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"Retard"....insult?
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Post by
Lombax
Actually I only use it when either:
I don't know a better word
Or at my friends when they do something stupid (and they called me ''retard'' when I do something stupid too).
Post by
mindthegap5
I prefer "Downer" to "Retard"
Post by
donnymurph
Right, so after having posted in these forums for quite a few months I have seen quite a lot of people use the word "Retard" or "Being Retarded" as negative terminology.
My question is, why is using a label for disabled people an insult? Surely that is like me saying "Oh my god you have blue eyes." As an insult, surely? Pathetic.
This isn't a flaming topic or anything, just thought it fit most into Randomness and wanted to hear if you, or anyone you know, uses being retarded or whatever as an insult to others, why they use it and why they think being disabled is an insult.
Any replies welcome, think this might get insightful, as I have never understood the fact that if you are disabled you are somewhat of a lesser person than someone who picks on them.
Essentially, from a purely objective standpoint, retarded people are lesser people than those with fully-functioning brains. They have
less
brainpower. It sounds cold, but that is clearly the origin of the insult.
Going further, you could look at the fact that abhorrent behaviour is more frequent among retarded people than non-retarded people. This would be because they have lower or no ability to reason, perhaps aren't able to think of the consequences of their actions, or simply don't have the mental capacity to store the information that tells them that what they are doing is wrong.
Basically, the insult is based on the fact that retarded people are inferior to non-retarded people, at least mentally. Does that make it right? Of course not.
Post by
124027
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Patty
Herp derp mega necro.
In the last two years, I've become more desensitised to the use of phrases like 'retard' et cetera, so I'm less whiny and sensitive, but I think I can safely say I agree with this:
"Retard" is used interchangeably with "stupid". Since one has been claimed as a medical term I think people should stick with "stupid".
Even though I know that the use of that word is not going to change in a long time. >.>
Post by
80642
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
hatman555
Hi my name is Dave.
My little sister, has Down syndrome. I understand the word retarded. It means slow. My sister is mentally retarded. My sister is retarded. Its a fact. I have been living with this fact for 19 years now.
I am perfectly fine with the use of the word in its natural form. To point out an evident truth. That blanket is flame retardant. The flood was retarded by the hills inclination.
Retarded how ever is often use, as this forum OP was posted, as an degrading insult. You are retarded because you stood in the fire. Its use is so main stream now, that people use it instead of saying stupid. When a person says it, they honestly mean to point out to you, that they feel like you are inept at the action you have undertaken, and that you deserve to be belittle for it. More often then not, the true symptoms of retardation are never taken into consideration.
I have gotten into bar fights, almost fired from a job, and alienated myself from people which at one point or another i considered friends. I have done all this defending the use of the word retarded in a derogatory manner. That was when I was younger. I have since learned to deal with the principle that I can not win every fight, and i'll let the use of the word slide. I do this for general acquaintances. Playing wow has been a challenge to be sure. A vent server with 30+ people laughing and joking. The word gets passed around a bit. I tolerated it unless its being hammered directly at a person in a harassing way.
The one thing I will not tolerate is this:
I prefer "Downer" to "Retard"
Downer, Downie, Downs.... Ya not cool. And honestly, if you want to use it, fine, but using it around me, will get you to the lowest possible appreciation that I can have for a person, and probably others around you or atleast those with more sensibly will acquire a similar distaste.
I'll come right out and say it to a person that uses Downs as a derogatory word, because its one level higher up than Retarded, and it defiantly hits closer to home. To say that someone has downs when they do something stupid, is incomprehensible to me. You have no idea the problems that a person with Downs has to overcome besides a lack of cognitive skills. So to use it in that form is both insulting and ignorant.
I most often use the word "stupid" as I attribute it to a lack of wanting intelligence rather than a lack of having intelligence.
As an insult, surely? Pathetic.
Indeed.
Hat
p.s. She is fluent in Spanish and can kick my ass in
mini ping-pong
.
Post by
MyTie
There is a lack of respect at the core of someone who would knowingly use the word 'retarded' when they full well understand they are verbally degrading a helpless section of humanity, but use it anyway. There is some potent part of that person that is so callous, and self centered, that they will twist their own conscience to somehow find such an insult acceptable. I will not abide it.
Post by
hatman555
There is a lack of respect at the core of someone who would knowingly use the word 'retarded'
when they full well understand
they are verbally degrading a helpless section of humanity, but use it anyway.
