I am actually very surprised that i took this long for people to start realizing that this word should not be used as casual slang. I was like everyone else with just saying it to someone either joking around and even to myself like the woman in the video. If i do something dumb or catch myself messing up or anyone for that matter, I used to often say stop being retarded or something along those lines. Many people don't think twice about whether or not they say the R-word. We have used it in every day language for as long as I can remember. It actually came up in a conversation I was having with my boss one day at home. I work in a kitchen as a server at a retirement home. There is a high school girl that comes in every Monday and Tuesday and washing dishes as community service, just to help us out! Well the one cook and I were talking and bantering each other like usual and I ended up saying, "You're such a retard!" Well my boss walks over and said don't say that in front of Ashley (the volunteer dishwasher). I didn't take me long to realized why I shouldn't say it at all especially in front of her. She was part of an IU-13 school that schools mental retardation children up to graduation. I finally put two and two together and figured out that that is definitely not appropriate to say while she is present. Then I was at home and my little brothers were arguing and they were calling each other the R-word. As they were ranting I StumbleUpon an article about people trying to abolish the R-word for good. I then told my brothers the story and to this day, they do not say it. Unless they don't in front of me.

I think it's a very good idea for people to put an end to all of this. No one realizes what harm it could do to people around us that you never would know that are dealing with mental retardation. I believe that the R-word should only be related in the medical sense and not used as slang anymore. It is a bad as calling someone the N-word. It can be very offensive if you say it to someone or around some a stranger. Today, it is now commonly used as a slang word especially thanks to the movie, The Hangover where 'Alan' says "what a ratard" and 'Stu' corrects him and says the proper name for the R-word. It is now used as a joke and is laughed about but people need to take a second look at what they are laughing at. It could be very offensive and hurtful to many people that can't help the way they are. It's definitely something to think about. And the person who posted before me, I do the same thing when friends around me say the R-word. I tell them to not say it again.

Media always exaggerates things to the extreme and always covers the things that you rarely hear about and of course the bad stuff. So no wonder why people are telling their kids to not talk to strangers. It's been talked about for years for parents to tell kids no to but obviously it was proven that it should be the other way around. My parents never told me or my siblings to not talk to strangers. They did tell us that if they become a threat or say things you don't think should be said or welcome you to their vehicle or house, then that becomes a problem and I need to walk away. The man in the video didn't even talk to the child but picked them up and grabbed him. This is one man out of the entire block or path they were walking that did this so with that being said it of course tells you that it is unlikely to happen. I think you need to tell your children the good and bad of talking to strangers or even if a stranger comes up to them. The bad thing to talking to strangers are the likelihood of getting hurt (I wouldn't want to scare them with being taken). The good would be if you are lost, they need to be the first to help. Like Sam said in lecture. If you wait to see a police officer or wonder to find someone who looks like they would help, it could be too late. The child could get lost or even on bad circumstances be taken. It's not a bad thing to talk to someone you don't know but there is definitely A WAY to talk to them.

The one lady said about how she is going to always hold the hand of her 4 year old child walking down the street. Why wouldn't you hold their hand in the first place?! I always hold my niece and nephews hands not only walking across the street but walking down ANY street!! It's not that I'm worried about them getting taken but it is definitely for their safely. What if something happened like a car coming or a biker not being able to get out of their way or getting lost in a crowd. That's when the proper techniques come in that you taught your child about talking to a stranger. There is still no reason why you wouldn't hold your child's hand. That nanny was doing her job and protecting the little boy.

it actually really does not surprise me that the government would step in and say you can write a certain thing off for your taxes just so people do what someone else says is right. I am an aunt to 8 nieces and nephews and only half of them were breast fed. My sister was kicked in the chest by a horse, therefore not allowing her to be able to breast feed. I'm not just saying this because they are my siblings children, but they are not obese. They are actually average in their age group minus being on the taller side. I think breast feeding your child is something that you and only you can make that decision on. There is nothing wrong with not breast feeding your child and if you choose to do it, there is a certain point were you need to ween them because they become dependent on it. This may be an over the top example by just like on Grown Ups with Kevin Jame's wife and their son. First let me point out that I agree with Michelle Obama and her efforts she has put forth to cut back on childhood obesity but some things just don't make sense. i actually think that this is quite hilarious that they can say if you breast feed your child you can write it off. It is not the decision of Michelle Obama nor anyone else but the mother. It's whatever they decide to do is what is good enough. There is no right or wrong breast feeding your child. I honestly do not know where these facts came from. How can you reward someone for something like this? What's next, getting rewarded for buying a play set for your kids to be active outside? I really don't think this is necessary or agreeable upon but whatever she wants to do to have people go along with what she says is her thing. This is going to have people do it just so they can get what they paid for deducted from their taxes the following year which is not justifiable or the right way to go about it.

This is definitely one topic that worries me a little bit. Not only are these little girls doing pageants with their mothers and grandmothers and fathers coaching them through it, they are receiving money for it too. There are a lot of factors not many people know about when it comes to pageant shows. I have watched a few episodes of this show before and I am in awe the entire time. These little young girls are only learning at this age how to share toys and clear up after themselves, like normal 2 years olds do. I have a niece that just turned two and was even told she is advanced for her age. I can not image her walking down a cat walk in a Madonna cone bra with her hair (or extensions) done up with hair spray, fake teeth, and a pound of makeup on.

When the one lady talked about the mothers living vicariously through their little girls, I couldn't agree with more! When you watch shows and movies about beauty queens, you see all of the wonderful things they get to do like gets all glammed up for the world to see and adore you. These parents either didn't have this growing up and now want their daughters (and sons) to want to this OR they were beauty queens growing up and now they think their children should do it as well. The parents are choosing a lifestyle for their kids whether they like it or not. The beginning of the video segment had a little girl crying because she didn't want to get her eye brows waxed. I am 20 years old and still don't like doing that. But yet she had to because it was for the pageant. Of course there are parents out there who say you can do this and if you don't like it you can stop. But everyone else isn't that way. They drag their little ones to these pageants and have them dress as if they were college girls on a Saturday night!
This is the sociological part of it all. These young ones do not have the choice to do this or not. They just don't come up to their parent and say, "Mom I want to be a beauty queen!" Most two years olds don't even know what that is! This is parents not forcing but pushing them into a direction that could possibly not be meant for them. Plus they get money and big shiny crowns as rewards for winning. And if you don't win, that is a huge disappointing moment for that child. What worse news for a young one to hear than you didn't win, sorry but nice try. That's very hard to take in. But its very rare that the parents give them a choice of not doing it anymore. I believe at that young of age, they need to experience what normal 2-4 year olds do during the day instead of getting their hair done, false teeth put in, and damaging the little hair they have by putting hair spray in it. These girls and boys do not have the choice or the freedom to say no because if they do, they are forced to do it anyways. It's something that may not be a huge deal to the public but it is a big deal when they grow up and wonder what in the world were my parents thinking. I've seen it first hand and they promised themselves that they will never make their child do anything they didn't want to. Especially at that young of an age where anything you do can stay with them and effect them for the rest of their lives.

Soc 001