The R Word

Once again, a diatribe on the use of (ironically) politically incorrect words has been directed towards Pennsylvania Avenue. Allegedly, feisty White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel has done the unthinkable: he used the word Retarded as an adjective, but to make matters worse, he prefaced it with an expletive! A couple of weeks ago, The Wall Street Journal reported the blasphemy in an article stating that, “upon learning that liberal special-interest groups were planning to run ads against conservative Democrats not supportive of health care reform, (Emanuel) blasted the plan as "f------ retarded!"

C’mon Rahm, you know better than that. That’s something you learn in “No-No’s 101”! Perhaps you were caught with your guard down, not unlike former Senator Larry Craig (although he was caught with more than his guard down)…you know, because it was behind closed doors!

Thankfully, the head of Special Olympics, Tim Shriver, accepted your apology. Tim works tirelessly to eradicate the misuse of “the R word” so that the millions of decent human beings who receive the brunt of this egregious faux pas can walk through the trenches of a cynical society with pride and with dignity. While I remain a fervent supporter of the Special Olympics, as well as a myriad of other groups that are supportive of intellectual and physical disabilities, I am also well aware that just because a word is uttered, doesn’t necessarily signify intolerance or support of inappropriate behavior. The problem with this kind of publicity, is that it offers up a hearty serving for those hungry pundits and hockey moms! Former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin (via the auspices of her Facebook page) called on President Obama to fire Emanuel for what she saw as “the equivalent of the ‘N’ word!” Palin, whose son Trig is afflicted with Down Syndrome, has every right to be upset over this blurb, but to compare it to the “N” word is almost an insult to the group that word disparages.

The “N” word is laden with generations of horrific implications that we may never fully understand in the modern world. Yes, I get the comparison…but it’s about as over the top as “I can see Russia from my house!” Also, how do you use the “N” word as an adjective? Just sayin.

Did Rahm Emanuel speak inappropriately? Of course he did…isn’t that his m.o.? Should he be fired? Of course not. He’s a smart dude…but he’s human (although the infamous Hockey Mom may attempt to refute that?)

In this case, the R word should stand for RELAX!

To get involved with the Special Olympics, please go to:

The Special Olympics

Count the "R" Word on ANY SITE