The R-Word

For the last two days, blogs around America have alternately taken pleasure in and rallied to the defense of Sarah Palin fow what seems a double standard when it comes to how to properly apply the word "retard" in conversation. Just to be clear, that's a slur "retard," as in a person who is a complete idiot and fool. Let's take a look at what has been said up to now.

The ruckus began when the right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh picked up on a report that President Barack Obama's chief of staff, Rham Emanuel, used the phrase "f---ing retarded" in a closed-door session to decry liberal supporters of health care reform who were considering taking out ads against Democrats for failing to deliver on their promise. Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate whose son has Down Syndrome, took offense. She called for Rahm's firing on her Facebook page, likening his use of the word to the N-word. He apologized to others who were offended -- advocates for the disabled -- and remains at the White House.

But Limbaugh had ranted to listeners that Rahm was no good. Limbaugh didn't take the high ground. Instead, he brandished the R-word several times: "Our political correct society is acting like some giant insult’s taken place by calling a bunch of people who are retards, retards. I mean these people, these liberal activists are kooks. They are looney tunes and I’m not going to apologize for it. I’m just quoting Emanuel. It’s in the news. I think the big news is he’s out there calling Obama’s number one supporters f’ing retards. So now there’s going to be a meeting. There’s going to be a retard summit at the White House."

Palin was then asked on Fox News Sunday whether she objected to fellow conservative Limbaugh's use of the word. She declined to be offended. Rather, she said, "They are kooks, so I agree with Rush Limbaugh." As for Limbaugh, he was merely "using satire."

"I didn't hear Rush Limbaugh calling a group of people whom he did not agree with 'f'ing retards,' and we did know that Rahm Emanuel, as has been reported, did say that," Palin said. "There is a big difference there."

“This bill is very important for people with intellectual disabilities who understand that language plays a crucial role in how they are perceived and treated in society and are actively advocating for terminology changes in federal and state laws," Peter V. Berns, Arc's chief executive, said in a statement in November. "‘Retard,’ ‘retarded,’ and ‘retardation,’ once accepted medical terms, are now only used to demean and insult people. The Arc, believes that changing how we talk about people with disabilities is a critical step in promoting and protecting their basic civil and human rights.”

Perhaps Emanuel, Palin, and Limbaugh can put aside their differences and take up a cause like that. Or maybe they'll just keep tossing the R-word around with caveats or apologies.

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