The 2 Gorillas

So our day was goin awesome...got alot done, came up and fed Alexi a bottle, and went through my friend requests.  Had one from one of my wife's coworkers, thought that was pretty awesome!

Then I saw her most recent post:

Ok, no biggy, people slip all the time.  I mean, this lady probably never even thought of Alexi before she posted.



..Then I saw the Caption:

"Bad word choice, but still funny!"

Now I knew she saw that the word choice was poor, and since she held my beautiful daughter for a long time one day that I took Alexi in to visit mommy at work, I knew she knew Alexi.  I am also aware that she is completely aware of Alexi having Down Syndrome.  So if you know its bad word choice, than you know it is hurtful to someone who has some sort of retardation, like Down Syndrome.

Ok I'll let it go, don't want to stir anything up at my wife's work...

Then I saw the first and only comment on the pic...

"LMAO"

(Laughing My Ass Off, if anyone didn't know that)

The commenter also "shared" the image, they liked it alot!  But it's some girl that we don't know so no harm no fou.....wait....just saw she has another friend in common with me, it's Kerith.  So I ask Kerith who "***** *******" is and she tells me it's a coworker of hers.  Oh boy...

So I ask myself,  "So is this one of those times I say something?  Or one I am supposed to "let it go" so i dont "offend" anyone with a little education?"

I mean it's JUST A WORD right?  Right...just a word...  A word that can hurt someone, and they knew that, it was right in the caption...  But it's just a word.  Don't want to "offend" anyone my wife works with.  Don't want to cause her trouble.  Right?

So a word is just a word...  What if I use my magical photoshop skills to post the same picture, but change the R word to the N word.  What if I post it to this woman's profile?  Would she be upset?  Would her friend?  How could they be if it's "just a word?"



OK, so I know that's not the way to handle it...but what do I do?

I keep defaulting to LET IT GO, but then I look over at my sweet little girl...starring at me as I type this.  With her big beautiful almond shaped eyes.

So I ask myself, how did people get other people to know using the N word is socially unacceptable?  Was it by simply LETTING IT GO?

I am pretty sure that's not the way.  They stood up for the people who it hurt.

If I say nothing at all, how are they supposed to know they did anything hurtful?

I have no clue what to do....



UPDATE: 


I just re-read this post and apologize that it rambles on a bit, it's just how I felt feel.


 I have since decided that there are 2 options (I kinda knew that):

Option A:  Post this blog directly to the image that started it all, so all parties can see what's going on here.

Option B:  Do nothing.  LET IT GO.


My brain is stating the obvious...OPTION B.  Do not cause problems with these adults.  While my heart is saying OPTION A.  Protect your sweet little girl.

So OPTION B protects Kerith and I while OPTION A protects ALEXI.


Thoughts???



ANOTHER UPDATE:


Sorry Kerith, Sorry Kerith's work friends.  I have rationalized that Alexi is the one to protect.  Then when we posted this to our Designer Genes Facebook Page, we were certainly inspired to go with OPTION A by people without children with disabilities as well as those with.

Why would I post this whole thing instead of just asking you to stop?

It's simple, I want you to know what we go through when this word is used incorrectly.  Don't be afraid to use it around us.  We are not offended by it the way people may think.  We hear it and feel like if we don't try to stop it, we are doing nothing to stop it from reaching our daughters ears in a hurtful way as she grows up.

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