hahaha. So the commercial would probably have been more effective if it featured a mildly dumb person saying, "It's not OK to call me a retard" since calling a legitimately retarded person a retard is nothing more than a statement of fact.
Mike Gayner
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MovingTarget
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mjrpes3
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Retarded has become a slur, because its most common usage nowadays is to disparage a person, place, or thing. That is simply the definition of a slur.
The fact that you can still use the word in the conventional sense just means that the split has come about recently and lexicon has not fully caught up. The association of retarded persons renamed themselves "The Arc" a while back, and the use of retard in the clinical sense is well on its way to shifting completely to developmental/intellectual disabilities.
This is sort of like how the word negro was fine for decades until recently. The United Negro College Fund, like arc, is now literally the UNCF. If you use the word negro nowadays you are either a polite racist or 90 years old.
See also:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/westmoreland/s_725750.html
The fact that you can still use the word in the conventional sense just means that the split has come about recently and lexicon has not fully caught up. The association of retarded persons renamed themselves "The Arc" a while back, and the use of retard in the clinical sense is well on its way to shifting completely to developmental/intellectual disabilities.
This is sort of like how the word negro was fine for decades until recently. The United Negro College Fund, like arc, is now literally the UNCF. If you use the word negro nowadays you are either a polite racist or 90 years old.
See also:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/westmoreland/s_725750.html
HamburgerBoy
Lifer
- Apr 12, 2004
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An elementary school friend with a Downs syndrome relative removed retard from my verbal vocabulary, but I have no problems typing it on the internet. :awe:
- Oct 9, 1999
- 46,526
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Yes. "Retard" is no longer the proper or polite term to use when describing the developmentally delayed.
The problem is that it is no longer the correct word and you are being asked to not call a developmentally delayed person a retard because the word has flooded the culture as a slur on people of "normal" intelligence.
That PSA is exactly as it says: a developmentally delayed youngster asking you not to call her a retard!
Of course, this get the backs up of all the supremely over-entitled idiots here who take anyone asking them not to behave as they damn well please about almost anything as a mortal attack on their "fweedom."
. . . And you emotionally immature culture warriors seemingly lack the verbal comprehension to understand that the PSA is simply asking you not to use "retard", which has become a slur, when discussing or addressing the developmentally delayed.
How fucking hard is that, you big babies?
MrPickins
Diamond Member
- May 24, 2003
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schneiderguy
Lifer
- Jun 26, 2006
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It's a lot more complicated than this. A lot of developmentally interesting folks happen to LIKE the term retarded. The people making the PSA's (basically, the Special Olympics folks) are making the decision FOR the developmentally bizarre, without taking their opinion into account. It dehumanizes the developmentally unique, insults their ability to have preferences and make their own decisions.
It's hard enough being developmentally different, without having the rest of the world decide for you what you should be offended by.
/end rant from parent of 20-yr-old autistic kid - the politics of autism make P&N look like mother teresa and her friends by comparison
- Oct 9, 1999
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Aikouka
Lifer
- Nov 27, 2001
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I've never had any real problem with the word "retard." Frankly, if you call someone a term to disparage them because of a condition that they can't control... you're an ass. It doesn't matter if it's "retard", "handicapped" or whatever.
My little brother is mentally retarded, and I have no qualms with using the word to describe his condition. Although, he had a stroke when he was 2 (caused by experimental medicine to combat Leukemia), which also caused issues using certain body parts (I believe the left appendages -- arm, leg). So I guess using "handicapped" would be more appropriate in his situation as it better describes all ailments. But anyway, the point is the connotation behind it all. Saying, "He's a retard" or "He's mentally retarded" means the exact same thing.
The part I find a bit silly is how they try to stress not using the word as a disparaging remark against a person that isn't mentally handicapped (when they do something dumb or whatever). Just how fragile are we... are we going to start pushing to not use words like "stupid" next? Words only have power when we give it to them.
All in all, the message should simply say, "don't be a dick to your fellow man."
My little brother is mentally retarded, and I have no qualms with using the word to describe his condition. Although, he had a stroke when he was 2 (caused by experimental medicine to combat Leukemia), which also caused issues using certain body parts (I believe the left appendages -- arm, leg). So I guess using "handicapped" would be more appropriate in his situation as it better describes all ailments. But anyway, the point is the connotation behind it all. Saying, "He's a retard" or "He's mentally retarded" means the exact same thing.
The part I find a bit silly is how they try to stress not using the word as a disparaging remark against a person that isn't mentally handicapped (when they do something dumb or whatever). Just how fragile are we... are we going to start pushing to not use words like "stupid" next? Words only have power when we give it to them.
All in all, the message should simply say, "don't be a dick to your fellow man."
BoomerD
No Lifer
- Feb 26, 2006
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HAL9000
Lifer
- Oct 17, 2010
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I also find it funny they didn't include slurs against every day white people in that video. That should tell you something.
RocksteadyDotNet
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moshquerade
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- Nov 1, 2001
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McLovin
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