SWA #9

I agree with Williamson and feel that the word "retard" is hate speech, when used in the wrong context. I agree with her argument that for children with disabilities this word may continue to haunt them through the walls of education. For instance, if someone uses that word around a child who has a disability, they may think that they are specifically being targeted. Having physical and emotional disabilities would be hard enough as a child and is a very serious matter, especially for a child. Children with disabilities want to have as normal lives as possible and so being reminded every day that they are different than others, and that difference is something people make light of, joke about, and use to offend others cannot be anything but emotionally destructive to these children. I agree that this word should not be considered "cool" by Hollywood because then it just causes children to use this word at school in order to harm someone else's feelings.

I disagree Williamson and feel that the word "retarded" should not be considered hate speech because it is not specifically threatening towards anyone. People who use this word may go a little to far sometimes but all in all I think people do not mean to actually be offensive to those with disablities. For instance the word as sort of been changed as time as gone on and people have given the word "retarded" there own definition. For children at least it's not so much associated with people with disabilities but more to kid and pick with their friends. I don't think the people who use this word or really trying to offend children with disabilities and therefore, I don't think this word should be considered hate speech.