{31 for 21} The R-word....Again

I've blogged about this subject many times.  There's not a word I hate more than this one.  It makes me cringe every time I hear it.  Not just because I know the person using it is using it in a way that has a negative connotation towards people like my daughter.  But because every time I hear it, I feel the need to say something, because I am my daughter's voice.  I don't want her to grow up hearing this word all the time, and as it stands, it's currently used all too often.  I get sick of having the same conversation when I hear it or see it on Facebook.  The people who use it don't understand that it's like a punch in the stomach to the parents of a child with an intellectual disability.  It's exhausting having to put so much energy into something that should not be an issue.

Recently Ann Coulter has used the word multiple times, referencing the candidates following the presidential debates.  In my mind, and the mind of many others, this isn't about politics, but about fact that she continues to use such an offensive and heartless word on Twitter.  After the first time she used it, I sent my usual email.  Isn't it sad that I have one drafted and just tweak it depending on the circumstances?  This week I decided not to bother wasting my time.  She clearly knows that she was criticized for it last week, yet she did it again.  Probably to add fuel to the fire.

I noticed that CNN featured a story about her choice of words, and I was impressed.  Some people will never change.  Some people don't see anything wrong with it, and some just don't care.  But with the story hitting media outlets like CNN, someone is bound to see the story and recognize how people feel when the word is used, and remove it from their vocabulary.  If nothing else, hopefully her ignorance will help raise awareness to end the use of the r-word.