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Close Topic OptionsThe Word "Retard" Hurts
The Word Retard Hurts - Psychology, Special Needs, Health - Posted: 16th Jun, 2011 - 8:38pm
Posts: 5 - Views: 1537
Retard - Retarded
The Word "Retard" Hurts
I am glad to hear about this campaign. It disgusts me when I hear people (specially teens) using this word as a joke. It hurts, to those who have special needs and their families.
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| An unexpected and sudden spotlight on the Special Olympics, an organization that for more than 40 years has served and honored those with intellectual disabilities, comes less than two weeks before the nonprofit launches a new campaign: Spread the Word to the End the Word. March 31 is being billed a "national day of awareness," a call to Americans to recognize and rethink their use of the word "retard," or as the organization would prefer, the "R-word." "Most people don't think of this word as hate speech, but that's exactly what it feels like to millions of people with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends," a statement about the campaign reads. "This word is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur." The push for increased respect is being spearheaded by young people who are collecting pledges or vows to not use the word at Source 2, and are leading online discussions on how people can get involved in this cause. So far, across the country, 300 schools have already committed to hosting rallies on March 31, Special Olympics President and CEO J. Brady Lum said.... |
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Hurts quotRetardquot Word The
I have one friend I know of that has a son who is, I'm not sure what it exactly it is he's called, he's 16 now but still acts like he's maybe 9 or so, if that, so I guess at the very least, developmentally disabled, though he's an active "kid" and can play games and play and take care of chores and such, so I don't know if this "r-word" would ever have applied to him.
His dad has used the word retard or retarded in everyday discussion as a curse like Emanuel did, but would likely wipe you out if you called his son a name, that or anything else. So I think there might be a certain split, as some people connect it more as a term which has moved away from it's earlier clinical usage, since that is no longer used there but become slang in popular culture, like gay no longer means happy or carefree, and even has to share the connotation of homosexuality with the newer, also insulting, "That's so GAY", meaning dumb, or perhaps more accurately, given the way kids use it, "retarded". It may not be "fair" or "kind" and "shouldn't be used", but even if public speaking manages to get rid of it, it still isn't going to fade out of pop culture anytime soon and I don't see a whole lot of satisfaction for people who are regularly offended by it for their friends or family or people they know or work with.
I don't generally use this term, but have on occasion, though not as an actual pejorative, but always as a good-natured term of endearment for family or friends, to note they're acting silly, like "dweeb"; I think in the general culture around here at least, retarded wasn't being used anymore as a genuine medical term for a long time, so was more or less "free" to be picked up and given new meaning, no doubt still keeping the worst conceptualization of the original. Out of politeness, I refrain from using words I am aware of that offend people, even if arguing or angry, because society must maintain a baseline of civility and respect for each other.
However, I personally think people are overly sensitive and sometimes some seem to be eager to take personal affront to words in our day and age, and claim every slight as their own in order to register indignation and take on the role of victim, thus justifying a persecution complex, for a variety of reasons. But I'm also not offended by honky, cracker, mutt, half-breed, mangy redskin, blanket-donkey or whatever other names there is for Native Americans, white people or whatever else, so I don't assume my views are the majority.
In short (too late), if a word is no longer in the current usage of a certain field, I personally don't see it as being "their" word anymore, and since in cases like this, it is now "bad" and according to their own complaint, isn't used refer to who or whatever it is they're not wanting it to, to begin with, complaining about other people using it makes no sense. "We don't use it because it was an originally clinical word but has been used hurtfully, so it is offensive and nobody else can use it" - this, even though they don't want to use it to be used in a mean way, they still associate with this way, even if nobody is using it that way.
Idiot, moron, fool and various other now cultural slang insults, some clinical at one time, some simpler, less offensive pop culture terms, are all taboo in polite company and politically correct functions, yet remain in the vast "background" world, waiting for the next now-innocuous-but-soon-to-be-hate-speech word to join them; "You are SO developmentally disabled!" will cackle some teen to another. Then even the politically correct terms will be discarded for newer temporarily suitable terms, until people just blatantly start making up new non-English words for their serious and professional terminology, which will also eventually be assimilated and adopted as slang. It is like stemming the ocean's tide with tinker toys.
Post Date: 16th Jun, 2011 - 12:24am / Post ID: #
Hurts quotRetardquot Word The
Name: Wendy
Comments: Why are so many gun ho about the word "retard" being banned? What are they going to do ban every word kids come up with so they can be politically correct?
Hurts quotRetardquot Word The
I think only good can come from it probably in the form of more awareness about how everyone calls each other sometimes because lets not fool each other adults do this too!
TOPIC: The Word "Retard" Hurts