Retarded is considered a slur by many people but despite most people knowing this it has unfortunately become entrenched in our vocabulary. The other day I was called retarded myself for not liking basil on pasta.
Bigbud makes the point that if we stamp out use of “retarded” another word will just come along to replace it, and it’s fair to say that we should focus on the root of the problem- the normalisation of bullying of disabled people. However as the word “retarded” is currently used as weapon in the bullies’ arsenal it makes sense to try to eliminate casual use of the word.
Exactly, it was us mocking each other. I don’t recall ever walking up to an actually mentally disabled person and calling them a retard, and I’ve never seen anyone else do it either.
It's not the normalization of bullying of the genuinely retarded. Nobody thinks that anybody who walks up to a severely disabled down's syndrome person and calls them retarded is a reasonable or fair person.
The point is what being retarded defines will always be seen as a negative thing because it is a negative thing. It's like trying to spin someone smelling like shit into a positive thing. It's just never going to happen because its fundamentally flawed.
The word has become entrenched in our vocabulary from people exactly like OP being offended by other people using words to describe the very same thing. Frankly it's metaphorically retarded not to see being literally retarded as a negative thing.
Is it normal that I get upset when I hear someone use the word "retarded"?
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Retarded is considered a slur by many people but despite most people knowing this it has unfortunately become entrenched in our vocabulary. The other day I was called retarded myself for not liking basil on pasta.
Bigbud makes the point that if we stamp out use of “retarded” another word will just come along to replace it, and it’s fair to say that we should focus on the root of the problem- the normalisation of bullying of disabled people. However as the word “retarded” is currently used as weapon in the bullies’ arsenal it makes sense to try to eliminate casual use of the word.
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donteatstuffoffthesidewalk
3 years ago
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bigbudchonga
3 years ago
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magneticmandala
3 years ago
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KholatKhult
3 years ago
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when i was a kid they replaced retarded with sped (SPecial EDucation) in an effort to stop the r word
that just gave the kids one more word in their insult vocabularies
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Clunk42
3 years ago
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Meowypowers
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magneticmandala
3 years ago
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The modern equivalent is "ESE" (Exceptional Student Education).
You seem touched.
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donteatstuffoffthesidewalk
3 years ago
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when i think about you i touch myself
unfortunately, people think being disabled is bad, and mock those who are, and I'm sick of it.
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donteatstuffoffthesidewalk
3 years ago
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yeah but we were mockin eachother usin those words
nobody mocked the disabled kids that woulda been considered pathetic
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Tommythecaty
3 years ago
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magneticmandala
3 years ago
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bigbudchonga
3 years ago
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Exactly, it was us mocking each other. I don’t recall ever walking up to an actually mentally disabled person and calling them a retard, and I’ve never seen anyone else do it either.
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magneticmandala
3 years ago
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still, even if you are mocking each other, it's like saying "you're just like a disabled person."
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Tommythecaty
3 years ago
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Are you saying I’m not like a disabled person? You the damn nasty!
I don't like it when people do that either, it's like saying "you're just like a disabled person."
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bigbudchonga
3 years ago
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donteatstuffoffthesidewalk
3 years ago
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Can you genuinely not see that having a disability so severe that is causes you to be literally mentally retarded is a bad thing?
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magneticmandala
3 years ago
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it is a bad thing, sure, but so many people who aren't severe get called that, and people act like the non severe kind is a bad thing.
well yall aint gonna make any friends bein the banter police
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magneticmandala
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I actually have quite a bit :)
Enit, I've never actually seen a single example of someone calling a genuinely mentally retarded person retarded.
It's not the normalization of bullying of the genuinely retarded. Nobody thinks that anybody who walks up to a severely disabled down's syndrome person and calls them retarded is a reasonable or fair person.
The point is what being retarded defines will always be seen as a negative thing because it is a negative thing. It's like trying to spin someone smelling like shit into a positive thing. It's just never going to happen because its fundamentally flawed.
The word has become entrenched in our vocabulary from people exactly like OP being offended by other people using words to describe the very same thing. Frankly it's metaphorically retarded not to see being literally retarded as a negative thing.
exactly! your point was better made than mine.
This explanation is hot