One campus group is trying to increase awareness of the hurtful impact of a word often used in the wrong context: “retarded.”
Hillel teamed up with Push America, a national organization, in organizing a pledge drive Wednesday in the New University Union. During the event, the drive group representatives asked students to promise not to use the “R-word” in a dehumanizing context by signing a pledge card.
“I have spoken to many people with mental disabilities, and whenever ‘retard’ is used around them, it’s really hurtful,” said Josh Spodick, a member of Hillel and a student organizer of the pledge drive. “We’re just trying to promote mutual respect.”
According to Spodick, there is a national goal to get at least 100,000 pledges. The pledge program is sponsored by Push America, Special Olympics athletes and Best Buddies participants nationally and internationally.
Throughout the day, a total of 240 pledge cards were signed at Binghamton University. Over 102,000 cards have been signed throughout the country.
“People don’t realize that [their words hurt] if it is not brought to their attention,” said Matt Sackett, a student organizer of the drive and Hillel’s director of community building.
The word “retard” is one that people use a lot out of context to give it a hurtful and degrading connotation, Sackett said.
“I could see how people could take it in a negative way, and if that’s the case, I’m supportive of removing it from people’s everyday vocabulary,” said Nancy Taesha, junior majoring in biology who signed a card.
Although Kristina Bechkmann, freshman art major, sees this pledge drive as a limitation on freedom of speech, she said it is for a good cause.
“Today people have turned the word ‘retarded’ into a widely-used insult,” she said. “People using the word in a negative way do not realize what other things it could mean.”
In addition to signing a pledge card and a banner, students can make a monetary pledge by going to www.r-word.org or texting “PUSH249” to 50555. This text will automatically donate $5 to the cause.
All monetary donations will go to a fundraiser to for facilities as well as a handicap accessible park and picnic area to be built in Virginia for the disabled.
— Chelsea McGovern contributed to this report.