Poll: use of the word 'retarded'

[sirtunic]

I find it sort of funny how people get most offended when you use that term to describe someone who actually is mentally retarded. If its true, so what if i say it, if its not true, i use other words like "moronic" "idiotic" or "imbecile"

That is funny, actually. I assume you don't say it to their face?

 

[Datalord]

I find it sort of funny how people get most offended when you use that term to describe someone who actually is mentally retarded. If its true, so what if i say it, if its not true, i use other words like "moronic" "idiotic" or "imbecile"

That is funny, actually. I assume you don't say it to their face?

If i did, and some people do, they wouldn't understand. I don't, i use it as an adjective to describe them to people who haven't met them yet but will in the near future

 

[wordsmith]

Here's the thing- the word "retard" comes from the latin "retardâre" meaning slow. "Retard" can mean anything from "retardation" (The act of slowing down) to "retardant" (Something that has been treated to slow down or resist certain things- Fire Retardant means it has been treated to spread fire more slowly).

Retarded when it is applied to a person who is "below average level of intellectual functioning, usually defined by an IQ of below 70 to 75, combined with limitations in the skills necessary for daily living." [from the Columbia Encyclopedia]

Applying this to your situation, it would only be fair to label your dad's cousin a retard if his IQ was below 75 (Paralysis and Hearing difficulty would seem to constitute "limitations in the skills of daily living")

The term used to be "special needs" or having "learning difficulties", but I'm going to paraphrase from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. "You can't say 'Special needs', because everyone has special needs. Father needs his sweetener pills, because he can't have sugar with tea, and Sioban needs her inhaler because she has asthma. You can't say 'Learning difficulties' either, because everyone has difficulty learning, for example learning French".

So yeah.. it's still going to go on however much you protest. Possibly it might actually make it *more* likely to happen.

This piece of edutainment was bought to you, in part, by Wordsmith Productions.

 

[sequio]

This is about political correctness, and trying to enforce others to be politically correct is ridiculous.

 

[darthzew]

Well, yes and no. I don't have a problem with it in the offensive manner. But it IS overused and abused.

 

[sirtunic]

This is about political correctness, and trying to enforce others to be politically correct is ridiculous.

I intended my topic to regard being more sym/empathetic. I wanted other opinions on their view of the matter.

 

[runtheplacered]

I don't care if somebody says something is "gay" or "retarded" or what have you. It's not something I spend more then 2 seconds thinking about before moving on. But, I definitely wouldn't consider them to be very intelligent, interesting, or just plain somebody I want to spend the day with if I just go off of what words they're using.

I'm not saying you're unintelligent the second you misuse a word. But if I only have your presentation to base my assumptions from, it wouldn't be in your favor.

Fortunately, I doubt most people with a handicapped vocabulary really care what I think. And that works out just great for both parties involved.

 

[sequio]

This is about political correctness, and trying to enforce others to be politically correct is ridiculous.

I intended my topic to regard being more sym/empathetic. I wanted other opinions on their view of the matter.

oic. While i can understand parents, guardians, and friends/relatives of mentally handicapped being offended at the use of the word, I think it's basically name calling. Calling others names speaks volumes about the person who said it than the person it was directed towards.

 

[TerraMGP]

You're right....
I remember being in 6th grade and that happening. The kids were hanging around being a gaggle of fools, and saying things were retarded. One of the school staff, who had a retarded son, got very upset at this, and they kept pushing it, anyway. I called them a bunch of insensitive jerks, and proceeded to schold them for being so.
Because of my educational situation, they constituted a good half of the school, and proceed to make me ostracized by most of the other half for a week or two after.
Apparently, it wasn't just that I called them insensitive jerks, it was also that I hadn't used profanity when doing so.

.... Safe to say, I didn't exactly fit in.

You see alot of people talk about making retarded some 'forbidden word'. I am nto talking about punishing people for what they say, everyone has a right to free speak. What I am saying is that when people idiotically abuse it they should be called out. This has nothing to do with taking away someones right to say something but rather is a comment on the apethy that so many people seem to have towards such things. Those kids who picked on you were obviously apathetic towards anyone or anything that would cause them to think about others. Granted thats how many kids are but its still disturbing that so many people at that age cannot think beyond themselves and the here and now. Its even more disturbing that the aforementioned mentality is creeping its way up the age ladder more and more leaving people apparently incapable of understanding why they should censor what they say.

 

[I3uster]

Retarded isnt a politically correct word, so dont bother, in my couuntry the politically correct word is corrupted as a cursing word...

 

[Archaeology Hat]

No, because retarded is a legitimate psycological term. Also, I like the word.

 

[sirtunic]

Retarded isnt a politically correct word, so dont bother, in my couuntry the politically correct word is corrupted as a cursing word...

Interesting..

No, because retarded is a legitimate psycological term. Also, I like the word.

What?

 

[jasoncyrus]

The way I see it the word "Retarded", in my book at least, is used to describe someone either monumentally stupid/lacking common sense, or simply someone who can't use their brain to its full average potential.

Which is why I get to use it a LOT when I'm gaming. Seriously, how hard is it to remember not to stand in the fire...?

 

[TerraMGP]

The way I see it the word "Retarded", in my book at least, is used to describe someone either monumentally stupid/lacking common sense, or simply someone who can't use their brain to its full average potential.

