My 200th post: Use of the "R" word.

[La Coliniere]

It really pisses me off to hear he word "retard" or it's adjective form "retarded" thrown off so casually in public discourse. It seems that for the past 10 years or so these terms have lost all of their political incorrectness and are now cast about on TV and in movies as if there doesn't exist a group (a fairly large one at that) who might be the least offended by the casual use of these words.
So many people seem to think that an entire group of citizens, who are the least capable and likely to defend themselves, exist with the inability to comprehend hurt, derision, and abuse. I don't care if the Farrelly volunteer in group homes, or that Howard Stern pays fat paychecks to the mentally challenged people he regularly abuses on his radio show, this kind of behavior is disgusting. I was recently at a friend's house and his mentally challenged daughter was watching a stand up comedian on Comedy Central. My heart sank when this "comedian" started to throw around the "r" word to elicit cheap laughs. The startled and sad look that overtook this girl's face was distressing. She knew, and believe me, most mentally disabled folks KNOW they are being abused. America needs sensitivity training when it comes to the feelings of this powerless and continually debased group of American citizens.
Had to get this off my chest.

[BOSSHOG]

1. I agree with you and thanks for getting that off your chest

I support a local "industry" which employs mentally challenged adults. They are the most wonderful, helpful, caring, loving, honest people I've ever met. I always look forward to my trips there because of their kindness. They are "impaired" because they don't know how to lie or hate?????

[KamaAina]

2. For a minute there I thought you meant "Republican"!

In the field, we're actually trying to move away from the word "retarded". We refer to "people with cognitive (or intellectual) disabilities".

I have actually had a detailed political discussion, complete with bill numbers, in an apartment full of people with cognitive disabilities, who had been in The Arc's legislative intern program. Just try THAT with a bunch of FReepers!

[La Coliniere]

4. I Love It!

[Roland99]

3. YES! I agree totally.

I heard my oldest daughter use it a few times in the past and I nipped that in the bud - quick.

[mike_c]

5. I agree wholeheartedly....

I think there are two levels of incivility at work in much human discourse that are especially aggrevated online. One is the tendency to be unreasonably brusque, to swear more often than in polite conversation, and to be unnecessarily shrill. I'm as quilty as anyone.

The second is the unintended use of racist, sexist, or other slurs that characterize people in terms of others who belong to "undesirable" or otherwise maligned groups. Even the term "freeper" tends to be misused here to classify all conservatives-- even thoughtful, intelligent, and articulate ones-- with the circus of knee-jerk bubba's over at FR.

[MercutioATC]

6. It's as bad as any racial epithet.

It's a word used to demean a group of people.