by Jose Bustamante

Created on: March 21, 2009

Words have only the academic meaning until we give them another one. That other meaning is usually called "slang."

Words are harmless until human intentions are added to the word.

My grandfather, when he was really mad, he used the word "canastos," basket in English. For him, it was the worst word he could say. We always try not to be in his way when we heard that word.

Let us focus on the person that deserves been anointed with such a word.

Most of the human beings that populate our world have certain characteristics that we called "normal." Some one not meeting those marks are seen as different.

An ugly person, a cripple, short, fat, different background, slow in learning, are seen as "different."

Being a slow learner, only means that the process of assimilating knowledge is slower than the rest of us, the "normal" people.

These "retarded" individuals have enough problems dealing with their disadvantages, to have to cope with our manners.

I had a friend that when you told him a joke, he will just stare at you, saying nothing. Much later he will start laughing. When I asked him about the laugh, he will just say ..."It was a good joke..."

Nowadays we know more about the stars than we know about our mind.

We just react out of fear. Fear of the unknown. All that goes beyond our understanding we tent to characterized as "not normal"

The problem is not in the person we refer as "retarded," but in us. The "normal" ones.

We do not know what is happening inside their minds. They might be living in between to dimensions. Two different realities. To filter what ever they are getting in each of those two worlds, takes time.

Many of these "retarded" people live productive lives, raise a happy family, have a prosperous business, and so on. Many of the "normal" people do not, they become junkies, thieves, murderers. Visit a Court Room, a detention center, a jail. You will not see "Retards" in any of those places.

Everything that exists has a reason to be. Nature does not waste.

Currently we use the word "discrimination" to bring attention to a cause, group, race, and so forth. Initially, it was used to refer to racial policies.

We, "normal" people are the ones who take pride in characterizing and diminishing this beautiful people, they do not give a flying elephant to what we think. They live their lives in the only way they know. One step at a time. Probably having a richer inner life than we do.

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