tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post2099164128899390860..comments2024-03-29T03:43:45.977-04:00Comments on Of Battered Aspect: The Decendants - The Word - The ChangeDave Hingsburgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918601687946534172noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-54594090042495451682012-02-09T21:42:04.685-05:002012-02-09T21:42:04.685-05:00I have a relative who works for an Association of ...I have a relative who works for an Association of Retarded Citizens who do a LOT of good for mentally handicapped citizens. <br /><br />That said...I don't consider it a "bad" word knowing how much good this organization has done for DECADES as has other organizations with similar names. If they haven't changed the name...why should we be so concerned? Anyone can make a word "nasty." Let's not give them that power. Making the word a source of empowerment and nothing to be ashamed of is as easy as turning it into something ugly. WE have the power. Teach people to not use it negatively and negative connotations won't be associated with it. IN MY OPINION. Some folks say the word 'BLACK' with disdain. Me? I say it with pride. Simple.CreoleInDChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02191794698013658999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-1292467593389474252012-02-09T06:39:08.934-05:002012-02-09T06:39:08.934-05:00I have to agree with Anon from February 4th. Cloo...I have to agree with Anon from February 4th. Clooney probably never did surgery, but played a doctor on ER; he most likely knows little about robbing casinos but did so in Oceans Eleven; I don't believe he has ever been a Governor, like he was in the Ides of March; I'm sure he never took gold as in The Three Kings; I hope he has never been in prision and escaped as in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou; and despite what we may like to think, he is not Batman. Hmmmm...those are roles he played. Kudos to him for playing such a variety. <br /><br />He did/does play baseball; he stood up for extras on the set of The Three Kings; he suffered from Bell's Palsy while in high school; he has been a champion of the violence in Dafur and has address the UN Security Council; his favorite novel is War and Peace; he says quotes like "You never really learn much rom hearing yourself talk"; and about the Academy, "We're the ones who talked about AIDS when it was just being whispered. And we talked about civil rights when it wasn't really popular."; a quote from the year 2000, "The truth is, most actors I know aren't assholes. They often get that reputation because people around them are assholes. The people around you can treat people like shit and pretend they are doing it to protect you. Once, my assistant was rude to someone. I said, "You know, you represent me when you talk to people." So you have to be careful. And that's not to say people don't treat people badly in this business. I once had lunch with a movie producer who was completely dismissive and rude to our waiter, which told me all I needed to know about him. I know that someone like that will be nice to me right now-I'm in a position where he wants to be nice to me, since he needs something from me. But what happens if I'm not in that position anymore? If he treats everyone else dismissively, he'll treat me dismissively. He isn't the type of person you want to work with." <br /><br />This does not sound like a man who would toss the word retard or retarded in real life - but will reach to that level if needed for a role. Reality check people!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-53641611647616953482012-02-04T07:09:13.941-05:002012-02-04T07:09:13.941-05:00Okay - I followed this post down a rabbit hole - l...Okay - I followed this post down a rabbit hole - literally. I just shake my head over the reaction to a scripted line in a movie. Mr. Clooney and company were following a script. To tarnish him or his fellow actors is ridiculous. He played a part - it is his job. Mr. Clooney's character was not at his best with his wife dying and having an affair - and played a person who chose to go low - a place we ofen go when stressed. <br /><br />We all have areas in our lives that we are sensitive about - labels, violence, predjudice, whatever, and if we pick a movie, we take that into consideration. If you go to a movie, your choice by the way, you have to expect to be exposed to things. No one seems to be oversensitive about the infidelity that caused so much damage to the characters in the movie, nor the teenage drinking, or pulling the plug - just a word. A word - and let us say it - retarded - that is a word used clinically in medicine. It is also used in baking, engineering and music. It has many descriptions - but basically it means slow. Let us get some perspective on this. If the term is offensive, although still used by the medical profession and insurance companies, then go after agencies that continue to use it. Tarring Mr. Clooney will not effect change. I am certainly George is no more an insensitve man than Anthony Hopkins eats people for dinner (Silence of the Lambs). It is a movie! Oh - by the way - I have a disability.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-81306556787752302892012-02-02T22:04:08.558-05:002012-02-02T22:04:08.558-05:00Have not heard about the movie but real life is mo...Have not heard about the movie but real life is more painful to me.... I just had to deal with a disciplinary action at my work (I am an administrator/trainer at an agency that supports people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities). I was supposed to take me to a place of providing "sensitivity training" (which I detest and refuse to do) with a staff member who used the r word in front of the people with whom she was working and aimed it as an assault on a co-worker. I chose to move for terminating this staff member. She acted with intent using a word that she knew, from my training processes, was bigoted, harmful and painful. Zero tolerance is the only way I can see our community changing the paradigm. If she used a racial slur, religious degradation, gender bias language she would have been terminated. I worked with our personnel dept. to ensure her departure. I am not sad about her employment being lost. I am not even guilty. I know that NO amount of sensitivity training will change a bigot. She must learn from this that people with intellectual disabilities deserve to have staff who are not only genuinely sensitive to the various needs and demands that come being a Direct Support Staff, they also deserve to not be exposed to hate language. Lessons are tough. I hope someone fires the screen write for the film in mention and I hope Mr Clooney can begin to seek forgiveness for taking a role and using hate language.John R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09855575688523179265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-31952725366688895752012-02-02T14:23:11.331-05:002012-02-02T14:23:11.331-05:00My aide has made the decision to still use the R# ...My aide has made the decision to still use the R# word. <br /><br /><i>However</i>, she no longer uses it as a label for people, but as a transitive verb that is done <i>to</i> people, when educators and doctors, and social workers respond to a diagnosis instead of the people they are supposedly "serving."<br /><br />It's an interesting idea, and I have mixed feelings about it.CapriUnihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16906524679880178584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-6632819195389791242012-02-02T10:44:39.560-05:002012-02-02T10:44:39.560-05:00Here'a link to a pretty good blog that says we...Here'a link to a pretty good blog that says we aren't doing a good enough job speaking out if this still happens. http://specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/a-fair-warning-before-you-see-the-descendants/ For anyone who is interested.Nanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10375461078977866753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-80389079299267084672012-02-02T10:11:42.560-05:002012-02-02T10:11:42.560-05:00I think I exited before my comment got posted. Onl...I think I exited before my comment got posted. Only to say, I am disappointed that my only Hollywood crush (George Clooney)is no long available to me. I haven't heard much about this either, but I'm going to go look at the watchdog sites now... like Spread the Word to End the Word and hmmmmm there are a few others, but I can't remember them now!Nanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10375461078977866753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-78583140612128268522012-02-02T07:43:34.118-05:002012-02-02T07:43:34.118-05:00Dear Dave:
I had not heard about this either and ...Dear Dave:<br /><br />I had not heard about this either and I had also thought George Clooney was one of the good guys - more fool me.<br /><br />I think that this is the only way change happens - people vote with their feet.<br /><br />ColleenColleennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-6137804271269964152012-02-02T01:03:58.668-05:002012-02-02T01:03:58.668-05:00Dave,
I think this post should be mentioned to th...Dave,<br /><br />I think this post should be mentioned to the folks who nominated the film for the Oscars!<br /><br />JuliaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-70730997675791075982012-02-02T00:43:53.047-05:002012-02-02T00:43:53.047-05:00The change is fabulous but, it disappoints me grea...The change is fabulous but, it disappoints me greatly to hear about that scene. I also had thought of Clooney as one of the good guys.Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10791317184998122691noreply@blogger.com