Shawnee Girl Lobbies Legislature to “Stop the R-Word”

Alie Walsh, a senior at Shawnee High School, speaks to the members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives as Rep. Kris Steele looks on.

Shawnee High School Senior Alie Walsh lobbied state lawmakers yesterday, giving a speech on the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representatives urging them to help prevent the use of derogatory terms to describe people with disabilities

Alie, whose older sister Jenny has a disability, specifically urged legislators to discourage the use of the words “retarded” or “retard” as derogatory terms.

“To me to hear someone use the word ‘retarded’ as a put down just doesn’t line up, because I would never think of something that describes Jenny as a put down,” Alie said.

She noted her sister was the prom queen at Shawnee and participates in competitive swimming and dancing activities.

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 OK House, Rep. Kris Steele Trackback URL for this entry

1 Comment

1. Adam replies at 2nd April 2009, 8:33 am :

Oh my god. As if I needed another reason to dislike the idea of democracy…where anybody and everybody can come in and try to manipulate the political process…I read this this morning. Listen you retarded woman, the word “retarded” or “retard” simply means “slow” or “to slow”…and the fact that your uneducated sensibilities are offended isn’t anyone elses fault.

God help us.