The staff, special needs students, self advocates and friends of The Life Experience School, in the spirit of The Boston Tea Party and the examples of Henry David Thoreau, Gandhi and King, will lead the VALENTINE'S DAY CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE PROTEST (12 noon at the front gate of the State House) to demand that the Department of Mental Retardation change it's name. A clinical diagnosis should not be in the name of a state agency. Besides being hurtful, insulting and blatantly disrespectful to all people with mental challenges and their families, it is a breach of privacy and a human rights violation. That it has remained the name of this agency this long reflects a shameful disregard for the feelings of those it serves.

Departments throughout America serving this population have removed the diagnosis from human service names. Even South Carolina, which flies the Confederate flag in front of its State House, removed mental retardation from its Department's name years ago.

Self advocates across Massachusetts have worked earnestly for over two years for a name change. Must they grovel and beg? The insensitive reference to their limitations (diagnosis) in the Department's name is inexcusable. It is appalling that a Department which provides such wonderful programs for people with special needs is so insensitive and unresponsive to something this basic.

The Life Experience School, under the care The Peace Abbey, is demanding that Massachusetts do as other states have and remove this hurtful label. On Valentine's Day, the School's certification document from the Department of Mental Retardation will be burned in protest in front of the State House, in the spirit of Gandhi's defiant action in South Africa when non-whites were required to carry identification cards. This action is an expression of the School's Zero Tolerance Policy on violence and abusive language. The nonviolent, civil disobedience action, which is intended to result in arrests, will take place at 1:00 P.M.

How much longer must citizens with mental challenges and their families wait? How much longer can the Department, in good conscience, keep this name? DMR must be held to the same human rights standards they require of Provider Agencies. Hypocrisy in government only heightens cynicism toward social programs and undermines trust in public officials.

Valentine's Day is the perfect day for DMR to give a gift of Respect & Love to those they serve and change the name. If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention!