Uptick in use of R word

[Anonymous]

In general it feels like there is a lot more ugliness around here lately.

[Anonymous]

The word is used in trucking.. "brake r---er" is a term and even used on some road signs, usually in areas with a big downhill and lots of truck traffic, because use of it it basically engine braking and is really loud. But I also doubt there's a lot of truck driver on this forum, nor will the topic come up often!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As another person who works with people with intellectual disability, I am hugely disappointed by the uptick in frequency with which I see people here, and in other places on social media, use the -tard suffix to insult people.

I see it on both sides. I see people using a word that starts with "lib" to insult liberals, and I see people using a word that starts with "Trump" to insult Trump's followers.

This feels hugely unfair. Speaking as a liberal, I don't know that there's a group in America that has more to lose from this administration than people with significant disabilities, and it's really hard to feel safe when people who claim to be members of the party that is supposed to be fighting back on their behalf think it's OK to use your identity as a slur.

I will say that every time I have seen it I have reported it, and Jeff has taken care of it, and for that I'm grateful, but it happens with alarming frequency.

+1. My parents are retired special ed teachers. We have all been horrified that this word has seemingly come back w/o consequence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait, the word is literally banned? As in you can't go the Gardening Forum and say "My landscapers are using the wrong fertilizer and have r e tarded the growth of my peonies"?

Hopefully the word is literally banned. I am sorry that you will need to figure out another solution for talking about your peonies, although you seemed to manage to do so here, but I think you and your peonies will manage.

PP said peonies…