Jess, I couldn’t read that letter without writing some sort of response. –Luke

I was quite surprised to open up my online edition of The Daily Free Press today and see the angry response I received to one innocent statement in my perspective on the BU commencement exercises. Rebecca Barnatt dug in to me like I never expected and went so far as to say that I am not “adult enough to recognize that mental retardation is not humorous.” A very bold accusation from someone who does not know me personally and was still somehow able to renounce me by reducing my entire 791-word perspective to one word.

I have worked almost exclusively in special education since graduating from Boston University in May. I held one job as an aide to a teenager with Cerebral Palsy, in which we spent 40+ hours per week together and became very good friends. I currently work directly with numerous developmentally delayed and clinically mentally retarded children. My work is very enriching and educational. And I treat all of these children with respect and dignity and am inspired by my contact with them.

I did, however, use the “R” word in my perspective, but I don’t believe that it was totally inappropriate in this case. The American Heritage dictionary defines mental retardation as “Subnormal intellectual development or functioning that is the result of congenital causes, brain injury, or disease and is characterized by any of various deficiencies, ranging from impaired learning ability to social and vocational inadequacy.” Does this sound like Ozzy Osbourne? Granted, he was not born with mental deficiencies, but I think we can safely say that his drug use has caused “subnormal intellectual functioning.” Did I use the word in a clinical sense? Probably not. Could I have used a different word? Sure. But was the word somewhat appropriate in the context of my perspective? Without a doubt.

By Ms. Barnatt’s logic, any of you who tune in to the Osbournes must not be very “adult,” because you are indeed finding humor in Ozzy’s mental deficiencies.

I would advise Ms. Barnatt to reserve her criticisms for people who are actually making fun of the mentally retarded (i.e. the makers of “South Park”). And I would caution her from passing judgments on a person on the basis of a single word when that person may actually be very devoted to the struggle of those who she purports to defend.