Nobody’s “associating” anything. Nobody who’s calling someone retarded has any thoughts in their head about people with the mental disorder. If you called them a downie, then you would probably have a point; as it’s specifically worded to relate to downs syndrome.
But “retard” has come to be an amplification of the word “idiot”. It’s like the words big, bigger, biggest.
It’s the “biggest” of “idiot”.
So if I’m gonna call someone an idiot, my levels of idiot are: Idiot, Dumb-ass, and Retard. I’m just calling them the word that corresponds to being a gargantuan idiot. You can’t use “gargantuan” because they don’t even know what the words mean; so you use retard.
hey I have a question: how does everyone feel about “fucktard”? is that acceptable? it’s not a direct insult to persons with developmental disabilities, but it does have a fairly specific connotation that could be useful in certain situations, plus it throws out an F-bomb to emphasize your anger.
but if that’s too offensive for some folks I guess I can just keep using “fuckmouth”, if that’s easier on the ears.
Nobody who’s calling someone retarded has any thoughts in their head about people with the mental disorder.
Right, except for the part where that’s the literal definition of the word. The literal definition.
The people who were diagnosed as ‘retarded’ as children and adults are still alive. It’s living memory. You think they don’t have any thoughts in their head about mental disorders?
Right, because it was being used as a slur. They stopped using that word to define those conditions because it was being used as a slur. Thanks for the good faith argument.
They stopped using that word because it wasn’t descriptive. The same reason they stopped diagnosing women as “hysterical”. That’s the cool thing about the sciences; they evolve and change over time to be more descriptive, not less.
And now, we use the word hysterical to describe certain things…kinda cool how that works, right? When I call something hysterical (extremely funny) - people don’t get offended and say I’m using a slur.
Or when someone is losing their shit, you say they’re acting hysterical. It’s become a descriptor.
Why are we changing the term “mental retardation” to “intellectual disability”?
The term “intellectual disability” is gradually replacing the term “mental retardation” nationwide. Advocates for individuals with intellectual disability have rightfully asserted that the term “mental retardation” has negative connotations, has become offensive to many people, and often results in misunderstandings about the nature of the disorder and those who have it.
Gradually?? I don’t think the r word has been directly related to mental disability the entire time I’ve been alive, and I’m not exactly young… You’re just choosing to take offense, which is white-knighting for the disabled when they’re not even being insulted… Kinda’ … extremely lame of you…
Oh wait, being lame used to be a health disorder! Guess I’m offending you again…
It’s not my words, the source is from 2013. It’s not about me being offended, it’s literally the social security administration explaining why it stopped using the word “retarded”… 12 years ago. Because it was and remains offensive.
But sure, this is the type of culture America needs more of.
Nobody’s “associating” anything. Nobody who’s calling someone retarded has any thoughts in their head about people with the mental disorder. If you called them a downie, then you would probably have a point; as it’s specifically worded to relate to downs syndrome.
But “retard” has come to be an amplification of the word “idiot”. It’s like the words big, bigger, biggest.
It’s the “biggest” of “idiot”.
So if I’m gonna call someone an idiot, my levels of idiot are: Idiot, Dumb-ass, and Retard. I’m just calling them the word that corresponds to being a gargantuan idiot. You can’t use “gargantuan” because they don’t even know what the words mean; so you use retard.
hey I have a question: how does everyone feel about “fucktard”? is that acceptable? it’s not a direct insult to persons with developmental disabilities, but it does have a fairly specific connotation that could be useful in certain situations, plus it throws out an F-bomb to emphasize your anger.
but if that’s too offensive for some folks I guess I can just keep using “fuckmouth”, if that’s easier on the ears.
fuck mouth might be too insensitive for those of us who have or don’t have sex, so basically all of humanity actually.
I’m rolling dude! haha
Right, except for the part where that’s the literal definition of the word. The literal definition.
The people who were diagnosed as ‘retarded’ as children and adults are still alive. It’s living memory. You think they don’t have any thoughts in their head about mental disorders?
“Retarded” isn’t a medical definition under IDC-11, so they aren’t retarded, as the medical definitions have changed.
Also Retarded has another standard definition – Being held back or stunted of which applies here.
Right, because it was being used as a slur. They stopped using that word to define those conditions because it was being used as a slur. Thanks for the good faith argument.
They stopped using that word because it wasn’t descriptive. The same reason they stopped diagnosing women as “hysterical”. That’s the cool thing about the sciences; they evolve and change over time to be more descriptive, not less.
And now, we use the word hysterical to describe certain things…kinda cool how that works, right? When I call something hysterical (extremely funny) - people don’t get offended and say I’m using a slur.
Or when someone is losing their shit, you say they’re acting hysterical. It’s become a descriptor.
Fuck. Foiled again.
Thanks for the totally good faith argument.
Gradually?? I don’t think the r word has been directly related to mental disability the entire time I’ve been alive, and I’m not exactly young… You’re just choosing to take offense, which is white-knighting for the disabled when they’re not even being insulted… Kinda’ … extremely lame of you…
Oh wait, being lame used to be a health disorder! Guess I’m offending you again…
It’s not my words, the source is from 2013. It’s not about me being offended, it’s literally the social security administration explaining why it stopped using the word “retarded”… 12 years ago. Because it was and remains offensive.
But sure, this is the type of culture America needs more of.