On Words

This op-ed by Special Olympics athlete and promoter John Franklin Stephens criticizing Ann Coulter for using the word "retard" received a lot of buzz today. His criticism is legitimate, but misdirected at one polarizing individual, instead of culture at large.     

I personally know someone with down's syndrome, my little buddy Cedric, my wife's best friend's son. And of course like everyone else, I have come across special needs people at various stages of life.

I cannot think of too many things more reprehensible than bullying or mocking a special needs person, yet I have, for most of my life, casually used the word "ratard."

However, I have never used "retard" to deliberately denigrate people with down's syndrome or any other disability. In other words, I have never used it with malice. Cedric--nor anyone like him--has ever entered my mind when I say "that's retarded." I think this is probably almost universally true.

That's because "retard" is common vernacular in our culture. It's used in movies and in daily conversations. "That's retarded" has become a rhetorical staple, rarely intended as a slur against people with disability.

Yet I think I agree with the underlying sentiment of this op-ed: "retard" is a vulgar word, and probably should not be used in polite company. I have become more and more sensitive to it myself and have very much cut back on its use.

Although I think it's unfair and unnecessarily polarizing to single out Ann Coulter to make this argument--after all, most people who use the word aren't doing it to be cruel--the argument that "retard" should be purged from polite company makes sense to me.

Rep. Allen West Releases Racist Ad Against Himself [SATIRE]

In a blistering new campaign attack ad, incumbent Rep. Allen West (R-FL) manages to use virtually every racial stereotype against himself to turn out the coveted racist voting bloc that could all but guarantee his opponent’s victory.

The ad begins by announcing that on the night Lt. Colonel Allen West was preparing to deploy to Iraq from his base in Fort Hood, TX, his opponent, Democrat Patrick Murphy, was in South Beach Miami, getting “thrown out of a club for fighting, covered in alcohol, and unable to stand. Murphy then confronts and verbally assaults a police officer. Patrick Murphy was arrested and taken to jail.”

It is unclear why Allen West is now supporting his opponent, but the ominous racial overtones are 

unambiguous.

The ad flashes several photos of Allen West, who is African American, in a shamelessly blatant campaign to scare racist whites into voting for the white Patrick Murphy.

“I have never seen anything like it,” Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson opined in his weekly column. “This is much, much worse than Willie Horton.”

In the 1980’s, Willie Horton, a convicted first degree murderer, was furloughed from a Massachusetts prison for the weekend to enjoy some time off. In an unexpected turn of events, Mr. Horton, a model prisoner, took advantage of his freedom and fled to Maryland where he committed a series of gruesome crimes.

During the 1988 presidential campaign, a group supporting George H.W. Bush’s presidential bid used Willie Horton to attack Bush’s opponent, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, who had vetoed legislation that would have made first degree murderers like Mr. Horton ineligible for the furlough program. The ad infamously showed Willie Horton’s face, and has since become a symbol of racial politics.       

The new West ad doubles down on the Willie Horton tactic, showing Allen West’s face and depicting  Mr. West as a bloodthirsty, violent extremist who “prepares his men to go to war.”

On MSNBC’s Hardball, host Chris Matthews could not contain his anger and indignation, fuming that “this time, the Republicans have sunk to a new low.” Matthews added that not since Mitt Romney mentioned “Chicago” has a politician so brazenly resorted to racist appeals.

In what is arguably the most scurrilous aspect of the ad, LT Colonel Allen West is seen holding a helmet while standing among a group of men dressed in army fatigues.

“When I saw that shot, I couldn’t believe it. What are they trying to do to this guy?” Matthews implored guest Joan Walsh, a columnist for Salon. “They are saying this guy is a gang leader! I mean, I see it, you see it. These guys know what they’re doing! All this stuff about helmets and war. And what’s with the army fatigues?”

Ms. Walsh agreed, noting that “it’s blatant racist stereotyping, Chris. That’s what Republicans are all about. They are saying look at this violent gangbanger from Fort Hood. Are you really going to vote for him, or the nice white man from South Beach Miami who hangs out at ritzy bars?”

Matthews nearly jumped out of his chair, exclaiming “Joan, you are so brilliant. Just brilliant, Joan. I didn’t catch it myself. They are saying this guy, West, is from Fort Hood. HOOD. My God, Joan, they’re saying this black guy from the hood is preparing his gangbangers for war!”

The overtly racist ad closes with a side-by-side shot of Allen West and Patrick Murphy, a not-too-subtle dog whistle to racist voters reminding them that Allen West is an African American, whereas Patrick Murphy is white.