Hello everyone!
I hope you're all doing good, but this anuthor's note is more to spread a message, please read it until the end.
This summer I went to a summer camp, and I heard many teenagers used the word "down" as an insult. Instead of saying "you're an idiot" they would say "you're down".
I had my suspicions about where the insult came, but I wasn't a hundred percent sure so I asked one of the camp monitors (or whatever they're called). They told me that it came from the genetic dysorder Down Syndrome.
I was enraged. I know many people with down sydrome, and they did not deserve to be used as an insult. It doesn't matter that the have a genetic dysorder, they're very sweet and kind people who don't deserve this.
When the summer camp finished, I was quick to forget about it. Until a few weeks ago the students at my school started to use "down" as an insult too.
This is frustrating me even more. Why use the word "down" as an insult, it's like insulting someone of colour or someone from the LGBTQ+ community!? People using this as an insult are shaming people that suffer of it! It's like if you call someone fat, you're body shaming them, same goes here. It is simply digusting and unfair!
It also makes me think, if they're using "down" as an insult, what else will they use? Will they use other dysorders as an inult? Are people really going that low?
Please help me to put a stop at this. It really pains me. As I said before, I now people that have down syndrome. I have family members with similar dysorders, and they're all human.
Please help me spread this message and put a stop to this.
Thanks,
L.Lupin