I Hate Overuse of "Retarded" on CS!

[Nyoibo]

Stupid was widely used by psychologists as a descriptor, so I would guess it had some form of officialness.

One guy I knew was a hoot, he hated political correctness, found it offensive and patronizing, I can just imagine his response to those terms being something along the lines of "Bullshit, I wear a damn nappy and I'm stuck in a fucking wheelchair because I'm a cripple damn it, but at least I get the good parking spots."

Try to imagine growing up in a world, where you are told almost everything you do is wrong. Then try to imagine, being taught that your natural behaviors, are sick and need to be fixed. Try to imagine that then people say, [I]you[I] are wrong and should be fixed.

Try to imagine that you're not the only one in the world who's had experiences like this , try to imagine that you don't need to 'educate' us on the hardships.

[violetyoshi]

http://www.fratching.com/showpost.ph...0&postcount=20

Some people still need an education on this apparently. I wouldn't have made the post, if people had stopped throwing around the r-word. We've been able to learn that the N-word is bad, we can learn the R-word shouldn't be said as well.

Neurotypical is used by those in the neurodiversity community as a descriptor for "normal" people. Should I be able to justify then to clinically referring to normal people as Neurotypical? Perhaps then they would understand how it feels to be different, if they were referred to as a clinical oddity.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

eeee...Yeah, I was gonna say. Most of us don't have to imagine Suck. It's a brutal planet, and we all are missing some skin.

People can't make you feel like less of a person unless you let them. Or something like that. I don't mean to be insensitive to your problems, but defining yourself by your problems is not a great way to deal with them.

And anyways, I wasn't aware that being Autistic had anything to do with mental retardation. One of the guys in my band is Autistic, and he's freaking brilliant.

And by the way, if you are using the word "retarded" to describe the villian in the last bit of your last post...well...you're kind of doing it.

[violetyoshi]

eeee...Yeah, I was gonna say. Most of us don't have to imagine Suck. It's a brutal planet, and we all are missing some skin.

People can't make you feel like less of a person unless you let them. Or something like that. I don't mean to be insensitive to your problems, but defining yourself by your problems is not a great way to deal with them.

And anyways, I wasn't aware that being Autistic had anything to do with mental retardation. One of the guys in my band is Autistic, and he's freaking brilliant.

And by the way, if you are using the word "retarded" to describe the villian in the last bit of your last post...well...you're kind of doing it.

No, what I am suggesting is that the people who use the term retard, are the type of stupid that they are making fun of in another.

[Boozy]

As I said, I find the word "retarded" used to describe something annoying or ridiculous to be offensive.

You're not alone in that, and I don't think you're wrong either. Many people find that word offensive in any context, and I get why the do. They can't separate the word from the way they used to (perhaps still do) hear it used. That's why I never use it in public or with people I don't know, since I don't want to upset anyone. I don't use it on message boards, either.

But I don't see the issue with using it (out of its derogatory context) around close family and friends who don't find it offensive. There's no one there to get hurt, and we aren't bad people. We simply don't concern ourselves with etymology, and we all know what is meant. Just as we understand that "pen" can mean the dog run in the backyard or the Bic on the desk in front of us, it is understood that no one is making fun of the mentally challenged when we call some idea or inanimate object "retarded."

[Ree]

I do get that, Boozy, and I understand your reasoning.
My point is, though, that even using the word casually among family is still using an unpleasant word, so why not just stop it?

Like I said earlier in the thread, I won't allow the children in my house to use the word because the only way to break a bad habit is to stop doing it. If I allowed them to just use it randomly around the house and not in mixed company where others could be offended, there is still a chance that it will slip out it in a context where they will offend someone.

(For the record, it's not just the word "retarded". I won't let them use the term "gay" in that context either.)

It's easier to just make the choice to use a better word with a less offensive history around it.

That's just my opinion.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Sorry you feel that way, but I'm not about to stop using words just in case I accidentally offend someone. To my mind, practically everything offends people nowadays, whether it's wishing somene a "Merry Christmas" or describing a person as being fat. I don't really see why I should watch every word I say to avoid offending stick up the arse people.

By the way, Ree; that wasn't directed towards you. Just the whole "I am so offended so everyone must bend over backwards for me" society we live in now. -.-

[RecoveringKinkoid]

No, what I am suggesting is that the people who use the term retard, are the type of stupid that they are making fun of in another.

Actually, no they aren't. Willfull ignorance and malicious cruelty are not the same thing as having an actual condition that give a person, through no fault of their own, cognitive difficulties.

What you are suggesting is that it's okay to use the word as an insult in some instances (those instances being "when YOU do it.") . And I'm saying is that no, it isn't. If it's offensive, don't do it yourself. If it's not, don't bust on others for doing it. There's no hair-splitting or double standard here.

[violetyoshi]

Sorry you feel that way, but I'm not about to stop using words just in case I accidentally offend someone. To my mind, practically everything offends people nowadays, whether it's wishing somene a "Merry Christmas" or describing a person as being fat. I don't really see why I should watch every word I say to avoid offending stick up the arse people.

By the way, Ree; that wasn't directed towards you. Just the whole "I am so offended so everyone must bend over backwards for me" society we live in now. -.-

Happy Hannukah! Okay, now I'm just being an ass.

[Lace Neil Singer]

And a Merry Winterval back atcha. XD

[Slytovhand]

A couple of my Master's degree colleagues are doing their survey assignment on insults.. what's considered offensive on a 1-5 rating...

Might be interesting to see the results (although, it's only required to get 20 people to do it).

Violet, I've been saying for years that humanity is basically insane, and your long post on the other page pretty much sums up a large reason for that thought... people willfully choose to be cruel to other people...(and this is called a 'coping mechanism').

Ok, so my next question becomes obvious... if 'retard' is out, and 'nigger' or 'negro' (I don't understand the logic behind that, other than a phase in history when it became derogatory, but for the thousands of years before that it wasn't!), what about calling someone a 'dick'? Or a 'prick'?? different connotation, but still making associations that aren't actually merited (nor particularly logical). What's the relevantly significant difference?

[Rapscallion]

Ok, so my next question becomes obvious... if 'retard' is out, and 'nigger' or 'negro' (I don't understand the logic behind that, other than a phase in history when it became derogatory, but for the thousands of years before that it wasn't!), what about calling someone a 'dick'? Or a 'prick'?? different connotation, but still making associations that aren't actually merited (nor particularly logical). What's the relevantly significant difference?

I doubt it will get around to 'prick' etc. The politically correct crew will find something they consider 'acceptable' to describe people who are unfortunate in some way or another, and then people will use that new term to describe people they don't like, and then the politically correct crew will deem that term as inappropriate and demeaning, and then they'll come up with a new term, and that term will be used as an insult, and then it will become unacceptable and...

You get the idea.

Rapscallion

[Slytovhand]

Well, yes Raps, I do get the idea... and that's pretty much the sort of point I'm making.

The whole idea of being insulting and offensive is to insult and offend. So, does it matter what choice of words you use?? If this thread is about not using terms that are offensive to people, then it ought to be about any form of insult.. not just a particular one that happens to offend 1 group of people, but still insist it's ok to use terms that are meant to offend a different group.