Empowered Parent

Sometimes we don't mean what we say.  We have all said something hurtful without thinking and possibly hurt a friend's feelings in the process. Even President Obama said something he didn't mean.  It just slipped out - comparing his inept bowling to a Special Olympics moment was a moment that I am sure he would like to forget.  My son, who still thinks the president is a good guy - can't believe that a president could say such a thing.   Andrew has started talking about all of the things that he and his friends with disabilities CAN do to try to offset the president's gaffe.  Not a bad plan.  This is a good learning moment for everyone.  At the end of the day there was a lot of chatter for Special Olympics and people with disabilities.  From a PR standpoint what was bad for Obama was great for special needs.  Never have I seen so much press for special needs.   The point is that the slip-up was too easy and words do hurt, even if it wasn't meant as a diss on people with intellectual disabilities.   As an educated society, we should match our language with our growing acceptance and tolerance of physical and/or intellectual differences.  Now is the time to continue the conversation that President Obama inadvertantly started a few weeks ago.  Let's make it a pact to watch what we say and show respect for people with differences.  That is why I support the Special Olympics cause to stop the use of the "R" word.  It is another example of  a meaningless hurtful word.  Join Special Olympics Chairman, Tim Shriver and 34,090 people and sign the petition to stop the "R" word.  It is time to show RESPECT - that is a better "R" word, I think.