Mother of a ‘little girl with a form of dwarfism’ proclaims “This was my first step in educating just one company”.
I might understand if someone called her child a midget in a derogatory manner but she’s upset that a company calls a small pickle a midget, the pickle doesn’t mind!
Maybe she’s the one who needs educating, maybe even therapy! Midget is no more a derogatory term today than it was 50 years ago!
How about ‘little’ and ‘dwarfism’, two derogatory terms in a half sentence? No matter how sick we get of this PC BS it keeps on coming.
I’m offended that she is offended by this word, I love Kosher Midgets! But I’m not allowed to be offended, I’m a WASP. I can only offend, not be offended!
Pickle Company to Distraught Mom: Yes, We’ll Change Our Name
Cains Pickles removes a derogatory term from its labels after a mother’s protests.
By Andri Antoniades February 21, 2013
An average day at the grocery store for Rhode Island mom, Michelle Martinka, turned into a moment of activism when she noticed that Cains Pickles, a popular New England brand, produced a line called “Kosher Dill Midgets.”
Martinka is the mother of ten-month-old Adelaide, a little girl with a form of dwarfism known as Achondroplasia—and “midget” is a derogatory way of referencing those born with the condition.
In response, Martinka waged a peaceful protest, which included the above YouTube video, urging the company to change the name of its product—and so it did, gracefully, without objection or fanfare.
Gedney Foods, the makers of Cains Pickles, explained to the Star Tribune, “The company is not seeking any attention related to this matter and believes that any publicity should be more appropriately placed on the children and families dealing with Achondroplasia.”
In her email to TakePart, Martinka explains, "Although many people do not know, the m-word is derogatory, not just some innocuous word meaning small, as it was 50 years ago." She says, "I am fully aware that these pickles are just pickles—and my daughter is a human. This was my first step in educating just one company. Years ago I may not have had the drive for such an undertaking, but change happens when situations arise—new circumstances, such as having a child diagnosed with dwarfism."
When asked what she hopes her daughter will someday learn from this, Martinka says, "I hope Addie takes away the knowledge that she can bring change. I hope she learns my motto to not be reactive, but [to be] proactive and educate."
A Bay Area native, Andri Antoniades previously worked as a fashion industry journalist and medical writer. In addition to reporting the weekend news on TakePart, she volunteers as a webeditor for locally-based nonprofits and works as a freelance feature writer for TimeOutLA.com. Email Andri | @andritweets | TakePart.com
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