The Republican Special Olympics - Two Retards Compete for the The Dumbest Conservative Award
Too_Many_Tools
is lacking...brains.
Laugh..laugh..laugh..
TMT
Palin's campaign against the "R-word" hits snag with Limbaugh
Sarah Palin's campaign against the derogatory usage of the word
"retard" collided with her campaign to maintain her popularity with
conservatives today, with confusing results.
A Palin spokeswoman seemed to back away from earlier criticism of
conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. Yesterday, when asked for
comment on Limbaugh's use of the "r" word in a recent broadcast, Palin
spokeswoman told Greg Sargent of the Washington Post, "Governor Palin
believes crude and demeaning name-calling at the expense of others is
disrespectful." Today, Stapleton claims the statement was meant
generally and she was not specifically referring to Limbaugh. Still,
she declined to say that Palin believes Limbaugh's statements were
acceptable. Sargent reprinted the email he sent Stapleton in which he
specifically asked about Limbaugh's statement.
Palin's non-rebuke rebuke of Limbaugh comes after she called on
President Obama, earlier in the week, to fire his chief of staff after
using the word. According to the Wall Street Journal, Rahm Emanuel
called liberal activists who wanted to run ads against conservative
Democrats "f------ retarded" in a closed-door meeting at the White
House. On her Facebook page, Palin likened Emanuel's "slur on all
God's children with cognitive and developmental disabilities" to using
the "N-word," something she deemed "unacceptable" and "heartbreaking."
Emanuel later issued an apology to Special Olympics chairman and CEO
Tim Shriver.
However, Palin's conservative cohort Rush Limbaugh took offense to
people, presumably including Palin, protesting Emanuel's remark. On
his radio show, Limbaugh lamented that "our political correct society
is acting like some giant insult's taken place by calling a bunch of
people who are retards, retards." That comment caused Greg Sargent to
request a reaction from Palin's spokeswoman. It also caused confusion
over whether Palin believes Limbaugh's public statements - like
Emanuel's private ones - crossed the line.
One person who is not letting Limbaugh off the hook is Special
Olympics CEO Tim Shriver. Shriver's campaign against the "r" word is
the reason Emanuel issued an apology when the controversy initially
broke out. Shriver's office exclusively provided Yahoo! News with a
strongly worded email he sent to Limbaugh today, part of which reads:
As a public figure, you have the great opportunity to influence the
hearts and minds of millions of people in this country and around the
world. People with intellectual disabilities - the largest group of
people with disabilities in the world - have suffered generations of
discrimination and humiliation. In the 21st century, they, together
with their families and friends, are continuing their battle for the
simplest form of justice: the justice that comes with a recognition of
their full humanity. In their eyes and in the hearts of millions of
others who love and care about them, language is important. So
together, we have chosen to try to sensitize others to the pervasive
but often ignored prejudice they suffer by asking for a change of
language and a change of heart. For you or for anyone else to mock
those who strive, often against long odds, for the recognition and
respect they deserve, seems gratuitously hurtful and degrading.
Our message is as simple as it is powerful: people with intellectual
disabilities are human beings. Gaining social recognition of that
humanity continues to be an elusive goal for them and for those who
love and care about them. For centuries, they have borne the stigma of
institutionalization, sterilization, social isolation, and bigotry.
The names associated with them - such as "retarded" and "retard" -
have for too long been used as cruel taunts.
Despite the searing pain that this word (and others) has visited on
millions, people with intellectual disabilities have nonetheless
persevered to try to gain their dignity. For half a century, mothers,
fathers, siblings, and people with intellectual disabilities have
worked to open the eyes of the world to the simple truth that each of
us has gifts. They do not deserve to be mocked by you."
In closing, Shriver calls on Limbaugh to help the mentally disabled by
"ending your use of this term and by further using your great
influence and position to help others do the same." (Read the whole
letter here.)
The controversy over the "R-word" comes just as the Special Olympics
is gearing up for its second annual "Spread The Word to End the Word"
campaign.They have set up a website, www.r-word.org, where people can
pledge not to use the word anymore. According to a spokesperson,
they're hoping to obtain at least 100,000 pledges to "change the
conversation," and as of this writing, they've collected over 55,000
pledges, including Rahm Emanuel's.
- Brett Michael Dykes is a contributor to the Yahoo! News blog
Burled Frau
"Too_Many_Tools" <too_man...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:67efc3f6-d9e1-42e2...@a13g2000vbf.googlegroups.com...
> Too bad many mommies already won and are ineligible
Yeah, too bad. Maybe if it was a cash prize, the old bats could have filled
the Subaru with gas a drive you to your appointment.