Is it ok to make fun of the mentally challenged?

A person who can hold to their convictions doesn't care if they are liked or hated for what they believe. Now if they are wrong and realize it, great for them. If they were right and people hate them for it, then that is on them. If you only behave in such a way to win "friends" then I don't think you are worthy of any friendship. People seem to be obsessed with holding or finding friends that if they have to compromise their beliefs to keep them then it's worth hiding the truth.

Why? I would rather have no friends who accept me, but if I am right with these beliefs, that is all that matters. Do I know if I am right? Not always but if you feel that it is right, then by all means you should be able to say it to your friends. If your friends don't like you any more because of those beliefs then by all means you found out they are not good nor true friends so no big loss.

Stick to your guns, stick with your convictions. Be willing to take on new information and grow. But don't compromise your beliefs to keep so called friends who would abandon you the minute they learn you changed your belief.

No it is not.

Ask yourself how you'd feel if this was being done to someone close to you, such as a niece, nephew or other family member.


Megan can make an anonymous report. It might not go anywhere, especially since you've indicated the caregiver reported it and it was shrugged off.

If there are advocacy groups in the area contact them, they are better able to handle these matters, including getting audio/video documentation of the employee atrocities and subsequent written reports to management.

Megan herself has a responsibility to speak up. First to her co-workers and then if need be file a report/speak with management herself expressing her concerns. If the management sees no cause for action, then Megan should send a letter to the corporate headquarters of Dillard's in Little Rock.


http://www.dillards.com/faq/FaqStartServlet

Q. What is the address and phone number of your corporate office?
A. Our corporate offices are located in Little Rock, Arkansas. Corporate Headquarters Address:

1600 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, AR 72201
Mailing Address:
Post Office Box 486, Little Rock, AR 72203
Telephone:
501-376-5200

Your friend Megan needs to decide which is more important: human dignity of a person or a bunch of friends who behave inappropriately and with cruelty? She may well lose some 'friends' along the way; but, at least she will have stood up for someone. Her real friends will not abandon her and will own up to their behavior.

What is your friend thinking of doing that might betray her friends and management?

I agree with Krumple about holding principles over friendship.

Note to self: Never shop at Dillard's......

I think Megan's best course of action, if she ever finds herself in that situation again, is to show herself as the bigger person. She needs to give her coworkers her best "WTF?" look and approach the customer being made fun of with kindness and compassion by offering to help -- like she would with any other customer.

She doesn't need to rant or lecture.

She might "side door" the issue by speaking to management, saying something like "I really like my job here but I'm having some problems with the people in my department and I'm wondering if I can transfer to somewhere else in the store". The management will want to know why. This will give Megan the opportunity to "reluctantly" discuss what is happening in her department.

Some great points -

On a side note - how old are this "friends"? Seems a bit immature to be teasing a mentally challenge individual. Even my young children would know better than to do such a thing.

I wouldn't want "friends" like that. And management? I wonder his/her reaction as well. Seems completely unprofessional. Maybe they have a hard time hiring and as such doesn't want to rock the boat by speaking with them - seeing incident is over and the customer themself did not complain.