I think thats the problem though. 90% of the people that are using the word to degrade another person don't associate it with the section of humanity that they are offending at the cost of an insult. I would agree with you that the 10% of the people that do, and do it purposefulness and with malice are callous to the core.
People that read this thread, and think to themselves "Gee, I'm really going to stop using that word." They will still get tripped up, and use it with out knowing. It is a reflex to them. I know the feeling because going into high school I used to say the "gay" a lot, even wanting to stop it, because I had used the word so much during middle school, it was hard to not have it slip out in off hand comments.
I have read most of the posts in this thread, and want to thank you MyTie for having such a resounding agreement for the abolition of this word as an insult. Buy you a beer if your ever around my area!
Hat
Post by
Murrdurr
Ask yourself this. If you brother or sister (or someone you really cared about) was mentally retarded or disabled would you still freely use those terms? Some food for thought...
A friend of mine has 2 cousins who are mentally handicapped, he and his cousin whos siblings are the MH both use the word retard pretty openly. Not at them but just in conversations where someone is acting dumb they use retard instead. I know I never used the word to actually insult someone who was MH but used it in place when someone was doing something stupid. I dont really think anyone should be insulted by a word though, if you are letting words hurt you then youre opening yourself up to much more verbal and emotional abuse. But of course that will never be the case and people will always be offended by a word, we live in a generation of a bunch of wusses imo, people always having to apologize for things because they offended of group of people (hello UConn and naacp getting mad at Don Imus saying in a throwaway comment "they look like some nappy headed hoes") who cannot just move on. Same can be said with the word *!@#$%, people need to get over that one too.
Post by
Treskol
I would never say retard to/around someone that is mentally or physically handicapped, but use it around people I know? Yeah, I do it.
Sometimes it perfectly describes how they are behaving, sometimes because of one incident or thing they said that was dumb.
In England, it's kinda in the same boat as gay and dumb. People use it commonly around friends, and it is an insult that doesn't actually insult anyone - like dumb, stupid, idiotic etc.
Post by
Pwntiff
I would never say retard to/around someone that is mentally or physically handicapped, but use it around people I know? Yeah, I do it.
Sometimes it perfectly describes how they are behaving, sometimes because of one incident or thing they said that was dumb.
In England, it's kinda in the same boat as gay and dumb. People use it commonly around friends, and it is an insult that doesn't actually insult anyone - like dumb, stupid, idiotic etc.
Perfect example of this environment: South Park. Kyle, Kenny, Stan, and Cartman rip on each other all the time, and don't normally mean it.
Post by
Adamsm
Perfect example of this environment: South Park. Kyle, Kenny, Stan, and Cartman rip on each other all the time, and don't normally mean it.Well Stan and Kyle don't mean it about the other and Kenny...but Cartman means everything that comes out of his mouth.
Post by
Pwntiff
Well, Cartman believes every word that comes out of his mouth too.
Post by
HoleofArt
I'm not poor and stupid enough to do NASCAR, and I never will be!
Post by
Pwntiff
I was thinking
http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s13e05-fishsticks
Post by
HoleofArt
I was thinking
http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s13e05-fishsticks
Well yeah, but that one is too easy.
Post by
Orranis
Now I'm all for semi-political correctness, and hate the term 'gay' being applied to everything, but this particular insult makes logical sense, nice or not. It's not supposed to be used to insult people directly, but rather their arguments. If I called a someone who I disagreed with politically 'retarded,' it's a demonstration that their arguments show they cannot reason properly, and it makes it clear that I have the more educated political beliefs. While you say that it's a stupid insult, I doubt you'd vote a mentally challenged person as your president. It's ad hominem. It would make more sense to say 'That's retarded' then 'you're retarded,' but saying 'you're retarded' when someone says something stupid is still vastly more logical then saying 'you're gay.'
Post by
Meggie
"Retard" is rather broad. Let's break it into some pieces.
- Physiological. You say "retard", you mean "clumsy"
- Emotional. You say "retard", you mean "toddler"
- Intellectual. You say "retard", you mean "dim wit".
- Social. You say "retard", you mean "autist"
Now, instead of "retard" you could say:
In my opinion you are a dim witted toddler. You are quite social, but in the situation a few minutes ago this did not make up for it. After a bit more education you might perform a lot better. Paste this link for an elementary in your neighbourhood.
That's a lot of typing for a heated moment. Let's make a mod for this, "Meggie's Automated Feedback Mod". It allows you to make a catchy phrase based on some options. I'm away to the mod forum now!
Post by
244865
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
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