According to the internet, the r-word is defined as someone who is less advanced in mental, physical, or social development than is usual for one's age. However, according to most of society, the r-word is a label used to call someone stupid or idiotic. Misuse of the r-word comes off as an insult to someone who was born with such condition. Someone would not use the slang "midget" as a way to look down upon someone, so why is the r-word acceptable. Those that are diagnosed as the r-word are born that way; there is not a thing they can do to avoid the way the rest of their life is going to be. But the use of their disorder as a negative insult towards someone who is not disabled, is seen as utterly hurtful and cruel to someone who is medically labeled as the r-word. The slang of this word needs to stop now. 

Society needs to become aware that what they say can hurt someone, and in this case, their use of the r-word is insulting anyone born with such handicap. I am so invested into this issue due to my strong relationships with those affected by the use of this word. My close friendships with those both on and off the spectrum have influenced me to be apart of a world based on inclusion, and this inclusion will not happen if people are using the r-word as an adjective to hurt others. I am dedicated to making society aware that there are a million words in the dictionary, and I am only asking them to refrain from one. I believe that people become more inclusive when they realize the impact that the r-word has on those diagnosed. People must realize that every time this word is used it's the equivalence of using the slang word "nigger", "midget", "fag" and many more that are based off of the way someone is born, not the way they wish to be seen. Ones values will only become more respectable and understanding when this realization confronts them to no end. One of my best friends, Cate Alix, has been diagnosed with down syndrome since she was born. Cate did not choose this life where people look at her differently, judge her based on her condition, or take away opportunities everyone else has, just because of the way she may act or look in comparison to others. For Cate, the r-word describes her condition, but when she hears people use it in order to insult someone else, she believes she is the insult. The first step is to end the association of someone stupid being called the r-word, then just maybe, those who are being impacted will be less afraid of being judged and looked down upon. I have spent time with many mentally handicapped people, especially students, throughout my life. I participated in an international organization called Best Buddies which strives to create friendships with people on and off the spectrum, as well as, participation in Special Olympics for the past five years, and my work in classrooms that attempt to build inclusion at an early age in order to avoid this problem within the next generation. I may not be directly affected by the use of the r-word, but that word is hurting me just as much as it will hurt anyone who understand that being different does not mean exclusion.

Jessie Huggett, a 25-year-old woman who is diagnosed with down syndrome has had enough of the use of the r-word. Ottawa Sun sat down with Jessie to better understand why this word affects her so much. Jessie explains that it is "really hurtful and its really offensive" when people use the r-word to call others losers or idiots (Day). That word is directly representing her and the life that she was born with. In high school, Jessie explains that she was "judged and labeled because I (she) was different" (Day). Jessie, as well as every other student with disabilities, feel that the use of the r-word limits their ability to express themselves in judge-free zones, and therefore they feel bullied by this word. Jessie is working hard to eradicate the r-word everywhere. By interviewing Jessie, this article becomes very prevalent and easy to understand when confronting the issue of using the r-word. The campaign is all about awareness and by showing that someone who is diagnosed with down syndrome is so committed to the process definitely helps the argument of how this word is impacting the disabled. The credibility of this article is high because it is coming from a news source in Canada. I found that getting a source from outside of our country was smart because it shows how this issue is a global one that needs addressing. The bias is going to be based off the fact that the interviewed is personally affected by this word, and therefore she has zero support in using the r-word. Jessie made it very clear that using the r-word is lowering the self esteem and uniqueness of each person living with these disabilities, and therefore the usage needs to come to a stop. 

It is important to understand that not only are people with disabilities affected by the use of the r-word, but those who witness the pain this word causes are affected as well. This is the case with Ellen Seidman who's 9-year-old son, Max, has cerebral palsy. Ellen worries if society will "ever respect him, or see him as an equal, if they associate that word with people like him, who have intellectual disabilities" (Grinberg). Ellen talks about the political use of the word as well, and how the Rosa law changed the r-word to now be used in context as an "intellectual disability" instead (Grinberg). This article is mainly to explain the effect of this word on a child with these disabilities, and to explain the progress this country has made to spread the word to end the word. By having Ellen talk about the ways in which this word is affecting not only her son, but also herself, makes the ideas very prevalent to everyone. CNN is clearly making society aware that the r-word is hurting those with disabilities and without, and therefore the misuse of this word needs to stop before the next generation finds the word to be useful through slang in their everyday lives. This source is very credible because CNN is a highly functioning and reliable news source in the United States. CNN also decides to use an interview with someone who does not have disabilities to show how this word is affecting everyone. The bias will be strong from CNN to support ending the r-word due to their high authority within the media. Through Ellen's strong opinions and observations of the use of the r-word, this article will gain supporters who did not understand that this word does affect everyone. 

New York Times published their article on the countries fifth annual "day of awareness" in order to inform readers about the ending to the use of the r-word. The article touches on the reasoning why the r-word is used as slang in society: "it is sharp with an assaultive potency that words like moron and idiot lost" back in the day (Downes). The word is attempting to be terminated through the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign that is bringing awareness to the r-word nation wide. John Franklin Stephens also interviews during this article in order to obtain the viewpoints of using the r-word from someone who is personally affected. John mainly aims to explain what it means for him to hear that word: "it means that the rest of you are excluding us from your group ... we are something outside the 'in' group. We are someone that is not your kind" (Downes). Clearly, those with disabilities are emotionally impacted by the slang use of the r-word. Since New York Times is such a big organization and voice for much of America, writing an article about the r-word is very important to do on this day of awareness. By incorporating an interview with John, readers are able to understand the true impact this word is causing to people with disabilities, and the hurt that they are feeling inside. This newspaper is a very large source for information in the United States, and therefore it is seen as very credible. There does not seem to be much bias beyond the fact that this article was published on a day representing the termination of the r-word, and therefore the New York Times is against the use of the word. John is simply trying to help society understand that the r-word is not only a word, but a slap in the face to anyone who was born with intellectual disabilities.  

The campaign in order to end the use of the r-word nationwide has been successful to many, but unheard of by most. Children grew up in a society where the r-word was not seen as insulting, but seen as the truth. History shows that people are discriminatory and unaccepting of people who are different, even when one is born a specific way. We see this happen through history regarding race, sexuality, gender and the disabled. A new day in age is telling society to start accepting and understanding those different than ourselves. Sadly, change does not happen as fast as we would like, therefore campaigns like this are so important in order to spread awareness on issues like the r-word. All of my sources have agreed that the use of the r-word must be terminated in all ways of language. Interviews were also a big part in each article in order to relate this problem to others personal experiences with this issue. There were not many disagreements in any of my articles, though the CNN article did a lot of focusing on how the word is used in politics and the steps that have been made in order to end that as well. Each articles perspectives have made me stand by my view on this issue much more. Every time I hear from someone personally affected by the r-word, I feel for that person and what they must go through every day. It is cases like these where I wish that the word would just terminate now so that those affected are no longer tortured by this slang. I think that my research question is very easy to understand, however I would like to focus more on the inclusion aspects as well. Those with disabilities are bullied everyday, not only by the r-word, and society should be aware on the damages that causes someone affected. Overall, I believe that if the world starts moving toward a direction without the use of the r-word, everyone would be happier, especially those with disabilities. 

