Former president Donald Trump recently insulted President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris by calling them “mentally impaired” and then “mentally disabled.” (more from CNN here and FOX NEWS Radio here)
I’m someone who has come to really value the contributions and presence of people with intellectual disabilities, so why do I see these comments as problematic?
There is no shame in having an intellectual disability. People with intellectual disabilities have inherent value and should be received and celebrated in and of themselves.
The problem lies in the attempt to use the words “mentally disabled” as an insult.
When we use intellectual ability or disability as a way to separate good people from bad people, worthy from unworthy, important from unimportant, we dehumanize people with intellectual disabilities. We set up a hierarchy. We perpetuate a lie that intellectually disabled humans are not fully human. We mock and demean people who are vulnerable and worthy of honor.
In a healthy democracy, it’s a good thing to disagree about policy. It’s a good thing to debate different approaches. But it is never a good thing to tear each other down, to mock and belittle, or to set up a system in which some people are more valuable than others.
MORE WITH AMY JULIA:
- Changing the Social Imagination (one photo at a time)
- Gus Walz and the Significance of Belonging
- How Politicians Talk About Disability Matters
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