Posted on 05/22/2012 9:07:52 AM PDT by shove_it
A Texas high school has recalled its yearbooks after special needs students were described as "mentally retarded" within its pages, angering teachers, students and their parents.
Mesquite High School's yearbooks were initially distributed on Friday, but were recalled by school officials within hours.
"They told the entire class that they have a slight mistake that needs to be fixed," a senior at the school told Fox's KDFW affiliate.
An introduction to the "Special Education" section read, "Some of the disabilities the students in the Special Education Program have are being blind, deaf or non-verbal" and described two students as "both blind and deaf, as well as mentally retarded."
[...]
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
“Yes, Alex ... I’ll take “What is Proof-reading” for $100.
high school is a wasteland.
My daughter worked for a care facility called Heritage House. They are a chain of homes for handicapped residents. When her W2 form came for the taxes, I found out that their real name (from when they were founded 50 or so years before) was and still is The Retarded Corporation.
This must be why Rush called it “high scruel”.
re·tard
verb (used with object)
1. to make slow; delay the development or progress of (an action, process, etc.); hinder or impede.
verb (used without object)
2. to be delayed.
It's only very recently that this has been considered "insulting" or "derogatory" when it is a completely acceptable term. I'm not very PC, as I consider the PC Police to be more concerned about "thought control" than anything else. Mentally Retardation means that an individual is mentally slow or delayed. It doesn't mean they cannot learn, that they are not meaningful individuals. Words mean things - the PC police have shaped this term to mean something that it doesn't.
They ARE at least attempting to protect the disabled students from Hussein’s death masters, especially in Texas.
It’s become a pejorative term, but I remember a time when no stigma was attached and no such label was intended as anything but explanatory and descriptive. “Retard” means “late” which would accurately describe the mental and emotional development of those under this label: i.e. “late” developpers.
Very well said. Many parents of children with Down’s Syndrome and other birth defects object vehemently to this term, but it does need to be understood for what it is. But this is what happens when vocabulary and etymology are no longer studied in school. There is no comprehension of root meanings anymore.
I suppose that they could just extend the descriptions of the individual students outside of the “special needs” section.
For example, Timmy H. is morbidly obese, has problems with personal hygiene, and is dyslexic
Tammy G. has two STDs, weighs 139 lbs, has an anxiety disorder, and has problems with algebra and long division
While the term “mentally retarded” has fallen out of favor the past several years, I think the bigger issue (for those who actually read the article) is at least some of the special needs kids in the school are not what anyone/others would consider mentally retarded.
They probably should. It’s the way most kids will remember them, anyway.
I’m not sure I understand the need to label them anything but students for a yearbook.
Blind, deaf, and retarded?
The real crime was calling them ‘students’, furniture would be more like it.
Lol!!!
Nice.
If that was YOUR child you might feel differently.
My father was a neurosurgeon who visited Vanderbilt’s “birth defects” clinic every week. Of course that term too is too hurtful nowadays. But Daddy as an old doctor still referred to going out to the “Feeble-minded Home” long after it was no longer called such an old-fashioned name.
What happens is that terms like moron, imbecile, and idiot are first used properly but become popular as insults. So the new softer term “mentally retarded” is adopted but that term too became harsh as a popular insult. Today one can be accused of being a “special needs” person so I wonder what the next acceptable term will be to describe those of lower IQ.
That’s one expensive mistake. My son’s yearbook was $65.00 this year.
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