Mentally disabled 'self-advocates' oppose use of word 'retarded' (PC run amok?)

[alp227]

by Michael Alison Chandler
The Washington Post
February 5, 2010

A national movement to purge the word "retarded" from lawbooks and medical terminology is nearing success, gaining support this week from White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who apologized to advocates for the disabled for using the term during a private meeting last summer.

The campaign is led in part by the mentally disabled themselves, who are increasingly politically organized and eager to escape the stigma associated with the term.

"It's a time of change," said Jill Eglé, co-executive director of the Arc of Northern Virginia, a support group for the disabled, who spearheaded a campaign to change the state code in Virginia.

The words "retarded" and "retard" feel threatening, she said. Eglé identifies herself this way: "I am a powerful leader with an intellectual disability."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/04/AR2010020402602_pf.html

Instead, advocates support "intellectual disability". I wonder if this is proper linguistic revisionism or excessive political correctness. To be honest, we shouldn't deny the existence of people who are totally out of their minds in addition to those who at least have some conscience.

[rcrush]

1. Okay...

[MadHound]

2. Why should this be considered PC run amok

I think that they have a valid point.

[laughingliberal]

3. Yep. The 'PC' meme was used by the Right Wing to denigrate liberals who believed people deserved

respect and opposed the scapegoating of groups of people. Nice to see Democrats have bought into it. The march to the right continues.

[Bicoastal]

4. It's the like the black folks who tried to declare the N-word "dead" in their own community:

Once a word is out there, it's pretty hard to stuff that genie back into the bottle.

[Brickbat]

5. If people who object to being labeled this way, how is that "PC run amok"?

[EFerrari]

6. I think we usually call "PC run amok" common courtesy.

[Brickbat]

8. Yup.

Even just plain ol' "PC." I can never understand how people think I lose if someone says to me, "Please don't call me that, it's hurtful," so I stop using a certain term.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. 'Conscience'? I don't think you're using English very well

And who are these people "totally out of their minds"? That's a phrase normally used for the violently insane. I think your understanding of this area is practically zero. Quit digging the hole you're in.

[Cronus Protagonist]

9. "I am a powerful leader with an intellectual disability."

This is The Onion, right? Or was that a quote from George Bush?

[KamaAina]

15. Neither.

I personally know someone to whom that phrase would apply perfectly.

[marybourg]

10. Physician heal thyself. The "r" in Arc, formerly "ARC" , Association

for Retarded Citizens, stands for"retarded". That was their own choice for their name. See:

http://www.thearc.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=403

[grasswire]

13. that was before it became a pejorative

As the family member of an adult retarded young woman, I can vouch for the fact that when someone on television uses the word "retard" or "tard" or "retarded" as an insult or in a negative context, she is stung by it.

I've spoken out for years on this matter.

[KamaAina]

14. That's why The Arc is no longer capitalized

Now it's just "The Arc", with -- what else -- an arc in its logo. It'd be better if they changed it, like AAMR did under pressure from self-advocates; it's now AAIDD, the 'American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities".

[Posteritatis]

18. Surprisingly, things have changed since the 1950s. (nt)

[Lance_Boyle]

11. Whatever. Is being 'not able' that much better than being 'slow?'

This is, literally, what they want - to replace the word for "slow" or "slowed" with a word that means "not able." Brilliant. This makes about as much sense as the instruction physicians received in the 90s regarding their dictation - don't say "the patient's complaint," instead say "the condition for which the patient seeks attention." Fuck, now that attention-seeking is its own derogatory term (thanks Tila Tequila, Paris Hilton and Cindy Sheehan!), what are physicians supposed to say anymore? Language nazis suck.

[Journeyman]

12. Sorry I couldn't reply earlier. A defective keyboard retarded my ability to respond. . .

[grasswire]

16. what the hell does this sentence mean???

"To be honest, we shouldn't deny the existence of people who are totally out of their minds in addition to those who at least have some conscience."

????

Do you think that retarded people are "totally out of their minds"?

[TomClash]

21. Thank you nt

[alp227]

28. NOT ALL of them!

I can't believe I'm having to defend myself here, unless I am really that ill-informed and everyone else on this board knows better.

[KamaAina]

17. Many self-advocates view the word as am offensive slur akin to the N-word

http://www.r-word.org

[NoNothing]

19. There is something of a difference

Using the "n" word as a slur implies there is something undesirable about being black. This is an assumption that should have no basis in reality.

