By Georgianna Reilly, LMSW
SJS Staff Writer
Following a move by the Senate, the House of Representatives voted 398-1 on Wednesday to ban the use of the word lunatic from all federal legislation. According to this BBC article:
“Senator Kent Conrad, one of the sponsors of the measure, said: “Federal law should reflect the 21st Century understanding of mental illness and disease, and that the continued use of this pejorative term has no place in the US code.” ”
The one no vote came from Republican Gohmert of Texas, who suggested our concerns should be more on our countries looming bankruptcy. While I can agree that there are bigger pressing issues, we cannot ignore the little things so I say kudos to Congress for making such a move and ridding it’s language of this archaic word with such negative underlying meaning. Interestingly enough, I wasn’t able to find many references to this vote in US New sources. I wonder what that says?
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Seems like it’s nice and inclusive– but all it does is change the slur. Idiot used to be an actual diagnosis, then changed to moron, then to retarded, then to delvopmentally delayed..only a matter of time before kids are suspended for calling other kids “you’re delayed!!”…..