Rob Swanson
08-17-2010, 10:11 PM
NEW JERSEY BANS "RETARDED"
August 17, 2010
by JAMES TENAFLY
http://assets.vbs.tv/blog_articles/images/000/001/546/chris-christie-disabledjpg-46e48f552181d86a_large_blog.jpg?1282074372
Today New Jersey Governor Chris Christie approved a law that will remove and ban derogatory references to people with intellectual disabilities in Jersey’s state laws or rules . (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/gov_chris_christie_updates_nj.html) The law mentions a few expressions specifically, like “mentally retarded,” “physically handicapped,” “feeble-minded,’’ and “physically or mentally defective.” As for language referring to people with mental illnesses, the law bans “the insane,” the "mentally deficient,” and “the mentally ill.” Did you catch the tiny semantical turn in the final entry?
While the ban only applies to the wording of New Jersey law, its authors hope its impact reaches much farther. Elizabeth Shea, assistant executive director of the Arc of New Jersey (formally known as the “Association of Retarded People” until people complained and the name changed), addressed her organization’s long-term goals for the state, saying "we’d like New Jersey to get to a place where you can’t use the ‘R’ word with it being inflammatory.’’
Clearly, the word “retard” hurts enough that a decent person will know their company before using the word, but banning offensive expressions is not going to convince anyone to be sensitive.
http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/1378/spicoliwinbg.jpg
August 17, 2010
by JAMES TENAFLY
http://assets.vbs.tv/blog_articles/images/000/001/546/chris-christie-disabledjpg-46e48f552181d86a_large_blog.jpg?1282074372
Today New Jersey Governor Chris Christie approved a law that will remove and ban derogatory references to people with intellectual disabilities in Jersey’s state laws or rules . (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/gov_chris_christie_updates_nj.html) The law mentions a few expressions specifically, like “mentally retarded,” “physically handicapped,” “feeble-minded,’’ and “physically or mentally defective.” As for language referring to people with mental illnesses, the law bans “the insane,” the "mentally deficient,” and “the mentally ill.” Did you catch the tiny semantical turn in the final entry?
While the ban only applies to the wording of New Jersey law, its authors hope its impact reaches much farther. Elizabeth Shea, assistant executive director of the Arc of New Jersey (formally known as the “Association of Retarded People” until people complained and the name changed), addressed her organization’s long-term goals for the state, saying "we’d like New Jersey to get to a place where you can’t use the ‘R’ word with it being inflammatory.’’
Clearly, the word “retard” hurts enough that a decent person will know their company before using the word, but banning offensive expressions is not going to convince anyone to be sensitive.
http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/1378/spicoliwinbg.jpg