We ban the word Retard but what about it in other languages such as this?

[Anonymous]

This is a much better use of the word

and acceptable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjEAqrFmAXM

[Anonymous]

What about tropic thunder, full retard

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X6WHBO_Qc-Q

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a generational thing and I am struggling to figure out how to teach my kids this. I work with engineers and programmers and at work we call everything retarded or this is retarded and broken. etc... Or dammit Jim who wrote this retarded function.

It's really not hard. First of all you stop using the word. Just put it out of your vocabulary. When opportunities come up to talk about it with your kids, such as when you overhear it or come across it in the media, make your feelings clear. And if your child, or another child in your care, uses it, then react the same way you would if they said "nigger" or "cunt" or "fag". Swiftly and decisively.

I've told kids point blank "You may not use that word in my house. It is offensive to me. I'll let it go this time, because I understand you might not have known, but if I hear it again I will ask you to leave." If they're younger, I give an explanation about why it's hurtful to use someone's description as an insult. A 4 year old can understand.

Wow, I never hear this word in the workplace. That's shocking.

NP here. My cousin uses the word in its derogatory manner and she's a social worker who works with...people with disabilities. I almost fell out of my chair when I hear her say it. Head-shaking, really.

Is she actually using the word in a derogatory manner or stating that someone functions within the range of retardation? There's a big difference.

She'll say, "That's so retarded" to indicate something is stupid or "what a retard." She is not using in a clinically appropriate manner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone think it's ironic that if the pilot made an error that resulted in the crashing of the plane the last words heard would be "retard, retard"

I don't think that "ironic" means what you think it means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a generational thing and I am struggling to figure out how to teach my kids this. I work with engineers and programmers and at work we call everything retarded or this is retarded and broken. etc... Or dammit Jim who wrote this retarded function.

It's really not hard. First of all you stop using the word. Just put it out of your vocabulary. When opportunities come up to talk about it with your kids, such as when you overhear it or come across it in the media, make your feelings clear. And if your child, or another child in your care, uses it, then react the same way you would if they said "nigger" or "cunt" or "fag". Swiftly and decisively.

I've told kids point blank "You may not use that word in my house. It is offensive to me. I'll let it go this time, because I understand you might not have known, but if I hear it again I will ask you to leave." If they're younger, I give an explanation about why it's hurtful to use someone's description as an insult. A 4 year old can understand.

Wow, I never hear this word in the workplace. That's shocking.

NP here. My cousin uses the word in its derogatory manner and she's a social worker who works with...people with disabilities. I almost fell out of my chair when I hear her say it. Head-shaking, really.

Is she actually using the word in a derogatory manner or stating that someone functions within the range of retardation? There's a big difference.

She'll say, "That's so retarded" to indicate something is stupid or "what a retard." She is not using in a clinically appropriate manner.

PP here. That's really bad and unbelievable for a professional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are valid uses of the word retard--for example, its use as a verb. The primary problem is people who use it as an insult.

They have street signs saying Slow Children Playing- so what is the difference or am I missing something?

You're missing something.

[Anonymous]

Unbelievable. He's saying "retard the throttles". Standard pilot language. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autothrottle.

[Anonymous]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autothrottle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are valid uses of the word retard--for example, its use as a verb. The primary problem is people who use it as an insult.

What using it as a compliment as in retard-strong? Like "Big Jim loaded over 100 bails of hay today, he is truly retard-strong and has a 10 inch cock".

[Anonymous]

So are we going to rename the "mute" function on electronic equipment? Totally ban the words "dumb," "stupid," "crazy," and "insane" from our vernacular? What about "blind?" No more references to blind dates, window blinds, blind experiments, or other such references?

When saying "that's retarded," the VAST, overwhelming majority of people aren't using the term in reference to people with intellectual disabilities. Words themselves aren't "bad," but context matters. If you want to start forbidding or shaming people against using certain phrases (that are removed from their original references), then you've got to apply it across the board - with the above terms, and then some.

