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We, as mere people, have a responsibility to accept all others, regardless of mental or physical ability. I will say we need not accept everyone for all their faults; after all, there are all manner of people with whom I would not associate, but that is based on ideals and morals, not abilities and (dis)orders. When people are branded as different because of mental retardation or other differences that may be out of their control, they tend to lose something real about what defines them as people.

What steps do we, as a society predisposed to flaunt others’ differences, take to ensure they are respected? Easy - stop treating them differently. OK - I will admit that is not as easily done as it is said, but it is a step. And - I am not speaking only in terms of political correctness. That, I feel, should be just as curbed. A person with mental retardation IS different than someone without. However, that is not unlike recognizing someone who is black as being different as someone who is white. Different - yes. Better or worse - no. That is where society bastardizes the beauty of differences.

A person who is mentally retarded, living in a society where being retarded is seen as bizarre, should be treated differently than a “normal” person in a similar setting. This will be politically incorrect for me to say, but bear with me - People with disabilities, women, minorities, poor people, etc., living in 21st century America should be given the benefit of the doubt. Upper and middle class white males are the standard for this society. That population does have it easier. Those outside that standard simply do not have the same standing and stature in our society. It is the responsibility of everyone to start treating all people as equals.

For now, we will need to treat people with mental retardation differently simply because our definitions of what people can do in our society do not include these differences. Only when differences are acknowledged and accepted can we truly move forward. Once we accept people are different, and account for those differences in our society, we will then start to not see the differences in people, but only the people themselves.