| # | Name | Comments |
|---|
| 3801 | Carol Perez | You should be more responsible and see what you are doing to society. |
| 3802 | Kristie Bandy | I have a very beautiful granddaughter who has a handicap that in the case of your movie, you would refer to as being a retard. Until you have done your research on anyone individual with a disability, I truly believe that you need to pull your movie from any further showings and correct the damage that you have caused to many families that have or even know someone with any kind of disability that they might have. I feel you have been very unfair and you have discriminated against some of the most beautiful people that we have in our society today. I will not be watching any of your movies that Dreamworks name is on until you can make this wrong that you have made, right. Next time make sure that you get all your facts straight before you hurt any other innocent people in this world.
Sincerely,
Kristie Bandy (Proud grandmother of a grandchild with a disability) |
| 3803 | Diana Johnson | |
| 3804 | harmony graham | I wouldn't have found this offensive until I read the note attached to this petition. I support parents looking out for their children living in a difficult world to do anything they can to make it a little easier. They struggle, I'm sure, in ways many of us never have and they deserve to have it made just a little easier on them. |
| 3805 | Rachel Goldman | |
| 3806 | Brad Matthies | |
| 3807 | Laura Kahapea | |
| 3808 | Lisa Velasco | |
| 3809 | Kristine Wroblewski | |
| 3810 | Christina Clark | |
| 3811 | Trina Balow | |
| 3812 | Donna Alvado | |
| 3813 | Kim | |
| 3814 | Anonymous | This really is disgusting. I definately was a fan of Jack Black and also of Ben Stiller, but I will now think twice about seeing any movie with them in it. How could people be so rude? |
| 3815 | Michelle Townsend | I understand and love comedy . But sometimes we often take for granted how much words can affect other people. I have not seen this movie, but I did see the scene in which everyone is talking about. I do have a son with special needs. I feel that Ben Stiller is a amazing actor and I know he is a good person. I know he wasn't trying to offend anyone and he was just trying to be funny. There is a big difference in a movie (with actors) and real life where people are truly bullying someone.
I do not see Ben Stiller as a bully. |
| 3816 | Anonymous | |
| 3817 | marilu martinez | |
| 3818 | Missy | It's just so disappointing that such big names (both actors and studio) feel the need to put down a class of good and decent folks worthy of dignity. I'd love to see you take on someone who could put up a good fight back. I guess it's just easier to inflict pain without having to worry about a repercussion. Unreal and saddening. |
| 3819 | Joe Farris | Ben Stiller and his apologists should read the blogs and YouTube posts to gauge the hatred, arrogance and self-justification the average person came away with from his movie. No 1930's propagandist could have done a more masterful job of isolating and dehumanizing a more vulnerable group. We should all fear the consensus Mr. Stiller has created. This film is dangerous.
"No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee." |
| 3820 | Destiny Phyle | I agree there should be an apology....
but as of now there is nothing you can do...
Sadly you cannot change people no matter how much you want too. |
| 3821 | Anonymous | |
| 3822 | Kim Salz | |
| 3823 | Scott Wright | I don't know how old you have to be to write on this petition, but I'm 14 years old I am proud to say that my 18 month old sister has Down Syndrome. Before my sister was born, I never really knew what Down Syndrome was, and I never really considered that when I said the "r-word", someone might be hurt. Since reading the article in the NDSS panphlet, I haven't said that word.
It was the day that my sister was born, February 12, 2007, that my grandma told me about Down Syndrome. Like I said before, I didn't have a clue what that was. I didn't see my sister at all that day, because she was in the NICU. Later that night, after I got home, and ready for school the next day, I got on the computer and researched. I learned that people with Down Syndrome have an extra 21st chromosome, but other than that, they are just like any other human being. Sure they look a little bit different, but noone looks alike.
It really irritates me when people don't know what they are talking about, and they say something that really hurts. The "r-word" is something you hear just about every ten minutes in high school. Sometimes in class, we get a little off subject and talk about different lives that people live. Every now and then, we end up talking about people with intellectual disabilities. A few people in class end up calling those people "retarded" or "defective." Whenever this happens in my class, I try to explain to everyone that they are just human, and everyone has something wrong with them.
Going back to the night after my sister was born, I was lying in bed, thinking. I was thinking of how this would effect her life, and what might happen next. The following day, after school, I went to the hospital to visit my mom and new sister. To my surprise, my sister was still in the NICU. I cried that night, since I didn't even get to hold her.
I'm scared for her later on in life, knowing what the world is like today.
