THANK YOU FOR CALLING ME A "RETARD"

This was originally going to be a tweet but couldn’t not be said in 140 letters or even 300, Ann Coulter has brought the word “retard” into the spotlight and like a lot of people who have different opinions than someone I have been called this. I have a fairly high IQ and graduated near top of class even taking advanced courses and for most of my life I will admit I have seen the word “retard” as a negative and taken it as an insult.

Thanks to the wonderful letter by John Franklin Stephens (a special Olympian who called out Mrs. Coulter) I now see it in a different light and to those that call me retarded I say thank you. As the wise Mr. Stephens points out most people in his situation were bullied as a child and treated poorly but have overcome that to rise above. Mr. Stephens points out that most people you would call “retarded” are part of the 47% who need government assistance that you hate so much but even though they usually have terrible health care, live in bad neighborhoods and have very little if any incomes they see life as a gift.

Every special needs person I have met are always happy, no matter how much they are crapped on in life or looked down on they take it with a smile and are just happy to be alive. Most of us take this for granted and we bitch and complain about the little things instead of just taking life in stride and being happy to be alive.

I think Mr. Stephens sums it up best and will just paste in that part of his letter that after thinking about it I agree with 100%

“Well, Ms. Coulter, you, and society, need to learn that being compared to people like me should be considered a badge of honor.”

And that’s how I will look at it the next time a conservative calls me a retard, I won’t be offended but will say thank you and wear it with a badge of honor. I can only hope to live my life the way many of these brave young men and women do and look at life as a gift and not a punishment. Thank you Mr. Stephens it was an honor to read you letter and if even ½ the people in Washington who we elect to represent us were as honorable and honest as you this country would be a much, much better place.