That One Word

If you're ever confused about when to use the word "retarded",
refer to this chart called "When is it okay to use the word retarded?" 

Are you ever uncomfortable when you're in a conversation with someone and they say that one word that you can't stand? That one word for me, is the word "retarded". Above is a clever chart made by the Military Special Needs Network for people to understand when it is okay to use the word "retarded". The word "retarded" derives from the term "mental retardation". Click on the link to see Merriam Webster's definition of the term. To sum it up, mental retardation is an intellectual disability that causes a person to learn and develop concepts slower than others. 

A recent article from Polymic gives a brief glimpse of why many Americans have an issue with the word "retarded". People today tend to use the word to describe something with a negative connotation, like calling something stupid. 

 Over time, the medical term, "mental retardation", has changed to a negative slur, "retarded". I believe that American language is always changing, but right now, the type of slang that we use is becoming more negative. A person's choice of words can show others their beliefs and attitudes toward a certain topic or group of people. Therefore, I think that when people use the word "retarded", it shows America's past discriminatory attitude toward people with disabilities. I say "past" attitude because Americans are becoming more sensitive towards the word because of the increasing numbers of people with disabilities. A 2012 report from the U.S. Census Bureau that said, "About 56.7 million people --19 percent of the population--had a disability in 2010". Even though I would say that many Americans are aware of how offensive the term can be, people still use the term in their everyday lingo. 

So think about the words that you use and the context that you use them in. Why do you use those words? What is that one word for you? Why do you think Americans today, use that word? How is American language changing? What is causing these changes? What does our language say about American history and the history we are currently making?

So when is it okay to say the word "retarded"? Never.

The First Family

President Xi Jingping and his wife greeting the First Lady, Malia Obama, and Sasha Obama.

Both of President Barack Obama's daughters, Malia and Sasha, attended their mother, the First Lady, to a week-long trip to China. There, they met China's president, Xi Jingping, and his wife Peng Liyuan. Press in the U.S. as well as in China, were shocked at the fact that Xi's daughter, Xi Mingze, didn't greet the Obamas with her parents. Xi Mingze was back home with her parents for Spring Break, so why didn't she greet the Obamas? 

It is believed that Xi Mingze is 21 years old and is studying at Harvard University under a pseudonym. President Xi Jingping and his wife have hid Xi Mingze from their people for a long time, and I wonder why. Click here to read more about the situation.

Another article confirmed that Xi Mingze did have dinner with the women of the Obama family, but I am most surprised about how she didn't greet the family in public. I think that presidents and their families, whether in the U.S. or China, have a duty to represent their family in a positive way. In a way, the First Family also represent their own country. I just don't understand what all the secrecy is about. 

What I find interesting though is the contrast between how Xi Jingping has/allows her daughter to hide from the public, while it is natural for Obama's daughters to be seen everywhere. America's people are constantly seeing pictures and posts from celebrities as well as . This leads me to the question: Why are famous figures in the U.S. so open to being in public? What does this say about America's customs and values? How do they differ from other countries in the world?

The Bling Ring

Although "The Bling Ring" isn't a well known movie, I decided to take my chances by watching it this weekend. It's based on a real group of teens who were convicted of robbing California homes, many being those of celebrities, during 2008-2009. I didn't expect the remark that one character in the movie, Marc, made on America's society and people. If you want more information about "The Bling Ring" movie as well as the real group, click here. 

During an interview, a journalist asked Marc why he continued to steal, even though he knew it was morally wrong. Marc acknowledged that he would have rather been famous for a good deed, but he said that "America has this sick fascination with the Bonnie and Clyde kind of thing." I was surprised by Marc's comment about Americans. If you don't know who Bonnie and Clyde were, they were American robbers from the South who stole from and killed people and stores during the Great Depression. To read further about Bonnie and Clyde and what they did, click here.

To be honest, I think that what Marc said is very true. I interpreted what he said as, "Americans are strangely interested in hearing about crazy stories or people in the news, and no one admits it because it's unacceptable in society". On the news, most announcements are sad or scary; when do we really get to hear about the good in society? Many people, especially teens, love hearing about celebrity gossip, but why is that? Why is it that celebrities get away with pulling crazy stunts, while the "average person" is looked at al psychotic when they do the same?

How did you interpret Marc's quote? What does it say about America's values and culture? What are your thoughts about what he said? 

Humans of the United States

While I was scrolling through my news feed on Facebook, I saw that a lot of my friends were liking pictures from the "Humans of New York" Facebook page. I checked out the page and was presently surprised with what I came across. "Humans of New York" is a catalogue of pictures of people who live in NYC. Not only are there pictures in the catalogue, but there are short stories or quotes beside the photo from the people in the scene. Some of the things said by the inhabitants are not what you would expect after looking at the photo, making the blog so interesting to read. The honesty of the quotes and the expressions of the everyday people remind the audience that their story is real life. 

I recommend liking the "Humans of New York" page on Facebook by clicking on this link, following their blog by clicking here, or picking up the catalogue, created by Brandon Stanton.

After looking through the HONY blog, I realized that each post was unique. The quotes under each picture share a piece of the story of the person in that photo. I felt a sense of unity with the people in the blog. Although I have never met the people in the blog and are our stories aren't the same, I realized that we all live through different hardships. There is definitely unity in the U.S. when we need each other. We mourn together when we see suffering or loss in one part of the country and commend others when we see nobility or progress in another. The events that happen in our lives make us who we are today, and I believe that each person in the United States, with their stories, make up our nation's story. 

So my question is: What is America's story? If there was a picture of the U.S., what would be the snippet under the photo? Looking back at the past, what do you think made up America's history, and how do the lives of the American people affect the history that is being made right now?