Capes & Babes, a webcomic by Chris Flick

My daughter is an amazing young girl. Last night, she asked me to look over a paper she was writing for one of her classes and to see what i thought. With the exception of a VERY FEW minor suggestions on my part – and that’s really what they were – this is what she wrote:

It has come to my attention as of late, that students in this day and age think it appropriate and humorous to ridicule children who have Autism. I’m an active participant in Autism-awareness and it breaks my heart when I hear words such as “retard” or “dumbass” and any other method of this blatant ridicule. It seems that with the growing decades, people have become more insensitive and the general masses haven’t any compassion for families touched by disability. This is wrong.

When I say that a family is “touched by disability”, I mean it in a genuine way. That is, I believe that when a family supports a child with Autism, Depression, Down Syndrome, Asperger’s Syndrome, other developmental disorders and physical disabilities; this family grows stronger as people and they understand more than the average family. Take for example, me. I am a fourteen-year-old girl who, thanks to her brother, Tyler, has been relentlessly involved in Autism awareness, Religious Education for children with Down Syndrome, Autism, Aspergers and physical disabilities. Yet, that still hasn’t prevented both of us from being subjected to insults and verbal attacks by several people over the years. Despite those insults, I participate in a free local babysitting service for children who have disabilities. I do this because I believe that these wonderful children are what make me and others better people. How could anyone look into the face of one of these children and not see the absolute personification of unconditional love?

Instead, they look at these children and see what the Latins called retardationem meaning “the fact or action of making slow in movement or time”. The French had adapted their own term, en retard which literately means “delay in time”. Thence it was the English word “tardy” meaning “late” commonly used in school. However, the first historical record of it being used as an insult against a disabled person was in the 1960’s where it became part of the insensitive slang that people still use today. Thanks to one cruel person it has lived through the decades as a cruel, insensitive slander that people throw around willy-nilly. From all of these definitions in the etymology of the word, none have any support of the mental version that was born in the 1960’s. This just proves that because of one person who misunderstood the word, we now use the misinterpreted word and sound like the true idiots. It doesn’t sound very intelligent does it?

With every society, there is room for reform. I theorize that with proper education of disabilities and integration of children who have those disabilities into classes, people with abolish their indecent slander of a word that used to mean a simple, subtle “late”. The only problem is the lack of effort put into it. Why should these certain, essential procedures cost money? Why shouldn’t we integrate? Why shouldn’t we educate? Isn’t it time to stop slaughtering the English language? Is it not time to give children with disabilities the respect and opportunities they deserve? I believe it shouldn’t cost money, we should integrate, we should educate. It is time to stop and it is time to give. Let’s all stop being selfish, ignorant, and cruel. Let’s all think for a moment or two about precious children, their needs, feelings and the needs and feelings of those close to them.

If I never mentioned how proud I am of my daughter in this blog, I’m mentioning it now. The attention, work and devotion of love she shows her brother is truly an amazing thing to behold.

When she shows me stuff like this, I feel like I’m a person walking along side a speeding train – that train representing her growing up.

Fast.

-Chris