Patricia Bauer objects to the use of the word “retard” because it is an insulting term
carrying “a cultural subtext” (444) that she knows the effects of firsthand. She believes the word
is harmful because it holds the meaning of a history of viewing the disabled as less than equals.
Bauer uses anecdotes and experiences, such as one about her daughter being called ‘retard’, as
well as statistics illustrating the inequality disabled people in the United States face, throughout
history to today. She describes the effects of the word on her and Margaret, as well as all of those
who are disabled or related to those who are, writing “it seems that the studio never considered
that its portrayal of people with disabilities would touch a nerve farther below the skin than it
would want to go” (446). Her argument is both emotional and logical. In addition to using a
combination of personal experiences and describing the emotions involved, she provides data
demonstrating the treatment of disabled people in America. She combines these to convince the
