To the editor:

As a showcase for local alternative music, The Bottleneck in downtown Lawrence can’t be beat. I’ve enjoyed The Bottleneck’s ambiance on many occasions and am grateful for its role in Lawrence’s unique character. So, it’s disappointing to know that a band aligning itself with a tradition that deserves extinction — i.e., the history of degrading people with intellectual disabilities — will perform Tuesday at the Bottleneck.

The band calls itself “The Tards,” and advertises itself with imagery confirming its name is short for “Retards.” This isn’t cute or cutting-edge. It’s insulting to people with intellectual disabilities and their families, and it’s unacceptable in any community, particularly in progressive Lawrence.

I’m sure The Bottleneck wouldn’t book a band named for an obvious racial or ethnic slur. Why is a name that perpetuates the abuse of people with intellectual disabilities OK with the Bottleneck’s management, its employees and its audiences? Why aren’t the band members smart enough to realize this and creative enough to come up with something different?

This isn’t a call to impose political correctness or to silence free expression. It’s a demand for respect and responsibility that’s long overdue. The band members should reconsider their self-presentation. The Bottleneck and other venues should decline to book the band so long as it goes by its current name. Audiences should think twice before paying for or listening to their music.