Should governments ban the R-word?

[proud2BlibKansan]

By ANDREA BALL

Cox Newspapers



AUSTIN, Texas -- Claudia Cardenas has heard the “R-word” her whole life.

Ugly retard. Stupid retard. Slow retard.

She’s been taunted in school cafeterias, classrooms and hallways; by relatives, classmates and strangers; at home, in public and in front of friends. And it always hurt.

“I’ve been called retarded all my life,” said Cardenas, a 39-year-old Beeville, Texas, woman who has her own apartment, volunteers regularly and wants to start a business that is an advocate for people with disabilities. “It made me feel like I was nobody.”

It’s been decades since advocates began fighting to end derogatory language about people with mental disabilities.

Today, some once-common terms used to describe them -- “feebleminded,” “Mongoloid,” and “imbecile” -- are all but gone. But the word “retarded” remains.

Now the R-word, as disabilities advocates call it, is the target of a national campaign to eliminate its use in both government and casual conversation. Through legislation and public relations campaigns, they’re trying to change the country’s vocabulary.

more . . . http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/18126

[Xipe Totec]

1. Republican? n/t

[L0oniX]

2. With all the political correctness going on it's a wonder we can say anything anymore.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. What a shit-for-brains idea.

[iris27]

4. I don't believe the government ever banned the n-word or anything like it.

Social pressure and awareness campaigns should be sufficient, thanks.

I try to keep all such vocab out of my lingo, the n-word, retard, "that's lame", etc., but I don't think this is something you legislate.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. There is a history of legislating this sort of change

Medical terms have evolved over the years.

This is about an official change for legal paperwork. I don't have a problem with that.

I am a special ed teacher and I would really rather not tell parents their child is retarded.

[imdjh]

5. I'm with Fergie on this one

She was making a typically compassionate and respectful statement regarding her charity for retarded children, when Bill Maher made a face and she stopped and asked him what that was for. He said, "We don't use the word retarded, we say developmentally disabled." Her response was, "Yes, that's what retarded means." See also George Carlin who points out that
"people of color" and "colored people" not only means the same thing, it's the same words.

We need to stop interrupting conversation to police terminology when the only thing of concern ought to be the intent. If you can't tell someone's intent, then don't listen to them. If you can tell their intent, then stop interrupting them. I have a fairly new policy in real life, when someone interrupts me to correct my terminology, which is every bit as rude as interrupting someone to correct his grammar, I simply don't finish the discussion. I either say, "OK, what would you like to talk about?" or I leave.

The fact that "retard" is a lasting thing for namecallers to say doesn't change the word retarded, just as people saying "developmentally disabled" in a tone of voice which lets you know that they aren't being respectful changes the meaning of those words when I used them.

[mitchum]

6. It is certainly wrong to use it as a pejorative...

but there is nothing wrong with the term "mental retardation"
Although here we use "intellectually disabled" (mildly, moderately, severely, profoundly)

[Obamanaut]

8. "***'* *** **** "= "Let's all talk" in asterisks* so that no one will be

offended ever again, until someone is found who is offended by asterisks.

[Coffee and Cake]

9. No