What do you think of the R word campaign?

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I still hear gay being used that way. It's not so much as an insult as in the way folks used to use it when I was a kid, but it just means "lame" now. Even my gay friends use it that way. They seem to understand the difference between "Netflix is being gay" and "I just met a great guy for you, and yes he's gay" and "Hi, I'm from Westboro Baptist Church and God hates you cause you're GAY" etc. It's the same way that people, both black and white, now use the word "n***a" the same way "man" was used in the 70's and "dude" was used in the 80's. All the kids call everybody "n***a". White people call black people that and black people call white people that and white calls white that and black calls black that and the Mexicans are in it too and even the girl whose parents are from China and own the Chinese restaurant but she sounds like she's from California even though she was raised down here in Alabama. Everybody is a "n***a" but if somebody were to put the er on the end of it and call somebody that, everybody would be mad cause you don't do that, it's mean and rude and you're just a damn bigot cracker etc etc etc. Just like they all say "gay" all the time but if somebody used it as an actual insult like "I don't like Rodney because he's gay" then they would all be "You're just a douche man, Rodney's my n***a" lol. Really.

They do use the word ret*d the same way as gay. Netflix is sometimes ret*d. It's been ret*d gay before too. People have said they "drank themselves ret*d" the night before or they acted like an idiot and so someone must have "thought they were ret*d". They don't mean mentally ret*d like they would have meant it when I was a kid. They mean, well they mean "gay". Kids who are actually "mentally ret*d" are called "special kids" and nobody better make fun or them or do a damn thing cause if you do somebody's whooping your ass cause you don't do that! Honestly, it may jsut be in this town but that is how things are. People do get picked on but not for being gay, or black or mentally disabled. They get teased over things they do, or disliked because of how they treat others, but it's considered very, very wrong to dislike or judge someone for who or what or how they ARE.

I'm pretty proud of these kids if you ask me. And because I know how they are and what they mean and I've seen many of them stand up to someone for saying some stupid ass bigoted or mean s**t, I'm totally ok with them being "my n***a!" or the fact that while I think my phone is so cool it's really ret*d cause it was the cheapest and slowest one, but it's ok for a mom but it would really be "gay" for one of them to be stuck with one. Because of how these kids mean it and how they are. I've never seen anybody be insulted that way and to be honest if somebody told them that they were insulted, then they would try not to use it around them, and would apologize. But since they all talk that way, all the kids, they all understand each other. I guess if we don't we are "gay", and nobody will be "my n***a" cause we think it's all "ret*d" to talk this way. LOL. I don't know. It is what it is I guess.

I agree. I guess people missed your point a bit. I personally don't like statements like "well, bullying is part of human nature". So is pedophilia and torture...

Murder, too. Human nature should not be an excuse.

I think that if those with Aspergers want to send a strong message, they should stop letting a word have power over them. If we do that, we only make those who use it on us stronger.

So by silencing we are sending a stronger message? Was it that you meant or did I misunderstood? I at least don't think the silence and the lack of people standing against oppressive language in Germany helped the jews. The use of words is part of the power, part of the oppression, part of the discrimination. Stand up, I'd say. Things can change.

I agree too. A strong campaign against bullying would be a good thing. I'd like to see a tightening up of the "duty of care" in schools so that they would be in deep trouble if they allowed anybody to be bullied. It would probably mean an increase in surveillance, otherwise in many cases nothing can be proved. But as the law says every child must attend school (and of course anybody who doesn't ls likely to be pretty badly disadvantaged in later life anyway), I think it's also up to the law to guarantee a benign environment for every child. Same goes for workplaces, though the bullying there is usually more subtle.

For discrimination, it's usually illegal but I'm sure it still goes on. I'm not sure how that can be stopped. If employers don't want Aspies, or don't want to make adjustments for them, they'll find some way of fudging things so that the discrimination isn't obvious. In the UK, we at least have fair dismissal laws, but in the USA, apparently dismissal doesn't have to be fair, so I don't know how American Aspies could hope to avoid discrimination.

Hate and ignorance - that's also difficult. Some kind of educational initiative could maybe help, but I think it can be very hard to change people's attitudes.

I didn't say they shouldn't speak out at all. To me, I think it should be less about banning certain words, but more about advocating against general mean-spiritedness. Do you understand what I mean?

For me I shy away from using the label of 'ret*d' when referring to something whom is or appears to be lower functioning but rather intellectually disabled/delayed are the terminologies that I chose to use, same goes for the outdated term 'mongoloid' when referring to somebody whom has Down syndrome.

Yeah, I get it know.

It's hard to find a balance for mean-spiritedness comes across in words. Bullying and oppression happens in words and actions, bullying actually mostly in words. Language is a powerfull tool, and it's easy to hide it's power behind "It's JUST language", but just language is what we mostly act upon.

I think it's a great campaign that's long overdue in today's society. I have a history of being called that word and the regular kids at my elementary school called the LD class, "The ret*d Class". If that could be prevented in the future lives of students, that would be great.

Sometimes I like to inform people they've just said 'that's slow'...if they say 'that's ret*d' since the word simply means slow or to slow. And I have ret*d processing speed because I process things kind of slow a lot. Idk I used to get insulted with that word all the time now I just think it should be restored to its original meaning.

People do not use the word ret*d much in polite conversation anymore around here. Now it's RiRi, short for ret*d. RiRi? Yeah, my friend says, short for ret*d.

Or they put a word in front of -tard. Christard (Christian you can't stand), Demotard, Repubtard, teachtard, and the ever popular f**ktard.

Another word same meaning.

I like they way the word Aspie might sound like an insult, but aspies use it, and it doesn't stop non aspies using it - we do not use it as if it is our word, like a derogatory term that we have repossessed so to speak. This lack of preciousness is good I feel.

There's a list of words I avoid as polite society condemns them - and for no other reason.

Not everyone is capable of that. Personally, I have no control over whether or not I react emotionally to something. It boggles my mind to think anyone could control that sort of thing.

If I get called by a hurtful name, it cuts me down emotionally. Either I openly take offense, or I quietly suffer. There is no other option.

As far as I know, Aspie has never been used as an insult the way 'ret*d' and 'n****r' have.

I like the campaign, personally I cringe when I hear someone say the R word. I guess as long as they are not replacing the R word with other offensive names (sperg, etc.)