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I don't do it on purpose but when I do occasionally "offend" someone (usually on behalf of someone else or another group of people who aren't even around) I laugh like this, "hehehehehe".
As someone with a special needs kid in thier lives, it suddenly struck me that this was one of the many words NOT banned around here.
Why is that acceptable?
Discuss.
I don't know why it's acceptable, but I totally agree with you. I have tried to have this discussion before, once on a city forum (I'll decline to say which) and once here on P&OC. Both times the majority disagreed with me. In addition to being disrespectful, I think using "retard" is middle-school-ish.
Retard is a perfectly acceptable word. it's in the dictionary and everything.
"It's now very common to hear someone say "I'm rather offended by that." as if it gives them certain rights; it's actually nothing more...it's simply a whine. It's no more than a whine. "I find that offensive", It has no special meaning. It has no purpose, it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. "I'm offended by that." Well, so the @#^& what?"
Stephen Fry
Amazing how deeply sensitive people have become that they are so easily offended. What they see offends their eyes, what they smell offends their sense of smell, what they hear offends their sense of thought or their itsy bitsy feelings, yet have absolutely no problem offending others.
I did accidentely use this word in front of a woman who I know has an autistic son. I can't even remember who I was refering to as retardedand I certainly didn't mean anything personal by it but I saw the small strike of pain it caused in her eyes. I definitely make sure I use that word more conservatively now because I truely felt bad.
As someone with a special needs kid in thier lives, it suddenly struck me that this was one of the many words NOT banned around here.
Why is that acceptable?
Discuss.
Why do we need to ban everything that may offend someone? Why does everything have to be so sterile? That's not life.
Maybe we should all vote on each and every post to see if it should be removed because it hurt someones feelings?
Heck, I'm intimidated by mathematics. The superiority of your username causes me great emotional stress every time I see one of your posts. Please, someone ban the word math from the forums.
Seriously, I think we all know that the term has been historically used to refer to special needs people in a derogatory manner. More than not today it is used instead of simply calling someone stupid with no reference or thought of a special needs person. It's just casually stated by some.
If were not allowed to call someone stupid on the forums then so be it. If we are then the person who uses that term likely isn't making fun of a special needs person but replying derogatory to whoever they are posting to.
I also might point out that some areas of this country aren't so up on what's politically correct or simply don't care and they will use that word without malice.
It's true. The country doesn't walk in the same time. I could have a conversation with someone in one place about a child who uses the term autism or special needs and then another somewhere else that says that word without malice.
Regardless of its origin many use it because it has evolved to nothing more than slang for calling someone stupid without any association with someone who has special needs. Much like most of the words we casually speak or type today have evolved.
I'm not for outright banning of words. Context is important and even then I'm not that big of a fan of forbidding others from digging their own holes.
I think we each are individuals. I personaly have thick skin, as most of you know! i don't offend to easily, and don't mean to offend others on purpose.
I think it is all how one perceives a certain word, nothing really will offend me, but i know some people that get offended so freaking easily, you have to watch every word you say, and think about it.
What one person feels is pefectly acceptable even if in the dictionary, another may find very offensive.
The problem i have is when someone outright, on purpose says something mean to offend another person.
I have a special needs child. The only time the word offends me is when it is used in a way to belittle someone as in comparing them to a challenged person.
Why do we need to ban everything that may offend someone? Why does everything have to be so sterile? That's not life.
To be fair, neither is a heavily-moderated online discussion board...
Seriously, don't we have enough crap to deal with offline? I personally like coming to this forum to ESCAPE reality, and part of that includes being able to have discussions without (admin-filtered) offensive language or personal attacks. Those definitions are subjective, of course, but to compare anything here to "real life" is kind of irrelevant.
Retard is a perfectly acceptable word. it's in the dictionary and everything.
"It's now very common to hear someone say "I'm rather offended by that." as if it gives them certain rights; it's actually nothing more...it's simply a whine. It's no more than a whine. "I find that offensive", It has no special meaning. It has no purpose, it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. "I'm offended by that." Well, so the @#^& what?"
Stephen Fry
This.
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