End the "R" Word Campaign

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twoface17
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01 Jun 2011, 5:36 pm

I hate the r word.

draelynn
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01 Jun 2011, 7:08 pm

I've called myself a social ret*d for decades. It happens to be correct. But I do not use that word in reference to others as a general rule.

My husband uses the word with reckless abandon. Just as he uses the 'n' word, insisting on it's original meaning which was 'ignorant'. He does not use it in a racial sense. People of all colors get that word from him. He cannot be swayed from that assertion, history, social etiquette, PC be damned. And the 'g' word - he has all the same sensitivity to that, maybe even a bit less because he is tired of the 'gay' thing.

I have the feeling his opinion may change drastically the first time someone uses the 'r' word to bully our daughter though.

ci
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01 Jun 2011, 7:21 pm

What is the G word?

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draelynn
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01 Jun 2011, 7:28 pm

'G" = gay

Delirium
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02 Jun 2011, 7:13 pm

Drifter wrote:

It probably would be easier to to change the medical term to "intellectual disability", than to change the use of the word ret*d as a insult. It has just become so ingrained in our language nowadays. A tough fight all around.

And then people will find a way to turn "intellectual disabled" into an insult. It's called the euphemism treadmill, kids.

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ci
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02 Jun 2011, 7:36 pm

Delirium wrote:

Drifter wrote:

And then people will find a way to turn "intellectual disabled" into an insult. It's called the euphemism treadmill, kids.

Calling someone stupid is akin to calling someone the R word or Intellectual disability. With intellectual disability at least the word cannot be used to call someone it directly. Please have some respect and don't refer people to their disorder unless they say it's ok. It's dehumanizing.

Lecks
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02 Jun 2011, 9:02 pm

This is pointless.

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ci
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02 Jun 2011, 9:54 pm

Lecks wrote:

This is pointless.

I'd agree. Calling people or referring them to disorder concept such as he or she is a disorder can be offensive. So it is pointless to insist on trying to persist when someone dislikes it. Personally I like the idea of human being. For some reason culture likes to compartmentalize though I may be acting alien to my own behavior at times I believe unnecessary declaration of inferiority, defect or unequal comparative rather then respectability is in order? What it comes down to is common decency and respect. Either someone respects a human being as a human being or calls them some kind of disorder in entire being such as an R word or an A word ending in "ic".

I am sure most people mean no harm by it but it is pointless to insist.

ScientistOfSound
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03 Jun 2011, 4:26 am

If somebody calls you ret*d, chances are they're stupider than you are. People should learn to just ignore people who call them stuff like this.

Delirium
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03 Jun 2011, 11:58 am

ci wrote:

Delirium wrote:

Drifter wrote:

And then people will find a way to turn "intellectual disabled" into an insult. It's called the euphemism treadmill, kids.

You completely missed the point of what I was saying.

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ci
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03 Jun 2011, 12:11 pm

ScientistOfSound wrote:

If somebody calls you ret*d, chances are they're stupider than you are. People should learn to just ignore people who call them stuff like this.

Well yes in the smaller circumstances but their is a value with the public education.

TenPencePiece
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03 Jun 2011, 7:27 pm

People use words like these too...would flippantly be the word?
It would be nice to see use of all these condescending, offensive, and at times, inaccurate words eradicated, but it will never happen, especially in today's society, I think.
So what do we do? I suggest we counter them by using words that positively describe us.
But, it is late after a bad day, I may be talking rubbish here.

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Drifter
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03 Jun 2011, 11:03 pm

Delirium wrote:

Drifter wrote:

And then people will find a way to turn "intellectual disabled" into an insult. It's called the euphemism treadmill, kids.

I know. the point to my post was to demonstrate the futility of this campaign. The word ret*d is so ingrained in society nowadays I think must people don't even know it's is official terminology.

ci
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03 Jun 2011, 11:06 pm

Autistic is but as a diagnoses so I am more confident people won't call people a disorder. With regards to the R word some are and some are not aware. However I'd say that most are if they think about it in context to someone with obvious intellectual disability.

Delirium
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05 Jun 2011, 9:50 am

Drifter wrote:

Delirium wrote:

Drifter wrote:

And then people will find a way to turn "intellectual disabled" into an insult. It's called the euphemism treadmill, kids.

I know. the point to my post was to demonstrate the futility of this campaign. The word ret*d is so ingrained in society nowadays I think must people don't even know it's is official terminology.

Exactly. "Idiot", "moron", and "imbecile" also used to be legitimate diagnostic terms for ret*d people. ("Idiot" was also an ancient Greek term for people who didn't vote, but that's another thing altogether.)

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murasaki_ahiru
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06 Jun 2011, 11:13 pm

vermontsavant wrote:

plus all the r word is is latin for slowed down

There's other so call called bad names/slurs that have Latin/Greek roots as well. A word is only offensive in the way it's context it is used in. That's my 2 cents.

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