Weaponizing the R Word

Transcript

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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.

ANCHOR: We take a look at how the revitalization of derogatory language is impacting some Minnesotans. Then, a federal grant funds transit improvements in greater Minnesota. And, organizers of the new Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame announced where it will be located.

I'm Chantel SinGs.

The Federal Transit Administration awarded the Minnesota Department of Transportation, also known as MnDOT, nearly 18 million dollars to upgrade rural transit vehicles and facilities across the state. MnDOT will manage the funding and work with local transit providers to replace aging buses and move fleets toward cleaner propane technology. The agency says the investment will improve reliability, reduce emissions, and strengthen transportation options in rural Minnesota.

In today's main story, recently, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz reported multiple instances of verbal harassment outside his residence, with people driving by and repeatedly shouting a derogatory word for someone living with a disability. Katharine DeCelle reports on how this language is impacting Minnesotans with disabilities and their loved ones.

Katharine DeCelle: Recently, President Trump posted on social media calling Minnesota Governor Tim Walz "seriously retarded." Since then, there has been an uptick in the use of that term, also known as the R word, considered by many a harmful slur for people with disabilities. At a recent press conference, Governor Walz warned others that this kind of derogatory language from the president can lead to violence.

Governor Tim Walz: And I'll tell you what I'd never seen this before. People driving by my house and using the R word. This is shameful. He should not say it. So look, I'm worried. We know how these things go. They start with taunts. They turn to violence. So deeply concerned.

Katharine DeCelle: Hope Walz, daughter of the Minnesota Governor, also spoke out in a now deleted TikTok video. Hope explained that Trump's comments led to her and her family receiving hateful messages, and she was particularly upset about the derogatory term targeting her brother Gus, who has a learning disability. For Kris Peterson, the mother of a man with autism, those comments were hard to hear.

Kris Peterson: When I hear our current president use that word, there's no way he doesn't mean it as completely derogatory. He doesn't respect most people who aren't exactly like him. He doesn't respect people with disabilities. People with disabilities fought so hard to get rid of that word.

Katharine DeCelle: The word retarded began as a medical term in 1895 to describe intellectual disabilities. Over time, people turned the word into an insult. In 2005, Minnesota outlawed state agencies from using the word, replacing it with developmental disability. The federal government passed similar legislation in 2010.

Kris Peterson: My son was born in '73 when that was the word that was used. I remember crying when we got the final diagnosis. He was 12 years old when we got the below 70 IQ, which means retarded. And I thought that his life would, just not be very happy, productive. Then I was, of course, proven wrong.

Katharine DeCelle: Kris says that her son now leads a productive life with friends and a job, but it wasn't always that way.

Kris Peterson: He's very aware of his disability, and he tries always to fit in and be included. Those are the things that didn't happen when he was young. There weren't friends, there weren't birthday parties. And so when he hears that word, I think it just brings that memory back to him of the way he doesn't get included.

Katharine DeCelle: Kris says the return of derogatory words like this impacts everyone, but especially those living with a disability.

Kris Peterson: It's not okay, and that's not how most people want to treat any person with disability. They want them to be respected, and they want them to shine, and they want them to be able to express their greatest strengths and gifts that they bring to communities they live in.

Xan Holston: For North Star Stories, I'm Katharine DeCelle.

ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.

The new Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame will be located in Inver Grove Heights, just south of St. Paul. Not to be confused with the National Hockey Hall of Fame, which will remain in Northern Minnesota, the state hall of fame will include an ice rink, interactive exhibits, and gathering spaces. Construction will begin next year with a grand opening planned for 2028. Organizers say they selected the site because of its proximity to the airport and the Vikings training complex, as well as space for future growth.

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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.