’s be fair its also one of her 2 mood stabilizers as well because if it’s got to be exciting we know how to do it RIGHT. <eyes rolling>

Those of you with kids who have seizures know how hard it can be to find the right medication and right dosage and certainly it’s no different for those of us with kids who have mental illness. Since the anti-epileptic medications are frequently used in mental illness as well we were fortunate that we could piggy back some of what Katherine needed for the bipolar treatment with what she was already on for the seizures. Unfortunately what is a blessing in one direction can be a real potential for peril in the other. We are going to another anti-epileptic which is also used in the treatment of bipolar disorder so I’m hopeful (but far from certain) that this transition will work. But as there is no choice, we’ll just take it one day at a time. At a minimum it’s a 4 week process so wish us luck!

Obviously the whole Tropic Thunder thing has touched me. I’ve seen those looks. I’ve seen them used at my cousin Edith. I’ve seen them used at my daughter Katherine. I’ve seen them used at my friend Joey at the local Publix. I’ve heard the casual use of the word retard. I have to tell you I don’t consider myself the most PC individual in the world. I guarantee you however I wouldn’t walk up to my friend Debra and use the “N” word. I wouldn’t walk up to my father-in-law and call him a “S”. I can tell you for certain however that if I did I feel confident that both these individuals would feel well within their rights to defend themselves and WOULD defend themselves – whether verbally or physically.

I think generally speaking, people at least think twice before they use racial or gender biased terms. I am pretty certain (my personal observation) however that people don’t think twice about degrading the people in our society who cannot defend themselves. What is it?? Is it the easy shot? How can it be so un-PC to speak about gender, race, orientation but its devastatingly obvious to me that the issue of bias against intellectual disabilities is viewed as almost a joke. A fairly prevalent note I have seen is that it’s PC gone “too far”. UH HELLO?? Its gone too far?? HOW SO??? Seems to me that for all the “equality” speeches that you’ll ever hear no one seems to think it means for people who are intellectually disabled – THAT’S DIFFERENT. Please don’t ask me HOW it’s different. I sure as hell don’t get it.

That’s why I was so happy when I was looking at my facebook account to promote the R-Word site I found the R-word cause started from what I can tell by a young man Soeren Palumbo. I’ve added it as my featured cause on my facebook account. But then I found a real gem I wanted to share with all of you. It’s just shy of 10 minutes but it’s worth it!! IF this works I’ve embedded the video here. If not you can see it by clicking here.

I saw Good Morning America this morning. I damn near lost my breakfast. I had to clean up the coffee I spit out. Ben Stiller said on NATIONAL TELEVISION that the people organizing protests (and I’m paraphrasing here) were raising a stink about stuff they had “heard” about the movie but had not seen it. Uh HELLO?!?!? Screening that your distributing studio arranged for numerous representatives of disability groups?? His argument that they are just “making fun” of the actors who “play disabled characters to earn awards” is completely disingenuous as well.  The argument we should have protested about Forrest Gump and Rain Man is as well. Both of those movies showed the worth of the individual with disabilities as well as the learning process those around them went through to gain acceptance for them and the positive force of love in maximizing their potential. Did I miss something???

Never mind – I agree with many who say this needs to be made a teaching moment and was thrilled to receive an email this morning with the following site being highlighted:

The R-Word – A Special Olympics Initiative

As the site itself says

Our choice of language frames how we think about others. It is time to ACT NOW and pledge your support to eliminate the demeaning use of the r-word.

Please take a moment to go over to the site and make your pledge and spread the word.

Well I’m not surprised…..and I’m sorry about that. Apparently Dreamworks will make no effort at this time to rectify the use of the word “retard” or otherwise ameliorate the negative sterotype being proliferated in the movie Tropic Thunder.

A recent viewing left David Tolleson of the National Down Syndrome Congress feeling “like I had been assaulted” and calling for major action. Timothy Shriver is not only organizing a boycott for LA tomorrow but working to get a condemnation from Congress for the use of Hate Speech as well as calling for further support of the intellectually disabled.

