Retarded...

I'll stop practicing my French then.

Then how will you tell people that they are late?

actually, "retarded " was acceptable back in the 70s and 80s............I worked in special speach ,occupational and physical therapy for the " crippled" people as they were refered to at that time. I wolked as a volunteen for the Texas Rehabilition for Crippled Children, that eventually went to the name of Easter Seals for the Handicapped.........this was back in the 60s

Im 58 and "retarded, mongoloid and crippled" were the terms used.........times change, hopefully, people will

my oldest brother was hurt in a freak baseball accident, and we took care of him, as he was wheeel chair bound for 34 years before he died.......people can be rude, I ve seen people at their worst, the stares, comments, etc

Its good you let em know, that way they will learn...........good luck

So the interesting thing to me here is that we don't use the word retarded professionally any more. We use cognitively or developmentally disabled. We don't refer to children as slow any more.

For this generation of children, the word retarded ONLY means someone who is acting stupid. I am in agreement that the word is ugly, and shouldn't be used, but without teaching people the history of the word, they do not understand the pain they inflict.

When I started teaching, the special education class for those students with an IQ below 70 was actually called "Educably Mentally Retarded." Now that program is called Special Day Class. The students I taught in high school who are now teachers themselves never heard that word used in a professional setting.

People use the word moron all the time. It isn't as offensive. But the history of the word is exactly the same - just a matter of degree.

All derogatory terms should be erased from our vocabularies. But it isn't going to happen.

Some people can't be bothered to keep up with what is PC. It used to be OK to say that word (oh, 50 years ago). I wouldn't automatically assume someone uses it in a mean way. They may just not realize it's hurtful. I've been known to inadvertently us an un PC term and was corrected for it. Luckily it was in the company of friends and not in front of someone who would have been hurt by it. Needless to say I updated my brain databases, and don't use the term in an inappropriate manner anymore.

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Some people can't be bothered to keep up with what is PC. It used to be OK to say that word (oh, 50 years ago). I wouldn't automatically assume someone uses it in a mean way. They may just not realize it's hurtful. I've been known to inadvertently us an un PC term and was corrected for it. Luckily it was in the company of friends and not in front of someone who would have been hurt by it. Needless to say I updated my brain databases, and don't use the term in an inappropriate manner anymore.

My brain database takes a long time to update. And sometimes I miss certain critical tables that were key.

Ain't that the truth though! And the paperwork can get totally out of hand.

If the word in a medical type setting (explaining what the person has ect) Im ok with that, if the word is used in a nasty way, then yeah some heads will roll

Okay, I hear and understand your thoughts, so here a few things I'll point out;

First off, thanks for a considered reply - something an awful lot don't manage when they are on a personally emotional subject.

Do you check up every word you use? How far back do you go?
The way people use words DOES change.
For instance 'gay' used to just mean generally happy-go-lucky and the like. Also, people that were fairly free in their heterosexual activities. Then it got used for and adopted by homosexuals and now, wikipedia claims is used derisively without sexual connotations (I'm not convinced by that personally, but it's far from impossible).

Had you considered I might be dyslexic and find it hurtful to be reminded that my spelling grammar aren't up to scratch?
I had a look through; a missing 'o', capital D and apostrophe and I wrote 'racer' rather than 'razor' - doesn't help when posting on a motorbike forum at the same time I suspect! Interested to hear if there's anything else.
Oh and no; I'm not dyslexic, that I know. But it provided my a most excellent example of how people can easily take justifiable offence at things that anyone can say; including those complaining about just such things.

I believe that thoughts follow behavior. If you eliminate people saying the N word, they will stop thinking of people as N's. Eventually, generations later, it will seem ridiculous that we used to think that way at all about people.

That's my philosophy. Not tolerating the bad behavior is the way to correct it. Acceptance if bad or inappropriate behavior actually has the opposite effect. It makes it ok. And it encourages ignorance. At least, that is my opinion.

Are you aware that this concept was discussed in some great detail by George Orwell in his book 1984? The concept was called 'newspeak'.
It was not portrayed as a concept congruent with a healthy civilisation.

I don't think it's the case personally, anyway.

For instance, in the 80s and early 90s 'spastic' was a very common insult and retard was rarely used where I was.
As time has gone on, people haven't stopped expressing the concept, they've just changed the word and now tend to use the 'r' word.
Sure, it's a more global coverage, but the people saying it aren't thinking like that, I'd suggest.

The effect of the words is more important than their intent.

Your post left me incredibly hurt, distressed and angry.

Well, it didn't, but that is exactly why I don't think taking the effect of words as the most important aspect is a good way to work.
That way, someone can be intentionally incredibly offensive to one person and it be 'ok', because the person wasn't bothered.
While another person may make a minor faux pas and be sent to prison or something because another person found it extremely nasty.

Having absolutely no knowledge of the subject quaifies me to speak somewhat for those who say things like you describe; I am ignorant. What I would say that might hurt you comes from ignorance; its not meant to hurt and I suspect others in my situation are the same. I am happy you are the person you are. I recently heard a commentthat I think totally applies, "God only gives special children to special people, " and you, not I are obviously special.

And see that, MFP let me say gay, queer, *kitten*, spick but blocked out nig*er...interesting

Gay can mean happy, queer can mean strange and *kitten* can mean cigarette.

I admit when I saw this topic title, I came into this thread seeing RED!!! So happy to have realized it was an "anti" R word topic. My God son is special needs and his mother and I are very involved w/ educating people against using the "R" word as a simple slang so easily.

http://www.r-word.org/

I was quite angry myself. My child is a little slower than other kids and I have heard other kids taunt her and sometimes I wish I could be a young child again so I could hand out some punishment for them being cruel and heartless. I have worked with mentally and physically handicapped individuals and I loved that job. I admit my body wouldn't let me work as much as the employers wanted me to work, so I had to leave the position or face hurting myself permanently. But that was the best job I ever had...meaning I enjoyed everyone there! And to hear someone referring to anyone as a retard, or with a racial slur makes me angry and I will always step up and tell them to learn how to be tactful at the very least.

I don't get the outrage about the word retarded. Saying that someone is "slow or limited in intellectual or emotional development or academic progress" doesn't seem hateful to me. And even used as a pejorative, no one is actually linking a dumb person with a handicapped person, and everyone knows that, so I wonder why people seem to want to look for ways to have their feelings hurt when there are plenty of things that are unavoidably painful? Why volunteer to feel hurt about something that's meaningless?

:noway:

holy freaking hell.