The "R" word

First, before I get into the content the title suggests, I feel I need to address something. I know life is challenging right now. There is very little good news out there, tempers are hair trigger, and people are afraid. Well, many of us are feeling fearful. I know one way many people are coping is to become an ostrich. If you don't listen to or read any news, it's harder to be upset by it. I get it; I am certainly limiting my exposure to news and social media. But ignoring a problem because it makes you upset or uncomfortable doesn't make it go away. In fact, the problem will grow bigger the more people who do so. (And this is true for anything in life, not just the political situation.) But if you are able to completely screen out any upsetting news, then I'm afraid I have to tell you that your privilege is showing. It means you haven't had to have conversations with your children about which states they need to avoid or check with them that they are carrying proof of citizenship or having a child miss a family event because the location of the event was not safe for them. You probably also haven't had parents forbid their children to play with yours or have had a child come home in tears because of being accosted and sworn at while at work because they weren't white. I hate to burst your bubble, but not everyone gets a free pass to comfort because they have the right skin tone or sexual Identity. 

I know someone is going to tell me to calm down or that I am only seeing problems because I'm looking for them, or that I was more pleasant when I only posted cute baby pictures. Well, if that's your reaction then I have another hard truth for you. You are once again centering your comfort over someone else's discomfort. If we do not all speak out and take what actions we can, then it may very well be too late and you will not be able to avoid discomfort any longer. 

With that little lecture over, I'll first share a cute picture of Buddy to help you regulate before continuing. 

Now, on to the main event... the "R" word. You do know what word I'm referring to, yes? If not, I'll type it out once, but don't expect to see it again. The word in question is 'retarded'. And it's a slur. A bad slur. Yes, if you are of a certain age, it was also a word that was in fairly frequent usage, but that doesn't make it right. It just means that somewhere along the way we realized we could do better. 

Let me explain why. It is a genuine medical diagnosis for people with intellectual disabilities, but is often used as a substitute for stupid or valueless. My children are neither stupid nor valueless, but every time someone uses that word, that is what they become. We can do better; they deserve better. If we diminish another human being or allow that human being to be diminished, we all suffer. We all become a little less human. 

The very short version is don't use this word. Ever. 

So you can understand why coming across this post by someone who is running for Kane County Board Chairman (the county in which we live, by the way) made my head explode more than a little bit. 

Or in further discussion when he received pushback there was this:

This is not a man who has my family's or the family's of many of my friends best interests at heart. If you're in Kane County, just don't vote for him. 

But wait, it gets better. Well, not better in a good sense. 

(I cropped the image because I have no current beef with his wife.)

Right. How does one even begin to reconcile egregious behavior against the disabled community (and this population would certainly in many instances count as 'the least of these') with the statement of having a strong faith in Christ? Because to me, having a strong faith in Christ means you care about everyone. You are humble. And when more than a couple of people point out the difficulties with a certain term, you apologize and try to do better. You certainly don't double down on the term. 

And my family will be at a No Kings protest tomorrow because we care that everyone in our country feels safe, enjoys due process, is not subject to search and seizure without a warrant, and does not have to live in fear. Everyone..  no matter your race, gender, legal status, or orientation. That's how you follow Jesus.