Which is why I get to use it a LOT when I'm gaming. Seriously, how hard is it to remember not to stand in the fire...?

And thats the problem. That is not what it means, people get used to thinking of it meaning that. Do you really want to make a genetic flaw that cannot be helped synonymous with people who are just either willfully stupid or lack common sense? Not only is it a bad president, its a bad insult.

 

[smileyboybob]

using the word retarded incorrectly is retarded

 

[jasoncyrus]

The way I see it the word "Retarded", in my book at least, is used to describe someone either monumentally stupid/lacking common sense, or simply someone who can't use their brain to its full average potential.

Which is why I get to use it a LOT when I'm gaming. Seriously, how hard is it to remember not to stand in the fire...?

And thats the problem. That is not what it means, people get used to thinking of it meaning that. Do you really want to make a genetic flaw that cannot be helped synonymous with people who are just either willfully stupid or lack common sense? Not only is it a bad president, its a bad insult.

It's to symbolise the unsaid statement that they have just done something so incredibly detrimental to themselves/other people important to them, that they may aswell have such a debilitating genetic flaw.

And just to get it out of the way coz we'll end up there anyway. If we simply killed these people off at birth there'd be a lot less use of the word, since it would have a death sentenced attached to it. People would feel kind of guilty using it that often.

EDIT: Don't bother bitching at me about how insenstive, or cruel or blah blah blah you think I am. I know, thats why i said it. Move onto the actual debate of the subject and discuss its pros and cons instead of simply shouting your distaste at the poster like some close minded person from the 1830s.

 

[iamnotsteve]

Let's take a look at this. Words, especially in the American English language, have a way of constantly evolving and utterly changing all the time. Words like "retarded", "gay", "******", and "[racial slur of your choice]" (my apologies to any homosexual reading this) tend to follow a trend of transcending a specific derogatory specification and turning into a generalized expression of distaste or disapproval. Depending on your location the usage and severity of these words will vary wildly. For example, I live in the deep south where some of the older members of the community will use the term "n***ered" (my deepest apologies to any readers of African descent) to refer to a situation that has been screwed up. They do not mean a person of color, but rather are falling back on the cultural lexicon that they grew up with. This is not trying to justify their usage, but rather to simply explain it.

In short, you have every right to be personally offended by the usage of "retarded", but you should also take into account that the people using it, especially since the Internet is an international medium, may not mean to offend you.

 

[hypothetical fact]

Until everyone realises that being politically correct is for politicians I'll say retard as much as I like. However I get pissed at people saying poop because no matter how much you try to kidify a subject you are still taking about shit and it is not funny or cute. I also hate people that spell lose as loose on the internet. By typing loose you lose all credibility.

Uh, there's nothing cute about the word poop. Poop is poop. If anything, shit was the expanded exaggeration.

It is like people saying fudge instead of fuck or shitaki mushrooms instead of shit; we can all deduce what the word connotes so these people should cut out the middle man because a rose by any other name is still a vulgarity. They should also stop trying to be inoffensive as all they are doing is continuing the association of the actual curse word with something to be offended. If everyone gets off their false child friendly wagon and calls a spade a spade, the word will lose all impact.

There is clearly something you find less offensive about the word poop which is why you choose to use it instead of the easier to type word, poo; the generic, shit; and the intellectual, fecal matter.

 

[curryinc]

I'll confess that I do tend to overuse "retarded" and "gay" in the negative sense you're referring to.

I am consciously aware of how juvenile and disrespectful it is, but they are so ingrained in to my vocabulary from high school

I need to find some other catchy words that roll off the tongue to replace them.

oh, and I do know two autistic children and their families.

 

[TerraMGP]

The way I see it the word "Retarded", in my book at least, is used to describe someone either monumentally stupid/lacking common sense, or simply someone who can't use their brain to its full average potential.

Which is why I get to use it a LOT when I'm gaming. Seriously, how hard is it to remember not to stand in the fire...?

And thats the problem. That is not what it means, people get used to thinking of it meaning that. Do you really want to make a genetic flaw that cannot be helped synonymous with people who are just either willfully stupid or lack common sense? Not only is it a bad president, its a bad insult.

It's to symbolise the unsaid statement that they have just done something so incredibly detrimental to themselves/other people important to them, that they may aswell have such a debilitating genetic flaw.

And just to get it out of the way coz we'll end up there anyway. If we simply killed these people off at birth there'd be a lot less use of the word, since it would have a death sentenced attached to it. People would feel kind of guilty using it that often.

EDIT: Don't bother bitching at me about how insenstive, or cruel or blah blah blah you think I am. I know, thats why i said it. Move onto the actual debate of the subject and discuss its pros and cons instead of simply shouting your distaste at the poster like some close minded person from the 1830s.

I understand what the word is being used for, but what I am saying is that it does not justify the use.This is not a debate where there are any pros and cons. There are simply people who are, willfully or not, ignoring the meaning and impact of the word and then complaining about the inconvenience of a slur being a slur. Its a matter of ignoring the overall meaning and impact of a word because the common culture has said its ok. In short its about people being too lazy or jaded to even consider minding their own tong and thinking about what they say a good thing. I am fully considering the people and intent behind the usage by the people who use it, and its depressing as hell. It shows me that every generation cares less than the one before it, and that is upsetting.