“Those Mongols”

The recently publicized quote from a UK public official using the term “mongols” as a descriptor of people with Down syndrome reminded me of the reason I won’t be seeing David Sedaris perform live when he comes through town next year. 

In his book, Naked, David Sedaris tells us about his time as a volunteer at a mental institution during his youth, including this anecdote:

“The day proceeded, everything from a mongoloid teenager with an ingrown toenail to a self-proclaimed swami who had fashioned himself a turban of urine-soaked towels.