Henry off the hook again
Bad boy television host Paul Henry has again escaped censure from the Broadcasting Standards Authority after a controversial comment about flying a Maori flag from the Auckland Harbour Bridge on Waitangi Day. Ref. Source 2
I dont agree with political correctness. If something needs to be said, it needs to be said. If someone is messed up- let them know it. I suppose you don't have to be harsh and call them retarded, but I think the use of that word is just something that's going to be. In my eye, retard means someone who has an abnormally slow thought process. Meaning that person just takes longer to get their head around things. So in my eyes, if a guy at work keep messing up, he's retarded. By the standards of everyone else there, he's not average. Thus, he's a retard. I realize this is mean, but if someone calls you retarded, and you're not, know you're not, then pretty much you just had a dumb moment.
Am I biased because I'm in the Marine Corps? Because I don't think civilians come right out and tell people they're stupid if they're stupid. But I haven't been around them too much recently. So I guess maybe you could just say "No, that's not right, this is how it is". Actually that would be nice every now and then, but it would be pretty sad if you can't take being called a retard. It happens to everyone at some time or another.
In the end, if you're being stupid, you're being stupid. There's no getting around that. The use of retard as a word to describe that is because of the similarities between an actual retard and how that person is acting. It's not actually making fun of the retarded person. Would you rather it be they're called Lagged? That's a fitting word these days with computers and such. So retarded people are now called Lags. So people will start using the word Lag, or lagged out, or laghead when someone does something stupid. It's human nature.
That being said to Ebbs (sorry I have a thing about the word retard being called harsh). About the real article- yes making fun of actual retarded people is pretty messed up. And in this situation calling non retarded people retarded when they've done nothing wrong- in effect speaking about their physical selves, that in itself is retarded. She didn't do anything wrong- therefore he has no grounds for calling her retarded. Some people have problems speaking in front of crowds- actually a lot of people do. He really shouldn't be calling her retarded and trying to back it up. There are plenty of other more funny ways to make fun of people.
Edited: Kevin on 29th Dec, 2009 - 5:42am
When my kids do something that I consider stupid or retarded I just call them a idjit. I feel this is a better word to use then says hey you R-tard or your really stupid to have done that. I know there are times I have done stuff and thought man that was really stupid. My kids are quick to point out that I was a R-tard for doing that.