For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for March 16, 2007
March 15, 2007
March 17, 2007
Transcript:
Shannon: April, when... people call... me... "re-tarded,"... does that... mean... that... I'm... stupid? April: No! Not at all. Have you ever checked out the signs at the airport? When an airplane is gonna be late arriving, the signs in French all say, "en retard." "En retard" means it's on its way, but it's not there yet. Shannon: so.. what... they're... saying.. is... I'm... on my way... but I'm... not there yet"? April: Exactly! Know what's funny? Shannon: What? April: The people who called you "retarded" will probably never get there at all!!
Actually, “en retard” means delayed. In English “retard” is a verb and means to slow down. (e.g. you put food in the refrigerator to retard spoilage.) Someone who’s retarded is simply delayed in learning. I have a brother with Down Syndrome, and yes it takes him longer to learn things. The problem is, in common usage people began to use “retarded” to mean stupid (e.g.“That movie is so retarded.”) It’s an improper use of the word, and so now calling someone retarded is an insult. Now the proper term is “developmentally disabled.”