The Word Retard Essay - 810 Words

The Use of the Word â€Å"Retard† Have you ever used the word â€Å"retard† without thinking about what the word really means? Patricia Bauer author of â€Å"A Movie, A Word, and My Family’s Battle† writes about how the movie industry uses the word â€Å"retard† loosely with no regard for the intellectually disabled community. Bauer explains how society has accepted the use of the word â€Å"retard† as a common phrase to mean or make fun of a mistake that was made. The writerThere are many qualities needed for a good argument. A good argumentative essay must not only show a good grasp of the issues, but also delivers a well-structured essay that communicates clearly. The argument must be organized and structured so that it lays out a clear agenda; it†¦show more content†¦She states two statements, â€Å"The studio never considered that its portrayal of people with disabilities would touch a nerve† and â€Å"for millions of Americans like Margaret and me, it doe s† (121). With no formal conclusion the reader is left with a few questions. Is this essay an argument or a story based on emotion? Bauer’s argument is based on emotion which makes it hard for the reader to follow. It is solely an emotional essay. The writer seems to have a very personal stance on the subject. She has raised a daughter with Down syndrome and she has tried so hard to shelter her from the hurtful word â€Å"retard.† Emotional essays provide no new ways of looking at the problem. Bauer’s argument was mostly a lot of finger pointing at the movie industry and their lack of compassion when using the word â€Å"retard.† Furthermore, the writer expresses society’s lack of compassion for the intellectually disabled community. The writer demonstrates examples of people’s use of this word as a means for expressing careless acts. Bauer states, â€Å"A clerk in a store apologizes for being such a retard when she cant find an item for me. Ouch. Kids at the mall call one another you big retard. Ouch. A friend tells a long, involved story at my dinner table ab out her recent fender bender, with a punch line about some retard who parked behind her† (119). Bauer does not argue either of these points but just expresses her feeling aboutShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Word Retard700 Words   |  3 PagesWords can have a huge emotional impact on people, and often affect their self-image and self-worth. It is words like retard or retarded for one, which can surely lead to such a result. People in todays society are not aware of the true and hurtful meaning of this word when they use it. No matter when it is used or how it is used, it will always have the negative connection with those who have such mental disabilities. Futhermore with such frequent use, those suffering from these disabilitiesRead MoreThe Importance Of Politically Correct981 Words   |  4 Pagesderogatory terms that the politically correct want to put to an end, believe there are issues that need to be solved. 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