[Anonymous]

OP, is this a joke? Do you not understand the difference between using a verb that means slow down and a slang term in an offensive derogatory way, even if they are spelled the same way?

Do you know that there are many other words that have 2 different meanings as well?

Where have you seen someone say that the verb retard must be banned just because it is spelled the exact same way as the pejorative slang term?

Also, with regard to your subject title, have you never studied a foreign language? First of all, "retard" is not even being used in another language in the video you posted. It's spoken in English as an English word. But even if it were -- say the German pilots and American air traffic control for some reason all started speaking French (in which case it would have been pronounced more like RUH-tar), why would a word in one language that is spelled the same as a derogatory word in a different language ever be banned? To give a non-derogatory example: As someone above said, Gift is a German word that means poison, while gift is an English word that means present. Not too hard to see that even though the same 4 letters are used in the same order, it's actually 2 distinct and separate words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So are we going to rename the "mute" function on electronic equipment? Totally ban the words "dumb," "stupid," "crazy," and "insane" from our vernacular? What about "blind?" No more references to blind dates, window blinds, blind experiments, or other such references?

When saying "that's retarded," the VAST, overwhelming majority of people aren't using the term in reference to people with intellectual disabilities. Words themselves aren't "bad," but context matters. If you want to start forbidding or shaming people against using certain phrases (that are removed from their original references), then you've got to apply it across the board - with the above terms, and then some. [/quote

Sorry, I don't buy this argument. "That's retarded" in the context you are describing derives its meaning solely from its use as a derogatory term used for people with intellectual disabilities.

Besides, no one is "banning" it - as in the state arresting or fining someone for using it. I'm so tired of hearing people make claims like this when others try to raise awareness of how certain words or phrases can be offensive. People might be judging your lack of judgment in using the term, but they're not sending you to jail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think its overreacting to a word. sticks n stones and all that ...

When used as a noun, it is almost exclusively uttered as an insult. And it's an insult based on someone else's medical disability. I think it's up to the people with a disability to decide if they think that's cool or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So are we going to rename the "mute" function on electronic equipment? Totally ban the words "dumb," "stupid," "crazy," and "insane" from our vernacular? What about "blind?" No more references to blind dates, window blinds, blind experiments, or other such references?

When saying "that's retarded," the VAST, overwhelming majority of people aren't using the term in reference to people with intellectual disabilities. Words themselves aren't "bad," but context matters. If you want to start forbidding or shaming people against using certain phrases (that are removed from their original references), then you've got to apply it across the board - with the above terms, and then some.

Yes, when someone says "that's retarded", they are using it as a reference to people with disabilities. And you know because it is almost exclusively used to refer to the actions, behavior,s and opinions of other people.

When the VAST, overwhelming majority of people use it to describe chemical or biological processes, then you will have a point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So are we going to rename the "mute" function on electronic equipment? Totally ban the words "dumb," "stupid," "crazy," and "insane" from our vernacular? What about "blind?" No more references to blind dates, window blinds, blind experiments, or other such references?

When saying "that's retarded," the VAST, overwhelming majority of people aren't using the term in reference to people with intellectual disabilities. Words themselves aren't "bad," but context matters. If you want to start forbidding or shaming people against using certain phrases (that are removed from their original references), then you've got to apply it across the board - with the above terms, and then some.

Yes, when someone says "that's retarded", they are using it as a reference to people with disabilities. And you know because it is almost exclusively used to refer to the actions, behavior,s and opinions of other people.

When the VAST, overwhelming majority of people use it to describe chemical or biological processes, then you will have a point.

This is absolutely not true. But if you insist that it is, I hope you will be removing the words "dumb," mute," "stupid," "insane," "crazy," blind," from your vocabulary, and be re-name the "mute" buttons on your remote. Otherwise, you are simply a hypocrite.

Oh, perhaps remove the word "simple" from from your vernacular as well.