The office of the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is now in damage control mode because he made some headlines by labeling disabled children with a very disparaging, outdated, and offensive word during a recent interview.
The Washington Examiner
The Examiner first broke the story regarding Chuck Schumer, 70, being asked on the OneNYCHA podcast about an effort in New York to provide shelter to homeless people even though there was some opposition to the plan.
Schumer responded, “I have found that for my whole entire career, I have wanted to build things, and this includes when I was first an assemblyman, the community wanted to build a congregant living place for retarded [sic] children, but the whole entire neighborhood was against it. “These kids were harmless,” he added. “They just needed a little bit of help. We got it done, but it did take a while.”
Politico was quick to note that the term “retarded” is not only very outdated, but also very offensive for the many individuals who advocate for those with mental and intellectual disabilities and so that is why they intensely discourage its use. Apparently, Senator Schumer has never gotten that message, however.
None of the four hosts of the podcast questioned or rebuked Schumer for his use of the word. On the other hand, the Sun reported that Schumer’s ill-advised use of this word drew plenty of fury online, including from critics who said that Schumer’s use of this slur “shows us who he truly is” and another who suggested that his comments presents a true picture of how Democrats “truly see homeless kids and their families.”
Schumer’s Office
A spokesperson for Chuck Schumer gave a statement to the Examiner regarding Schumer’s use of this word: “For decades, Sen. Schumer has been an ardent champion for an enlightened policy and the full funding of services for people that have developmental and intellectual disabilities. He used an outdated and inappropriate word when he described an effort that had been led by the AHRC to build a group home in his Brooklyn district many decades ago so that children with developmental disabilities could have housing and services. He is sincerely sorry for his use of this hurtful and outdated language.” If you want to view Senator Schumer’s interview with the OneNYCHA podcast, you can click on this link. These disparaging comments can be heard in their entirety at around the 38:20 mark.
What is your reaction to Senator Schumer’s use of this disparaging term for those with intellectual and mental disabilities?
