Dear Netflix & Tom Segura

This open letter was written to Tom Segura and Netflix in response to a recent comedy show released that has sparked outrage within the Down Syndrome community.

This is an excerpt from the transcript of his show “Disgraceful” that airs on Netflix:

“You can’t say “retarded” anymore. [audience laughs] It was just here. Don’t you remember? -“Retarded.” That’s how I… -[audience laughs] People get very upset. I don’t really support the arguments against it. When people are like, “You shouldn’t say it.” “Why?” “What if there’s one over there?” And you’re like… [audience laughs] We never said it like that. We were never like, “Look at that guy!” [audience laughs] You didn’t say it like that. You said it to describe an idea, or a situation, you know? If your friend was like, “I’ll pick you up at your house, and then we’ll come back to my place, and later we can go back to your house. And we can get your bags. And then, we’ll come back over here after that.” And your like, “That’s retarded. Why the **** would we do that?” [audience laughs] But now you can’t say that. Now you’ve gotta be like, “That’s not… smart. Your idea has an extra 21st chromosome, if you ask me.” [audience laughs] It’s not the same.”

The thing of it is, instead of a broad, outdated, and offensive term like “retarded” Tom has made it more specific and classified an entire population, those with an extra 21st chromosome, Down Syndrome as the butt of his joke.

Dear Netflix & Tom Segura,

You don’t know me, nor likely do you know anyone in the Down Syndrome community. The reason I make this broad assumption is that if you did, you wouldn’t find it funny to make statements like you did in your comedy show, Tom.

I understand that we live in a nation with free speech, I value that freedom, as I gather you do as well. But, with a freedom like that comes the responsibility to not spew hatred, racism, classism, or other negative connotations towards whole groups of individuals, least of all those with special needs.

I am a parent, Tom, I understand you will be joining the ranks of parenthood soon. I want the world to be a safe and beautiful place for my children, most parents would feel this way. I work very hard to help make the world a better place than when I found it, and I was given a special task when my youngest child was born.

You see, my youngest child was born with an extra 21st chromosome, something you referred to in your comedy show. You referred to an idea as being “retarded” but since that is not politically correct terminology these days, you said that the term should be replaced with “having an extra 21st chromosome.” That is where you went too far.

I understand that often the word “retarded” gets tossed around and frankly I don’t feel that it applies to my child, or that it should be owned by any of us who love those with Down Syndrome.

It is a dated, small-minded, and uneducated term that many are working hard to erase. I won’t even get on your case for your inappropriate use of that term, but I will say that you singlehandedly ignited a firestorm. You see, you haven’t just alienated and angered parents of children with Down Syndrome, but our friends, aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, neighbors, and so many more are outraged by not only your attempt at being funny, but your subsequent comments to parents of children with Down Syndrome, like Alyse who was standing up for her daughter Felicity.

You posted her comments requesting Netflix to remove the segment of your show and again used your platform to spew hatred and ignorance at the mother of a 2-year-old child. Do you know what I found amazing? When interviewed by the Chicago television station, she was civil, she did not use foul language toward you (unlike your fans used towards her and her child). She even said that if your wife unexpectedly gave birth to a child with Down Syndrome, our community would welcome you. You see, she has compassion, kindness and an ability to empathize with others, something you are sorely lacking.

Now on to Netflix and publicity. There is a saying in the entertainment world that no publicity is bad publicity, if both of you feel this way, than you have succeeded. You have earned enough bad publicity for a lifetime. I would say that the efforts of so many news anchors, Down Syndrome advocates, and reporters to reach you have come back void because you really have nothing to say for yourselves.

That is because the whole thing is disgraceful. I will sign the petition that is fast approaching 80,000 signatures asking Netflix to remove your special and ask all of my followers to do the same. I will do this not because I don’t believe in freedom of speech, but because your freedom of speech has incited hatred by your fans towards those like my son, and Alyse’s daughter.