Using the "r" word as a slur implies there is something undesirable about being congnitively disabled. However, this is largely true.

[uppityperson]

37. What? There is nothing undesirable about being black, but is about being congnitively (sic) disabled

where to start? Try again.

[NoNothing]

43. What are you having trouble understanding?

Perhaps I can address your argumetn if you are more specific.

[Oregone]

20. I rage against the word personally. Just threw all my flame retardant out of my shop last night

I wont tolerate people casting dispersions on God's special blessed children.

[Bluebear]

22. Amok this: people who complain about having to be "PC" to alter their pejoratives suck.

[leftstreet]

24. [phone]

Thank you!

[bobbolink]

39. ...

:yourock: :applause: :yourock:

from the DU "bum" :hi:

[laughingliberal]

40. Best reply on the whole thread!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: kudos

[alcibiades_mystery]

44. We finally agree on something

:thumbsup:

[Bluebear]

45. It had to happen!

:toast:

[TomClash]

23. "Out of their minds"

Wow. You have a lot to learn about people with cognitive disabilities.

[Forkboy]

25. If I was you I'd skip the editorializing from now on.

[blogslut]

26. So, let me get this straight

You're upset because you're not clever enough to think of an alternate adjective for "stupid"? Has it ever occurred to you that winning the hip-kids-humor-war is a fairly sad life goal?

[alp227]

27. I'm just wondering if there's any reality basis in revising retardation terminology

That was my concern when I read "purging 'retarded' from textbooks" in the article. Apparently, in the near future "retard" will be just as derogatory and immature a term as "idiot" and "moron" and heck even a bit light compared with "feebleminded". The medical condition is called "mental retardation". Look that term up on Wikipedia. In fact, many of the archaic terms "predate psychiatry".

Sometimes, I question whether academia is really being honest or has a hidden agenda.

[blogslut]

29. Hidden agenda for what?

Are you in school to become a mental health/neurologic professional? Because those are the primary fields of study where that word is/was used with any regularity. Do you honestly think educators and students in those fields are harmed because of the omission of an archaic term? Do you realize how your argument is ridiculous?

[alp227]

31. I'm not studying psychology, but I just wanna know how to avoid offending others in my discourse

after reading this article. If I ever end up discussing mental illness somewhere I don't someone pointing me out for being insensitive. However, I do thank you and others for pointing me out in this forum.

No, I don't think that educators/students are harmed by terms becoming archaic. The question is: where do you draw the line between acceptable and offensive words to describe people with certain mental conditions?

[blogslut]

32. I would think after this thread

..you would know one word that should not be used. :hi:

[alp227]

33. Haha, yeah. Normally I'd use "retard" only if discussing psychology. But now...

...great minds, they are a-changin'.

[uppityperson]

38. People with mental illnesses are retarded? WTF?

"out of their minds"
"those who at least have some conscience"

What the fuck? Developmentally delayed people are what? Stupid? Out of their minds? Have no conscience? Or do you mean people with mental health issues? Are they out of their minds? Do they have no conscience?

You are mixing up 2 different conditions and throwing in slurs, adding in a strawman (we shouldn't deny the existence) and wonder why DU is objecting?

[grasswire]

41. the same place you draw the line regarding physical disabilities!!

Do you use the word "crip"?????

Do you use the word "droolers"????

Do you insult epileptics?

What about those who can't walk?

Those with major birth defects?

The blind? The deaf?

Do you get it yet?

[donheld]

46. A good alternative for "stupid" is "Palin"

[madrchsod]

30. a step in the right direction.

retarded-retard is offensive. my wife works for people who are mentally and or psychically disabled or handicapped .

[paulsby]

35. mentally disabled is at least correct

i have a problem with PC, when in fact, it is POLITCALLY CORRECT but not FACTUALLY correct.

that is where the problem with PC is.

example: some people used the term "differently abled"

THAT is politically correct, but not factually correct. if you have an IQ of 80, you are not "differently abled".

ditto for some people in the hearing impaired culture who refuse to recognize deafness as a disability. and yes, they are out there.


this is the kind of anti-scientific, illogical, emotions above logic PC that needs to be criticized

[Bluenorthwest]

34. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Ms Egle seems to use

words with more skill than you do. That last sentence of yours is a dilly.

[Cronus Protagonist]

36. The ignition in my car is retarded

So's my mechanic.

[proud2BlibKansan]

42. It's just as offensive as the N word