It's Wrong When They Do It: "Retard"

[Indy]

[eynon81]

I like the word. You need to be in a position similar to mine to truly appreciate its wonderful nuance. I've never used it, and never plan on using it, to describe people who have Downs Syndrome (they're so adorable) or who are Developmentally Delayed..."retard" or "retarded" is really a great word for describing, not just stupidity, but loud, righteous, angry stupidity...like Nancy Grace or Ward Churchill.

Nope. I'm keeping this word. It's too damn useful.

[exploited]

I get in shit everytime I use this word, because my family does alot of charitable work with retards.

It is valuable word. I use it in the original sense - i.e. someone who has suffered stunted intellectual growth. Not intellectually disabled people, but otherwise normal people who have purposely decided to be retarded in order to fulfill some sort of obligation (to God, Church, Family, whatever).

[Aaron]

[exploited]

[Indy]

Well Aaron nobody is saying that prima facie the word "retard" is offensive in a context like that.

There's a drumming technique called a "retard" which I doubt would raise many eyebrows.

In music and in sports (particularly martial arts), often somebody will play a lick or do a move and we'll say "That was retarded!" Which is all good.

My point was: this is what happens when you have such a shaky foundation ethically, where your only concern is raising a hackle when They do it but excusing it when it's your party.

You end up wildly contradicting yourself as we see here, and if anybody doesn't think that's what's corroding this country or its political process, I'd ask you to look again.

[eynon81]

[Indy]

LOL. Little did I know I was going to start a thread where now everybody's going to figure out every possible way to say the word retard.

[Professor]

This issue is retarded.

I wear a "fire retardant" suit to race. Should I be referring to it as a "fire special needs" suit?

[eynon81]