Spread the Word to End the Word UST
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0:01 - 0:02Sister: Be peace.
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0:02 - 0:04Cool dude.
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0:04 - 0:05Yeah.
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0:06 - 0:07[kissing fingers]
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0:09 - 0:11[laughing]
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0:11 - 0:12This is my brother, Zack,
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0:12 - 0:17an 18-year old with love for his family, the Timberwolves, and, of course, movies, right?
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0:19 - 0:20[lauging] Timberwolves!
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0:21 - 0:24Zack was born with one extra chromosome affecting his development.
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0:24 - 0:28He has Trisomy 21, and he has Downs Syndrome.
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0:28 - 0:31To him, hearing the "r-word" is much too common.
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0:32 - 0:36Student: I think you hear the word, "retarded," everywhere in society,
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0:36 - 0:39You walk around. It's just a term that people casually throw around.
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0:39 - 0:41Student: But it's mostly to call someone out for something they did
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0:41 - 0:47that was perceived as clumsy, or dumb, or, like, unintelligent, I guess.
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0:47 - 0:53Student: Um, so somebody might say, uh, "You know, oh, how could you make this mistake?"
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0:53 - 0:56or "Why did you say that? That's so retarded!"
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0:56 - 0:58or "That's so... you know."
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0:58 - 1:01So it's usually used in the context of stupidity.
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1:02 - 1:04Student: You, honestly, you just hear it every day,
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1:04 - 1:06and sometimes you might not even realize it.
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1:06 - 1:08You might not even realize that you say it.
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1:08 - 1:17Student: It hurts and it, it hits me, and I, I'm quick to question why they would say that,
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1:17 - 1:21and I find that most of them don't really have a good reason.
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1:21 - 1:22It's just part of their vocabulary.
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1:23 - 1:26Student: There's so much that's connected to that word,
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1:26 - 1:29and when people just throw it around,
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1:29 - 1:32they have no idea what they're doing.
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1:32 - 1:38Student: But I have a story. It's about a, um, 26-year old man with Downs Syndrome.
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1:38 - 1:40"So what's the big deal about using the word, retard?
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1:40 - 1:45Still, it hurts and scares me when I am the only person with intellectual disabilities on the bus,
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1:45 - 1:48and young people start making retard jokes or references.
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1:48 - 1:53The problem is, it is only funny if you think "a retard" is someone dumb and shallow.
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1:53 - 1:55I am not those things,
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1:55 - 2:00but every time the term is used, it tells young people that it is ok to think of me that way,
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2:00 - 2:05and to keep me on the outside. That is why using the word retard is a big deal to people like me."
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2:06 - 2:10Student: It alienates people, and it lessens people, and it degrades them,
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2:11 - 2:17and, whether you intend it that way or not, and
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2:17 - 2:21you know, no one means it like that, but that's what it does.
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2:22 - 2:23Student: We just throw it out,
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2:23 - 2:28and we just will say it without even checking ourselves first, you know?
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2:28 - 2:34And we need to be more responsible and take more care to the words that we're saying.
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2:34 - 2:39Student: Hi. This is Joey. He's my brother, he's a junior in high school, and, uh,
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2:39 - 2:43he loves movies, and he definitely loves the Iowa Hawkeye football team, right?
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2:43 - 2:45Joey: and St. Thomas.
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2:45 - 2:47Student: and you love St. Thomas football too.
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2:47 - 2:50He has Downs Syndrome, and he's intellectually disabled.
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2:50 - 2:53He's my brother, most importantly,
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2:53 - 2:55but we're more alike that we are different.
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2:55 - 3:00Student: I see we can't stop any word from being used. What we can do is educate people
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3:00 - 3:04and make people aware of hey, you know, this is a very disrespectful word,
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3:04 - 3:05it's unneeded.
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3:05 - 3:09Student: He said when people say it in group settings, or when you're out with a group of friends,
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3:09 - 3:11to be like, "Hey, that's not okay",
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3:11 - 3:12and to stop that person.
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3:12 - 3:17Student: ``Saying something to someone, as simple as like, "Don't say that, please. You don't need to."
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3:17 - 3:19It'll make them kind of question it,
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3:19 - 3:21and maybe they'll keep on saying it,
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3:21 - 3:22but maybe something will click,
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3:22 - 3:26and they'll go, "You know, I don't need to say this. I don't want to say this."
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3:27 - 3:32Sudent: I, I just feel it's important that I make sure that I don't use it,
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3:32 - 3:36because if it starts with me, you know, well, if it stops with me,
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3:36 - 3:39then maybe I can be an example for other people,
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3:39 - 3:42and maybe it, it can come to an end.
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3:42 - 3:45Sister: You have the power to affect someone and make change,
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3:45 - 3:50in your dorm, in your community, at work, in the classroom, even in your home.
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3:50 - 3:52Brother: You have the power to spread the word to end the word.
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3:52 - 3:53Go to
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3:56 - 3:57and make a pledge.
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3:57 - 3:59Sister: The power comes from you.
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3:59 - 4:01Make a difference, and make the change,
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4:01 - 4:04to spread the word, to end the word.
- Title:
- Spread the Word to End the Word UST
- Description:
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A group of students from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota produced a video promoting awareness of the derogatory use of the "r-word". "Spread the Word to End the Word" is a campaign started by the Special Olympics addressing this issue.
Almost 1,300 St. Thomas students made their pledge to eliminate the use of the r-word from everyday speech and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.
Make your pledge now at www.r-word.org. You have the power to make change...you have the power to spread the word to end the word.
- Video Language:
- English
- Duration:
- 04:05
dhhdept edited English subtitles for Spread the Word to End the Word UST | ||
Radical Access Mapping Project edited English subtitles for Spread the Word to End the Word UST |