OT: "special needs" bus

[mikkiwikki]

Taking a deep cleansing breath..
{I will educate this person, I will educate this person, I will educate this person}

ducklite - its not cognetively...its cognitively.

...ok ....Think of it this way.

I think its fairly clear that a word like RETARD - doesnt fall into the clinical categorization of other word choices you mention below. The word RETARD has been associated with an overt contempt, an assumption of inherent inferiority, making it extremely pejorative.

Look up pejorative in your dictionary and get back to us.

Not all people with developmental disabilities are slow -btw.
Your just proving your ignorance. Keep talkin.

No, you missed the point. Both have the same root word which means "slow."

And like another poster later in this thread pointed out, the words "idiot" and "moron were, and still are used clinically to describe a cognetively impaired individual. Can you honestly say you never use either word or a derivitive of them?

As I said before, there is a big difference between using a word towards a person in a derrogatory and belittling manner, and using a word to describe a situation or set of circumstances which have nothing to do with a person with an impairment.

You could also use the word abnormal to describe someone with a cognitive disability. Do you now propose we make it politically incorrect to use that word? How about "special"? "Challenged"? "Impaired"? Where does it end?

Anne

 

[ducklite]

Taking a deep cleansing breath..
{I will educate this person, I will educate this person, I will educate this person}

ducklite - its not cognetively...its cognitively.

It was a typo. Just like the one you've got two sentences below in your post. And I don't need to be educated. It's all in the use of the word, and if the simple proper use of the English language is offensive to you, then that's your problem, not mine.

...ok ....Think of it this way.

I think its fairly clear that a word like RETARD - doesnt fall into the clinical categorization of other word choices you mention below. The word RETARD has been associated with an overt contempt, an assumption of inherent inferiority, making it extremely pejorative.

It also means to slow the progress of something. If I say that I want to retard the speed of the rise of a bread dough by cooling it, is that now offensive?

Look up pejorative in your dictionary and get back to us.

Not all people with developmental disabilities are slow -btw.
Your just proving your ignorance. Keep talkin.

Did I EVER say that everyone with developmental disabilities was slow? Now it seems that you are the one being offensive by putting words in my mouth. I'm not ignorant. I do not use the word to describe a person in a belittling way. I'm also not going to rid a word that has multiple meanings from my vocabulary because someone needs a few layers of skin.

Anne

 

[mikkiwikki]

It was a typo. Just like the one you've got two sentences below in your post. And I don't need to be educated. It's all in the use of the word, and if the simple proper use of the English language is offensive to you, then that's your problem, not mine

Actually - no it is a problem that people minimize others feelings and allow this to continue. As far as being too sensitive, it really is all about whos offended right? Any terminolgy that offends you? is it ok if I use it? Or maybe you just need to toughen up.

It also means to slow the progress of something. If I say that I want to retard the speed of the rise of a bread dough by cooling it, is that now offensive?

Yes effective technique - use an outrageous example to minimize the other parties arguement. Clearly I was speaking in reference to human beings, and maybe if you had some critical thinking skills you could follow this discussion.

I'm done - ranting... suffice to say - hope your children dont ever have to feel the brunt of someones ignorance.

 

[ducklite]

Actually - no it is a problem that people minimize others feelings and allow this to continue. As far as being too sensitive, it really is all about whos offended right? Any terminolgy that offends you? is it ok if I use it? Or maybe you just need to toughen up.

The only terminology that would offend me would be so offensive to you that you'd never say it, and frankly it would get you banned.

Yes effective technique - use an outrageous example to minimize the other parties arguement. Clearly I was speaking in reference to human beings, and maybe if you had some critical thinking skills you could follow this discussion.

My critical thinking skills are just fine, thank you. The example was hardly outrageous, no more so than your over sensitivity to a word commonly found in the English language.

I'm done - ranting... suffice to say - hope your children dont ever have to feel the brunt of someones ignorance.

He has learned effective ways to manage ignorance. And by the way, ignorance has many meanings as well. Some people would find that word quite offensive, however you seem to bandy it about without regard to their sensitivities...

Anne

 

[barrie]

Wow, I haven't read this thread in a few days - it sure has degraded. I know people have strong feelings about this but is it really necessary or helpful to be mean? How about a conversation where we actually listen and try to learn from each other.

There are 2 different ways in which the word is used. One is to call someone with a disability a retard. It seems that most people tend to agree that this is derogatory, mean and not to be tolerated.

The second is to call someone without a disability that name ("you're such a retard") or to identify an action ("that was so retarded"). This seems to be a gray area because the slang version of the word is becoming assimilated into our culture and language. It is used to describe something that is weird or odd or dumb, etc. You never hear it used like this, "wow, that was a really cool thing you just said, you're such a retard."

Both of these definitions of retarded originated with making fun of people with the diagnosis of mental retardation.

People with developmental disabilities have been called retards by people who were trying to hurt them with that word for their entire lives. To them, it does mean something when they hear it. To them, it means lower than low, dumber than dumb - unworthy of being respected. It's hurtful. I've seen people cringe, I've seen their eyes well up, I've listened to them say "that word makes me mad".

Maybe not every person with a disability feels this way, but many, many do. What kind of people are we if we knowingly do something to hurt other people? And geez, they aren't asking that we stop using gasoline or give up going to Disney World - they're just asking us not to use a derogatory word. Why is that so much to ask? I don't think it's being over-sensitive. I think it's having a conscious.

 

[MightyMom]

Wow, I haven't read this thread in a few days - it sure has degraded. I know people have strong feelings about this but is it really necessary or helpful to be mean? How about a conversation where we actually listen and try to learn from each other.

I value this forum for the wealth of information it provides ... but.... It's an open forum where people can hide behind a computer screen and not be held accountable for what they say. I think having a peaceful conversation on this heated subject is out of the question..... and that is really unfortunate since we are all adults.
I knew this had the potential to be nasty..... so I'm not going to say anything else on the subject.

 

[SueM in MN]

This was a thread I could not make myself read for a few days and could not make myself reply to.
Why?
Because words DO hurt people. They shouldn't, they are just words.
But, to many people, they are words that carry a lot of personal pain (maybe because of how they felt when they first heard it referring to someone they cared about).

There are words that were considered 'correct' in the past.
As someone mentioned, 'idiot' and 'moron' were medical terms at one point, as were 'cretin', 'Mongoloid' and 'dummy'. I remember reading in an old medical text once about the different 'levels' of disability that each term referred to. As these terms began to be thought of as derogatory, Mental Retardation was a 'new' term to try to get away from these other words.

Mental retardation is still a a valid medical terms, still used by organizations that deal with people with disabilities. like the AAMR and the ARC.
But, that's not really what this thread was talking about.
It was talking about people casually using the term without really knowing what it means and without understanding that it is hurtful to some people.
That way is probably inadvertant and not meant to be hurtful. Many of those people would be very shocked and upset to find out they have said some 'loaded words.'

Then there are those who use the words knowing they are upsetting. Those are the people who are upsetting when you think about it.

I think this thread has run its course and I am closing it.