Different names for the same put-down? (politicians, examples, education, state)
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The same people keep posting two sets of "memes" on my Facebook feed that seem - well - logically inconsistent to me. But I can't quite put my finger on the inconsistency. Maybe someone can help?
The "memes" basically go like this:
1. Don't say "retarded," say "mentally challenged," and we all should honor mentally challenged people and their struggles in life. [I have no problem with this].
2. Ignorance can be educated; crazy can be medicated; but there is no cure for stupid/idiots/morons.
Somehow, No. 2 feels like a way of getting around No. 1, and feeling superior while one is at it.
I think they mean entirely different things. "Stupid" is generally an opinion about the "wrongheaded" decisions someone makes. For example, liberals are stupid if you are conservative; conservatives are stupid if you are liberal.
But, low IQ is the same as mentally challenged, isn't it? So in meme No. 1, these people are saying, don't criticize people who have low IQs.
But then they call people who see things differently from them, "idiots" and "morons." Aren't idiot and moron also terms for people with low IQs, i.e. mentally challenged?
It just feels hypocritical to me. If they don't like somebody's point of view, they could simply call them "wrong."
Are you serious? I have an adult child with Down syndrome and a low IQ and he is not stupid. Since I want to educate and eliminate ignorance here is the definition of "stupid": stupid - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com I could give you a few politicians as examples of people who appear to be stupid yet have at least normal IQs.
As for the OP, what is being said makes absolutely no sense at all. Comparing "ignorant", of which we can all be either in general or on specific topics, I suppose we need a definition of "ignorant": Ignorant | Define Ignorant at Dictionary.com and "crazy" which I am going to think OP is talking about the mentally ill (I know the whole post is so un-PC), "crazy" defined: Crazy dictionary definition | crazy defined with those that are, and this is the current PC term, "developmentally disabled", again explained: http://www.ici.umn.edu/welcome/definition.html and all I can really say is
My son is not stupid, is not a moron and not an idiot and neither are other people with developmental disabilities. Know that I would like to say a WHOLE LOT MORE.
I think there are 3 distinct things. Ignorance is not knowing. Stupid is knowing but having different priorities in reaching a decision than the person who calls the decision stupid. Mentally challenged is not having the capacity to learn what you need to know to make the decision. I don't think the statement #2 is intended to belittle people who are truly mentally challenged. It is used to belittle people who refuse to look at things from the perspective that someone else thinks makes more sense. I know some really smart people who disagree completely on politics, religion and other issues. they would call each other's ideas stupid.
I definitely did not intend to offend anyone. I agree that low IQ does not mean "stupid." (I am not quite that ignorant).
I really hesitated to post b/c I could not be sure I could safely articulate what is bothering me about these 2 memes being posted by the same people. It seems like they want to put down people they don't agree with, by calling them intellectually insulting names. WHile at the same time, pretending to be very PC.
I resent that someone would go around saying that people are "idiots" and "morons" just because he or she does not agree with them. And then the same person puts up sanctimonious posts that seem to support intellectually challenged people.
That is all I was trying to say. It is a very sensitive subject, which is why I put it in "Great Debates."
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnywhereElse
Are you serious? I have an adult child with Down syndrome and a low IQ and he is not stupid. Since I want to educate and eliminate ignorance here is the definition of "stupid": stupid - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com I could give you a few politicians as examples of people who appear to be stupid yet have at least normal IQs.
As for the OP, what is being said makes absolutely no sense at all. Comparing "ignorant", of which we can all be either in general or on specific topics, I suppose we need a definition of "ignorant": Ignorant | Define Ignorant at Dictionary.com and "crazy" which I am going to think OP is talking about the mentally ill (I know the whole post is so un-PC), "crazy" defined: Crazy dictionary definition | crazy defined with those that are, and this is the current PC term, "developmentally disabled", again explained: About Developmental Disabilities and all I can really say is
My son is not stupid, is not a moron and not an idiot and neither are other people with developmental disabilities. Know that I would like to say a WHOLE LOT MORE.
Yes, I believe you have stated what I am thinking. What do you think about these people using the intellectually insulting terms "idiot" and "moron" against people who do not share their points of view? I think that is what is bothering me more than anything. I thought we had erased those terms from general discourse, right along with "retarded."
Quote:
Originally Posted by ReachTheBeach
I think there are 3 distinct things. Ignorance is not knowing. Stupid is knowing but having different priorities in reaching a decision than the person who calls the decision stupid. Mentally challenged is not having the capacity to learn what you need to know to make the decision. I don't think the statement #2 is intended to belittle people who are truly mentally challenged. It is used to belittle people who refuse to look at things from the perspective that someone else thinks makes more sense. I know some really smart people who disagree completely on politics, religion and other issues. they would call each other's ideas stupid.
Call me old-fashioned, but I abhor political correctness. Therefore I see nothing wrong with the term "mentally retarded" which is a legitimate word with a legitimate meaning. When I took psychology in college in 1963/1964, this term was used in textbooks and by professors. I continue to use it. When I first encountered the term "developmentally disabled" a couple of decades ago, I was greatly puzzled and I thought to myself, "What the hell is that supposed to mean"? Of course I eventually figured out that it is a neologism, a synonym for mentally retarded. Why people need to create new terms which have the same meaning as old terms is beyond me. For example, what is wrong with the term "venereal diseases" that it needed to be replaced with "sexually transmitted diseases"?
If there is a new concept, then a new term is appropriate. But if there is nothing wrong with an old term, what have we gained by pretending to be "modern" by using a new term for the same thing?
Yes, I believe you have stated what I am thinking. What do you think about these people using the intellectually insulting terms "idiot" and "moron" against people who do not share their points of view? I think that is what is bothering me more than anything. I thought we had erased those terms from general discourse, right along with "retarded."
Forum debates have never been completely PC. I try to belittle bad ideas (from my perspective, but lots of posters in this very forum can tell you that I am incompetent) rather than people but some people are very tied up in their ideas and sometimes I get frustrated and lash out. I am human and as far as I know so are most other posters. I agree that people shouldn't do that but I don't think debating whether or not it is a good thing will change anything.
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