The Word "Retard"

[dust1n]

What's the difference?

Are you familiar with the difference between insults and assumptions?

 

[Timothy Bryce]

Well, that doesn't mean you should be a dick about it...

Who's being a dick about it?

 

[vaguelyhumanoid]

I absolutely hate the use of "retard" as an insult and I tend to avoid idiot, moron etc as well. I do use "stupid" because to me a "stupid person" is someone who is willfully ignorant or foolish.

btw the term I use for conditions such as Downs Syndrome is "mentally disabled". Mental disorders such as depression, OCD etc are also considered disabilities, but I say "people with mental disorders" or "mentally disordered/ill people" depending on the context for that.

 

[vaguelyhumanoid]

I've heard people refer to imperialism as a "cancer on the face of the earth"; does that mean an anti-imperialist with cancer would be offended by the expression?.

Cancer is not the same thing as a person with cancer. It's more like if someone said "imperialism is like a disgusting man with a tumor". It's showing contempt for the person with the medical condition, not for the condition itself.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

Are you familiar with the difference between insults and assumptions?

Are you familiar with the correlation between assumptions about one's surroundings and their interaction with them?

 

[dust1n]

Are you familiar with the correlation between assumptions about one's surroundings and their interaction with them?

No. What is the correlation?

And I'm going to assume that was a yes, of sorts.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

No. What is the correlation?

And I'm going to assume that was a yes, of sorts.

The correlation: Assumptions one make about their surroundings inherently affect their interactions with their surroundings.

Example: If someone is racist towards blacks, they will make and maintain an assumption that every black person they meet is inferior to them; as a result, their conduct regarding black people will be affected as a result.

And there's no way I'm going to expressly answer a question that is drenched in condescension.

 

[dust1n]

The correlation: Assumptions one make about their surroundings inherently affect their interactions with their surroundings.

Example: If someone is racist towards blacks, they will make and maintain an assumption that every black person they meet is inferior to them; as a result, their conduct regarding black people will be affected as a result.

Here's another example:

If someone lives on planet Earth, they will make and maintain an assumption that every morning the sun will rise. As a result, humans will alter their behavior due to that expectation.

Not so bad, those assumptions, after all, when taken into account they may result in reasonable outcomes and unreasonable outcomes.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Everyone knows what we're talking about.

Yes, everyone knows you are talking about it being okay to make fun of someone (who is not actually present, so the insult is being made to have fun at someone else's expense, NOT to really insult the supposed target) because they somehow resemble people who are disabled through no fault of their own, AS IF that person was a member of that group of disabled people. Ha ha. Very funny.

I'm sure you were never picked on when you were younger because you were younger, or goofier, or your skin was a different color, or your accent was different, or you had a speech impediment, or....And if you were, multiply that by a thousand for someone who is obviously different than "normal" people and get insulted and victimized and put down all the time for things they can do nothing about.

Words are weapons, and using them in a manner that harms, whether "intended" or not, causes harm. Maybe not to you, and maybe you can't fathom why someone with dark skin might resent the N word, or a person of Irish descent might take exception to being called a Mic, and so on. It shows you are an ignorant, inconsiderate @$$ of a human being. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT is human beings with feelings, and treating them like inanimate objects for a laugh, or to harm them mentally, emotionally, socially. Go ahead, pile it on them, they're too weak to fight back about it!

Yep! That's what I'm talking about.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

Here's another example:

If someone lives on planet Earth, they will make and maintain an assumption that every morning the sun will rise. As a result, humans will alter their behavior due to that expectation.

Not so bad, those assumptions, after all, when taken into account they may result in reasonable outcomes and unreasonable outcomes.

Well, we see eye to eye. Except I don't believe assuming someone is at fault, should be avoided/reprimanded or otherwise prejudiced against for using a word even when their intention is nowhere near as sinister as deliberately and expressly ridiculing someone for something they have no control over?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Meh, why can't people just call each other idiots or mad?
No need to offend others while your at it, just offend who you are targeting.

"Mad" can be insulting to those with mental health issues.

 

[whereismynotecard]

Even in modern times, I've heard people describe cognitive disabilities as "mental retardation." While it's not the current polite wording, I don't think these people are trying to be offensive. That's just the word they learned that fits the definition of the thing they are trying to explain. Whenever I hear a medical professional say something like that, a cringe a bit, but if they've been in the profession a long time, maybe they just aren't used to the newest terms people like to use. That's how they learned it. It'd be like telling me I can't say someone is deaf anymore, because the word "deaf" is rude. "Deaf" means you can't hear... That's the word I know for that condition... "Retarded" is the word they know for a medical condition and they haven't broken the habit of using it yet.

The other way the word is used, as to describe something unfavorable or "dumb" is indeed offensive. I used to say it all the time when I was younger, and occasionally, as a habit, I do accidentally refer to something as "retarded." Its a hard habit to break. I acknowledge that it's rude though, and I try not to say it.

The reason the word is seen as offensive now is not because of the medical usage, but because people once called cognitively disabled people "retarded" and then people used the same word to describe lots of other things, such as a "dumb" looking dog, or an obnoxious idiot at the grocery store. People started using it too much and to mean more than "this certain mental disability." It's the same reason why saying something is "so gay" because you don't like it isn't polite.

More or less, saying things or people are "retarded" hurts feelings... So don't do it. And it hurts more feelings than just the person you're referring to. It's kind of like a racial slur at this point. Not quite as bad, and still with alternate definitions... but the word is rarely applicable if you're not talking about flame retardant.

 

[dust1n]

Well, we see eye to eye. Except I don't believe assuming someone is at fault, should be avoided/reprimanded or otherwise prejudiced against for using a word even when their intention is nowhere near as sinister as deliberately and expressly ridiculing someone for something they have no control over?

