[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 32 (Wednesday, March 6, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H1316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1410
                    SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, March 6 is the day we 
``Spread the Word to End the Word,'' an ongoing effort by Special 
Olympics, Best Buddies, and many others to raise the consciousness of 
society about the hurtful effects of the word ``retard'' and to 
encourage people to pledge to stop using the ``R'' word. Respectful and 
inclusive language is essential to the dignity and humanity of people 
with intellectual disabilities. Much of society does not realize the 
hurtful, dehumanizing, and exclusive effects of this word. This 
campaign is intended to engage schools, organizations, and communities 
to rally and pledge their support to promote the inclusion and 
acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities.
  Today, I pledge my support to help end the derogatory use of the 
``R'' word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and 
inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to ``Spread the Word to End 
the Word.''

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