There was a wonderful article by Patricia Bauer:
A Word, A Movie, and My Family's Battle,in Sunday's Washington Post.
She explains better than I ever could how I feel each time I hear the word, or see my son flinch as he hears it.
With each of these incidents, I hear what others perhaps don't hear. This word, derived from a clinical term used to describe people like my daughter, carries a cultural subtext so huge that we don't even notice it. By using it, we threaten years of progress toward a society that accepts and values all its citizens, including the 14.3 million with cognitive disabilities.
Thank you, Patricia, from the bottom of my heart.
Pam W
SE of Seattle
'Tropic Thunder' Movie Affects Ordinary Life
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art58185.asp