Ah, no one is at fault or should be avoided/reprimanded or otherwise prejudiced against for making a big mistake in a football game and then assume everyone else in the room also thinks the same thing that he does, but assuming his big behavioral mistake of failing to come up with a good insult to express his dissatisfaction with a football player as a sign of a lack of intellectual complicity is far more sinister, despite the fact I made no deliberate and expressive ridicule of someone for something they have no control over... at least, I assume they have no control over their lack of ability to come up with a good insult.

I love the PC world, where I can't dismiss whomever I wish as stupid and not worthy of praise for dismissing whomever they wished as stupid and not worthy of praise for making a bad play.

 

[Skwim]

Because they use the term retarded as a synonym for something inferior or something that doesn't work properly.

That's your perception. I would be careful about bestowing your impressions onto others.

I don't think you should need an explanation why that is offensive.

In your opinion, perhaps not, but that's what this is all about: explaining why using a term for a developmental disorder to describe someone amounts to making fun of those who have the disorder.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

Yes, everyone knows you are talking about it being okay to make fun of someone (who is not actually present, so the insult is being made to have fun at someone else's expense, NOT to really insult the supposed target) because they somehow resemble people who are disabled through no fault of their own, AS IF that person was a member of that group of disabled people. Ha ha. Very funny.

I'm sure you were never picked on when you were younger because you were younger, or goofier, or your skin was a different color, or your accent was different, or you had a speech impediment, or....And if you were, multiply that by a thousand for someone who is obviously different than "normal" people and get insulted and victimized and put down all the time for things they can do nothing about.

Words are weapons, and using them in a manner that harms, whether "intended" or not, causes harm. Maybe not to you, and maybe you can't fathom why someone with dark skin might resent the N word, or a person of Irish descent might take exception to being called a Mic, and so on. It shows you are an ignorant, inconsiderate @$$ of a human being. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT is human beings with feelings, and treating them like inanimate objects for a laugh, or to harm them mentally, emotionally, socially. Go ahead, pile it on them, they're too weak to fight back about it!

Yep! That's what I'm talking about.

So suddenly I'm "an ignorant, inconsiderate @$$ of a human being"? Way to validate everything I've said in this thread; being offended is not an argument. If I were offended by that lame insult, maybe I'd respond in kind (notice the irony?) but I'm not because your argument is extremely weak and founded on emotion rather than anything reasonable.

Literally, every example I've provided in this thread refers to instances where no one would be offended and one instance where one person decided to act like an over-sensitive prick.

I'm arguing that the use of the word is important.

What does "fire retardant" mean? Can chemicals be insulting?

 

[psychoslice]

Its called intellectually handicapped.

 

[vaguelyhumanoid]

OK, I'm disabled (not in the sense of "retarded") and I hate the word "handicapped". It comes across as ridiculously patronizing. People in disabled communities generally say "disabled".

 

[psychoslice]

OK, I'm disabled (not in the sense of "retarded") and I hate the word "handicapped". It comes across as ridiculously patronizing. People in disabled communities generally say "disabled".

Well what pretty words do you want ?.

 

[Deidre]

Case Study: A principal lawyer asks one of his paralegals to look for an appropriate barrister to act in a matter and the paralegal suggests one. The principal, as the work load is enormous, says no on the basis that he would be "a retarded choice" or that "[the barrister in question] is a retard".

Now, these two colleagues might have a mutual understanding of what is meant when they refer to someone in the industry as a retard and, by using a two syllable word instead of explaining why this barrister would be an inappropriate choice, time is saved.

Where in this case study is an example of someone who is reflecting their unhappiness and where is the example of putting others down to make themselves feel better?

so if someone were to call you that (because they felt like 'saving time') would that be okay with you?

 

[Thief]

Admittedly, this is a topic that I might be lacking in understanding so I appreciate any assistance.

The other day, I was watching a game at a bar and one of the players on screen made a huge mistake. One guy I was watching the game with shook his head and said, "that'd be right - the retard we all knew him to be". Immediately when this guy said "retard," another guy turned around to him, noticeably offended, and confronted him about his use of the word. The offended guy's complaint was based upon the fact that he "works with special needs children" and that he is always offended when he hears that word being used. The guy apologised and said to offended guy that he never intended to use the word to offend anyone.

Now, I have an enormous respect for language and love flexible use of the English language so this altercation left me puzzled. After briefly looking at the etymology and considering the past and present uses of the word, I'm still at a loss about this offended guy's reaction.

First off - apparently this was a term that was widely accepted with medical connotations and used as a means to refer to people with mental disabilities as an alternative to being called things like "idiot" or "moron". This was apparently up until the last 15 years when people started deciding that "retard" should be considered an insult. Secondly, the word is used so liberally today to refer to so many different things in literally infinite contexts that to avoid the word would probably only cripple expression.

Considering the above paragraph, it's obvious to me that there needs to be a term that distinguishes people with intellectual disabilities for everyone's benefit however it seems as if the very nature of the topic would doom any term that refers to intellectually challenged people to eventually become a term of insult. This almost confirms to me that simply being offended by something does not constitute any form of argument and by assuming that it does stifles progress.

Idk, it's a dirty topic I suppose - but necessary.

a distant relative of mine is mongoloid.
retarded

Chunky was a happy and fun loving boy
loved to wrestle

He would not be insulted.....he would not understand

As for the episode you described.....
the guy in the bar is a jerk

I once saw a guitar playing comedian do a tune about .....being special
the lyrics ended with a brick to his head (dealt by wrestling with a retard)
and now, he's special too.

it was hilarious