Cortni is an adorable baby, and she is progressing well. She is already walking, and she is starting to learn words. I am glad to have her in my life. |
| 3824 | Anna Lemieux | The word "retard(ed)" is over-used, inappropriately used, and can be down-right nasty. As a nurse, I’ve had a lot of experience with patients who have a variety of delays: physical, emotional, and psychological. In my experience, people with Downs are some of the happiest, kindest, most loving, and most forgiving people you will ever meet. They have smiles that fill your heart with an almost-unimaginable joy. They are exceptional people overcoming difficult odds. There has been so much ignorance (read: lack of education) on this highly-sensitive subject. What does this tell me? There are not enough people who aware that standing firm in treating ALL people with human dignity (through words and actions) is what gives us human empathy and separates us from animals. I have now chosen to stand in this fight; not a fight for censorship, but against ignorance. I hope that this will bring about a new-wave of compassion from the Holloywood icons who have so much influence in our culture. |
| 3825 | Anonymous | I will not be viewing this movie. It's heart wrenching that such disrespect was given when this movie was made. Such a shame. |
| 3826 | Anonymous | How sad to do whatever it takes to make money. Keep them in your prayers that they will be convicted to change. |
| 3827 | carrie hofer | this is completely unacceptable |
| 3828 | rose walent | |
| 3829 | Denise Frendh | I think the "r" word has to be as awful as the "n" word. I'll bet these actors would not be involved in a movie satirizing that!!!! |
| 3830 | Makayla | My boyfiend has a sister with Down Sydrome, and before I mt him, I had no idea what it was. Sure, I'd heard about it.. But I never really thought about what is was. She is the most adorable, loving baby I have ever met and just because she has a disibility and may "look different", she is just like you and me and doesn't deserve to be disrespected. I will stick up for her any day, and I have already. Just recently she got called "defective" and it tore me apart. I know me, my boyfriend, his mom, or any one that wants to can't keep her from the world.. An can't keep people from thinking somehing or saying something, but she doesn't deserve to be called the "r" word and neither do any other kids or adults with down syndrome and other disabilities. I used to say it all the time and not think anything of it, but after reading about it in a pamphlet from Down Syndrome Association of Atlana (DSAA), I will no longer use the word. It isn't okay to use it in a movie because little kids will see itand think it's okay. |
| 3831 | Eva Eason | Why do you make fun of people like me? I am proud of my Down syndrome. |
| 3832 | Debbie Dempsey | A friend of my daughter's has a 6 month old son who was diagnosed with down syndrome and my other daughter works in the Special Ed department at school. One of the boys in it has down syndrome and his grandmother also goes to church with us. These children are blessings from God and people need to know that they are precious and how they would feel if they had someone call their child, grandchild, or family member names. I have 3 healthy grandchildren and I thank God for them. But life is uncertain and we never know when we could be faced with a child or family member with a disease. And we need to let these actors that are in the spotlight know that God does not like for HIS children to be mistreated. Thank you for standing firm and protecting and nurturing your child. |
| 3833 | Amy Reeves | |
| 3834 | Tonya Simmons | This is for my son who deserves to live a life without a label and this takes us back in time. |
| 3835 | Self Advocacy All Stars | We are the Self-Advocacy All Stars of The Arc of Orleans County. Self Advocacy is a movement of adults with disabilities advocating for their needs; living on our own, getting work where we like, having a say on staff who serve us, and doing fun stuff in the community. We have disabilities, but we can and do still live a full life.
Our group went to watch “Tropic Thunder” when we heard about the controversy. We wanted to form our own opinions about the movie, and every one of us, except for one person, hated the movie. It is all because of what the “R” word has meant in our lives. We know that Simple Jack was an over the top character, and he was not real. No one we know acts like him, but because of the stereotypes people learn about us, there will be many people who think we act like that.
A movie like “Tropic Thunder” sets us back. In our group, every one of us has hurtful memories of being called “retard.” All through our schooling, mostly from middle school through high school, kids used the word to hurt us. Now since the movie has come out we have seen negative behavior that we are afraid will create negative trends.
As we said before – all through school, but even now, we are subjected to humiliating treatment in public. One of our members, a 32 year old woman, was recently at a restaurant and was harassed while going in and out. A very rude man yelled out the “R” word. It was hurtful and nothing makes it better. Even after all these years it is humiliating.
There are now t-shirts with the phrase “Never Go Full Retard” on the shirt. We don’t think it was right to make a shirt like that, and the movie inspired it. It will give more kids permission to call others names. We are adults now, and we hope that young people with special needs today would get treated better than we were treated. This movie doesn’t help our cause.
We would like DreamWorks to make movies that show us in a positive light. For every movie like “Tropic Thunder” that shows people with special needs being ridiculous & being treated badly, we ask that you make a few movies that show us as real people who live and feel like everyone else. |
| 3836 | Anonymous | |
| 3837 | Barbara Wedhorn | I have to say you have no clue how offensive the word retard is. I have a down syndrome brother and he is probably smarter then all of you. No one should be referred to as a retard including those with disabilities and to make fun of someone who was brought into this world with different disabilities is not something to joke about. They nor their families asked for it but they do a fine job (far better then you ever could taking care of them). How retarded is it to keep getting hooked on drugs???? |
| 3838 | Jill K Fry | I used to be a huge fan of Ben Stiller and Jack Black. From here on out, I will let my dollars do the talking. This is UNACCEPTABLE! |
| 3839 | Christina Mailhot | can someone please ban this movie |
| 3840 | Don LaPlante | A very degrading word for our loved ones. |
| 3841 | elizabeth jess almquist | |
| 3842 | Lisa Burke | People in film want to make a buck at any cost no matter who they offend in the name of so-called entertainment. |
| 3843 | Angie Bertram | |
| 3844 | Jo Ann Koga | |
| 3845 | Anonymous | |
| 3846 | Dana | |