..........a controversial conversation.

There is a student in one of my online classes here at school that is considered pretty intelligent by most standards (well, that's what everyone has told him anyway). I like the Forrest Gump explanation of stupid; "stupid is as stupid does." I think that just about sums it up on the intelligence issue. Anyway, the students and I were sitting around a table talking this morning and this "intelligent" student looked at another student and said; "retard!" I immediately questioned him on his choice of words and what he actually meant to imply. Before the conversation could go much further, the other kids starting telling "Helen Keller jokes"! What kind of a society accepts such disrespect implied to those that can't fight for themselves? I started a discussion with all the kids around the table. There has been a recent fury of protest centered around the use of "retard" in the new Ben Stiller movie, Tropic Thunder. Some groups have formally protested the movie and have encouraged people not to see the film as such. I don't know why or how our society could accept degrading people just because of physical or mental defects. Anyone who chooses to poke fun at someone based on an obvious defect is lower than whale dung! Where are the standards of a person who would choose to degrade another person by comparing them to someone with a handicap. The kid in my class expressed that it would be okay to call someone a "retard" if; indeed, the handicapped person did not take offense to it. What? How could a mentally handicapped person make that decision? I told him that it was wrong to make humor at the expense of anyone who could not help their situation - end of story! He took great offense at me expressing that he was wrong. I'm still in a state of disbelief that there was even a debate on this subject. I certainly do make satire of others on this blog (mainly politicians and coaches); but, never would I consider making fun of someone with a handicap. I guess the situation is more personal with me. My wife's older sister is mentally handicapped and has lived in a controlled setting for the mentally handicapped for most of her life; in fact, she will stay there for the rest of her life. I couldn't imagine making fun of her; but, that's exactly what happens every time that a "normal" person calls someone a "retard". It's easy to pick on those who don't have the capacity to defend themselves. Only a coward with the lowest form of character would do something like that. Oh, and I do urge you all to boycott Tropic Thunder for that exact reason! And for that student and his opinion - he was wrong, he was told that he was wrong, and was also told that we had reached the end of the discussion on that matter! Sometimes those in charge have to make decisions for those who are just too ignorant to make the call on their own!