[ Post a Response | Dory's ]
Posted by Peggy on February 22, 2009, 12:40 am, in reply to "Lighten up ladies"
216.188.193.108
Kasey,
It's one thing to poke fun at yourself or at your social group or at the funny things that we all do because we are human, and, let's face it, humans are funny. But persons with mental disabilities can't laugh along with us, so a joke like this is always at their expense.
Picture one of your children with a mental disability. Now remember every joke you've ever heard with the word "retard" in it and imagine how you as the mother of this child would feel.
I'm sure George meant no harm. No one who discriminates against disabled people with these thoughtless jokes ever does. But harm is done.
This is a support forum. Some of us are disabled ourselves or have disabled children. There is no room for this kind of demeaning (and vulgar) humor on a support forum. I'm sure there is a website for this kind of thing, but Dory's Board isn't it.
And it's not about being politically correct. It's about basic human decency and about compassion for those who are unable to defend themselves. Surely we can find enough genuine humor in the absurdity of our daily lives that we don't have to make fun of people with retardation.
Peggy(B)
114
Responses:
For those who might be late comers to this board, Dory was a poster who we will remember as one who gave of herself so others survivors might smile. She always kept this board moving with her inspirational poems, jokes and riddles. Most will give Dory credit for energizing this board. She was an inspiration to everyone on this board. In that spirit, let us
continue to post in Dory’s memory so she might smile down on us and give us the same inspiration. Therefore, we have named the board, Dory's Board, in her memory. 11/11/01 (Dory was the first to call attention to the significance of 9/11, re: WTC tragedy, i.e. 911 for emergency). Let me be the first to note all the ones in the above date, indicating she was No. 1 on our board.