Spread the Word to End the Word UST

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.

Sister: Be peace.

Cool dude.

Yeah.

[kissing fingers]

[laughing]

This is my brother, Zack,

an 18-year old with love for his family, the Timberwolves, and, of course, movies, right?

[lauging] Timberwolves!

Zack was born with one extra chromosome affecting his development.

He has Trisomy 21, and he has Downs Syndrome.

To him, hearing the "r-word" is much too common.

Student: I think you hear the word, "retarded," everywhere in society,

You walk around. It's just a term that people casually throw around.

Student: But it's mostly to call someone out for something they did

that was perceived as clumsy, or dumb, or, like, unintelligent, I guess.

Student: Um, so somebody might say, uh, "You know, oh, how could you make this mistake?"

or "Why did you say that? That's so retarded!"

or "That's so... you know."

So it's usually used in the context of stupidity.

Student: You, honestly, you just hear it every day,

and sometimes you might not even realize it.

You might not even realize that you say it.

Student: It hurts and it, it hits me, and I, I'm quick to question why they would say that,

and I find that most of them don't really have a good reason.

It's just part of their vocabulary.

Student: There's so much that's connected to that word,

and when people just throw it around,

they have no idea what they're doing.

Student: But I have a story. It's about a, um, 26-year old man with Downs Syndrome.

"So what's the big deal about using the word, retard?

Still, it hurts and scares me when I am the only person with intellectual disabilities on the bus,

and young people start making retard jokes or references.

The problem is, it is only funny if you think "a retard" is someone dumb and shallow.

I am not those things,

but every time the term is used, it tells young people that it is ok to think of me that way,

and to keep me on the outside. That is why using the word retard is a big deal to people like me."

Student: It alienates people, and it lessens people, and it degrades them,

and, whether you intend it that way or not, and

you know, no one means it like that, but that's what it does.

Student: We just throw it out,

and we just will say it without even checking ourselves first, you know?

And we need to be more responsible and take more care to the words that we're saying.

Student: Hi. This is Joey. He's my brother, he's a junior in high school, and, uh,

he loves movies, and he definitely loves the Iowa Hawkeye football team, right?

Joey: and St. Thomas.

Student: and you love St. Thomas football too.

He has Downs Syndrome, and he's intellectually disabled.

He's my brother, most importantly,

but we're more alike that we are different.

Student: I see we can't stop any word from being used. What we can do is educate people

and make people aware of hey, you know, this is a very disrespectful word,

it's unneeded.

Student: He said when people say it in group settings, or when you're out with a group of friends,

to be like, "Hey, that's not okay",

and to stop that person.

Student: ``Saying something to someone, as simple as like, "Don't say that, please. You don't need to."

It'll make them kind of question it,

and maybe they'll keep on saying it,

but maybe something will click,

and they'll go, "You know, I don't need to say this. I don't want to say this."

Sudent: I, I just feel it's important that I make sure that I don't use it,

because if it starts with me, you know, well, if it stops with me,

then maybe I can be an example for other people,

and maybe it, it can come to an end.

Sister: You have the power to affect someone and make change,

in your dorm, in your community, at work, in the classroom, even in your home.

Brother: You have the power to spread the word to end the word.

Go to

and make a pledge.

Sister: The power comes from you.

Make a difference, and make the change,

to spread the word, to end the word.