A Down Day

I must admit that I have had a lot of good days this week, but today has just been bad from the beginning.

O started her new daycare this week and that has gone so well, M and I couldn't be happier!

We have had some big wins for our Buddy Walk and I am very excited about that. The money seems to finally be coming in!

M & I had a long talk about our relationship and we think we are on a great path these days. this past year has been tough on our marriage with all the extra stuff that came along with O and how we handled it differently.

E has been having a pretty good week although I think she is really missing her sister at their daycare. The new place doesnt have a spot for her until November. =(

So the week is looking good, right? And Friday is looking awesome, I get to wear jeans and flip flops to work and everything! Well, it was just downhill from there! Went to drop off E and she had a total meltdown. Clung to my leg screaming and crying for me to not leave, which of course I had to do. that was just torture having to leave her there like that, but it is the only way for her to get over it. So I get here feeling like a horrible mother for leaving her in that condition so it was hard to get focused on work. So, I gave in to my guilty pleasure that is Downsyn! Finally got around to reading a lot of the posts on there and found one about the movie Tropic Thunder. After reading it I was upset beyond words.

In case you haven't heard of it, it is a movie written by and starring Ben Stiller. This movie does nothing but set our efforts back for making this world a better place for O, and others with mental disabilities. The movie is based on making fun of someone with a mental handicap, going as far as to print on a poster "once upon a time there was a retard". The fact that in the year 2008 someone can get away with making such prejudicial remarks and go as far as to make a movie with these stereotypes and discrimination is beyond my comprehension. It sickens me to think of millions of people watching a movie that propagates hatred and using people with mental handicaps as the source for their humor. I find it difficult to even find a movie today that doesn't at some point use the "r" word as an insult in order to put down another person, but now there is an entire movie written with such poor intention. I feel that Hollywood has continued to throw around this word as an appropriate insult and has no consideration for how hurtful it can be to many people. As a parent of a child with Down syndrome it saddens me to know that my daughters and I will have to fight everyday in order to make others understand how demeaning and hurtful these stereotypes are. Unfortunately, with the making of this movie, our fight will be all that much more difficult.

When kids go to see this movie (and they will even though it is rated R), and the word the r-word is bantered about constantly..will that make it ok for them to use it? Will it negate my efforts at teaching them about tolerance and differences amongst people? If it is not ok for kids to use the word, why is it ok for grownups? What is a laugh worth? And who will pay the price? I will tell you who, my sweet, amazing daughter and anyone who knows or loves her. We will all have to suffer knowing that this movie is out there setting such a poor example for how grown adults should behave. I am so far beyond disgusted that such highly recognized actors such as Ben Stiller (who wrote this movie), Jack Black, Robert Downy Jr. and Tom Cruise can take part in this. How would they feel if their child was different and an entire movie, filled with well known actors, was put out and called "funny"? Even more disgusting is that Jack Black, host of this year's Nickelodeon Kid's Choice awards, acts in the movie. A man that has said he said "I want my children to be proud of me...." That is a shame. He has had parts in many children's movies, voicing characters in Ice Age, Shark Tale, Kung Fu Panda. I wonder how many in his audiences were children with developmental disabilities? He is an extremely poor role model for children if he is going to take part in something like this.

First, I must give credit to people on Downsyn for a lot of the wording in that info, I was in too upset a place to put a decent thought together so I stole some of the comments from there. Sorry and thank you for your amazing words!!!!

I sent this information to every friend, family member, and co-worker I could think of. I was very excited by some of the response I received to my request for a boycott. However, i was very disappointed in some responses or lack of response. Is it a lot for me to expect certain people to have a sensitive ear and acknowledge that it is painful for me to deal with and that I have their support? I guess so because there were a lot of people I just never heard from, but who dont have trouble sending me a forward. Very upsetting indeed. So, that is where my mind is today. Not here, not happy, and disappointed in people who are supposed to care about me and O.