Words Have Power

Words have power. They do. They have the power to hurt and to heal. The words we choose- and those we don’t- can make the difference between an experience of denigration and an experience of love and being valued. 

John Franklin Stephens, author of "Using the word 'retard' to describe me hurts"

Today, March 5, 2014, is marked as the day to Spread the Word to End the Word- a campaign sponsored by Special Olympics to support people finding language to replace the word retard or retarded. Though I intended to write a post myself, I reconsidered after remembering a post written by John Franklin Stephens, in response to a controversy surrounding a popular movie. I decided to let a very articulate young man speak for himself.  Click on the link below to read a powerful and moving message about why this movement is gaining momentum and meaning.

"Using the word 'retard' to describe me hurts" by John Franklin Stephens