You can read more by following these links:

• The New York Times – “Nationwide ‘Thunder’ Boycott in the Works”
• Washington Post – “What Tropic Thunder Thinks is Funny”
• Reuters – “Advocates for Disabled to Boycott Tropic Thunder”
• Special Olympics Press Release
• Patricia E. Bauer – Tim Shriver Op-Ed on Tropic Thunder

Those living in Georgia – According to Heidi J. Moore’s Advocacy Mailing List boycott rallies are being organized:

Jennifer Carroll- Former AADD- Partner’s and Policy Making Graduate wants to form a boycott here in Georgia. The movie is going to be released this week on Tuesday/Wednesday. We are looking at having rallies/boycotts at 5 metro Atlanta theaters, as well as, Macon and Augusta (where the movie is going to premier as well).

This is a VERY quick timeframe and need volunteers ASAP.

If you are interesting in getting involved in helping make a difference and educate the community on why this is so important for individuals with disabilities- Please contact Jennifer at jenniferofroswell@msn.com . There needs to be a team of volunteers at each theater location.

Please reach out to your local groups of the ARC, Special Olympics etc. to see how you can participate or otherwise support this boycott.

UPDATE: You might want to read this article on MTV where Ben Stiller and Ethan Coen (co-writer) and their defense of this movie. I think the defense makes me even more disturbed

Oh it’s being covered everywhere but honestly my head has been buried in the sand dealing with the first week of school here. (yea – we end early too) so I’ve just been reading along and if you haven’t catch up by clicking on these links here:

• Tropic Thunder – Once Upon a Time…There was a Retard
• Sorry Mr. Stiller you’ve crossed the line
• Never go full Retard
• Disability groups organize
• Just the facts about Tropic Thunder

As of this writing my understanding is that the viewing Dreamworks promised isn’t going to happen until the 11th hour on Monday just before this movie premieres. I think Patricia Bauer has done an amazing job of covering this issue so I’m not going to add much more except that the statement below pretty well says what I’d like Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr to know. I want to believe these are good although misguided individuals who don’t get the greater harm they are doing to our loved ones. Hopefully they will read the following and reach out to learn more

THE R-WORD ISN’T JUST HURTFUL,
IT’S HATE SPEECH.

WHAT IS HATE SPEECH?

Hate speech occurs when a majority group freely makes jokes about a minority group including negative stereotypes and negative images, not just language. It is commonly seen as harmless by the majority, but it sets the stage for more severe outlets for prejudice, harm and abuse.

PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES ARE AT GREATER RISK OF VIOLENCE.

- 1 in 3 children with disabilities are victims of some form of abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect. (Sullivan & Knutson, 2000).

- Individuals with developmental disabilities are 4 to 10 more times more likely to be victims of a crime than people without disabilities (Sobsey, et al., 1995).

- Children with developmental disabilities are at twice the risk of physical and sexual abuse compared to children without disabilities (Crosse et. al., 1993).

PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES ARE DISENFRANCHISED FROM JUSTICE.

- Many people with intellectual disabilities are not able to articulate the abuse they’ve sustained.

- Many victims with intellectual disabilities are not perceived as credible witnesses.

- Abuse often occurs as part of name calling, bullying, hazing, or other targeted attacks based on disability status. THIS IS A HATE CRIME.

ENDING THE USE OF THE R-WORD IS MORE THAN A “POLITICALLY CORRECT” NOTION.

- “Retard” and “retarded” are derogatory and dehumanizing terms– on par with the N-word when used to describe African Americans, and various hateful terms used to describe members of the Jewish, gay and lesbian and other minority communities.

- Self-advocates with intellectual disability have clearly stated that negative language leads to harmful action, discrimination, abuse, negative stereotypes, disenfranchisement, and violence.

SHOULDN’T PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY JUST LIGHTEN UP? IT’S A JOKE!

- NO! People with intellectual disabilities have a history of institutionalization, genocide, forced sterilization, segregation, and being regarded as ‘less than human.’

- More than any other group, they experience record unemployment, significant physical, mental and sexual abuse, and limited rights.

- This discrimination and victimization continues, in large part, due to antiquated, discriminatory portrayals in the media and pervasive prejudice.

WHAT’S FUNNY ABOUT THAT?

As my mom used to say – WORDS HAVE MEANING – BE SURE YOU MEAN WHAT YOU SAY.