but my response was in your edit. Aside from NYC and SF, Atlanta has a larger community there than anywhere. Maybe that’s why he felt the Braves would be an ideal choice. I don’t get why they’d have more of an impact than any other team, especially with such a strong community in Atlanta already, but whatever.

I hear ya.

I forced myself to pay more than the minimum (double, actually) just to make the pain go away quicker.

For most people, that sounds about right.

However, as I said in my response, the people I know that suffered through this on a daily basis feel starkly different than you or I. It really, truly has gotten better for them, because they’re no longer forced to be placed face-to-face with intolerant dickheads every day of their life. They certainly still get persecuted at times, but from their stories, it’s not nearly as dismal a time now that they’ve grown up and are able to lead relatively normal lives.

-C

No worries. I understand exactly what you are saying.

Don’t know why they’d be specifically offended. Their child has autism, not mental retardation. It’s not like you were slandering specifically their child. As hopefully people are beginning to learn about autism, they don’t necessarily lack reasoning or intelligence, but are socially limited.

I’m curious about the movement to make “retard” equivalent to ethnic slurs. Those have a full history of usage by people who literally viewed entire groups of people as being subhuman or even worthy of genocidal extermination based solely on superficial reasoning and standards. There’s a clear history of racial tensions which make using those terms a clear no-no for anyone who wants to be actually tolerant.

With the usage of the term “retard,” though…I’m not saying we should feel free to point and laugh, or find enjoyment in people purposely making fun of actual people with mental retardation (like in “The Ringer,”), but I honestly don’t see them as a culture worthy of complete respect, either. I’m sympathetic, certainly, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to hire severely retarded individuals for jobs they clearly aren’t suited for, which unfortunately does include a wide array of options. And that should be obvious.

I mean, it’s not nice to call people a “retard,” but honestly, there’s a reason it’s an insult, also.

Honest question here – (I know every time I say that, I potentially get too personal with you. Sorry!)

Does a PSA like this or a sports team making a statement help you feel any better or add to your support system?