Special Olympics is trying to put an end to the use of the "r-word," or retard, in an inappropriate context. From CNN.com: What do you guys think? A movement you can get behind?
Raising awareness is always nice, but nobody can make a word go away. It just gets driven out of polite company, and often takes on an even more negative connotation due to the taboo. And even if you could accomplish that intentionally, what would be the point? Words don't create disrespect; they just reflect it. As long as people react to disabled persons with disgust, fear or derision, then it won't matter what words they use. The attitudes have to change, not just the words. EDIT: Also, these campaigns sometimes backfire. I remember I used to laugh a lot at these ads on the subways about people with developmental disabilities. I'm sorry, but they were funny.
The funny thing about language is that the word "retarded" came into common usage as a non-derogatory alternative to the previous clinical terms "idiot", "imbecile", and "moron", which had gained too much of a derogatory connotation. Probably "retarded" ad "retard" are going to eventually join those words and only be used as a general "you're stupid" put-down pretty much disconnected from their technical meaning, and the polite replacement terms will gradually drift into derogatory usage.
This is only getting attention because the right wing retard PC police are still trying to make an issue of Obama's rather funny joke.
Ridiculous. There will always be another word coming down the pike... [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvdJFnb5spo"]YouTube - Theres something about Mary - "I work with retards"[/ame]
"Retarded" started as a politically correct version of words like "idiot." Whatever they replace "retarded" with will eventually find its way into jokes and wind up just as offensive as "retarded." Then they'll come up with another word for the same concept, and so on. This is what Stephen Pinker calls the "euphemism treadmill."
I'd wager that the "PC police" are left wing and not right wing. You really think that a good ol'boy cares about someone else's feelings?
That's actually a really good heads up for me. Does it mean something else to them? This whole thing is pretty stupid anyway. Even if 'banning' a word stopped its usage, it doesn't stop cruelty to retarded people(yes i will continue to use the damn word) and TBH, retard is about the least cruel term you could come up with.
Actually, with the combination of hard consonants, the balanced "r's", and the flowing assonance of the vowels, it kind of does roll off the tongue. But that's the sort of thing you'd expect a short-bus passenger to miss.
Social psychology experiments have demonstrated that the reverse is actually true as well: you can change attitudes by first changing behavior. I've always disliked the use of "retarded" as a pejorative. It's grossly unfair, and there's absolutely no doubt at all that the word is chosen specifically for actual meaning. It's an ugly slur.
My daughter came home from high school with a card saying "use the other R-word: respect". I've already caught her describing someone as "full of respect".
Insulting people would be much easier if instead of telling me what I can't say, I could have a list of what I can say. Examples illustrated with pictures would be helpful.
It's not about being PC - it's about having respect for people with intellectual disabilities, and accepting a group of people who are frequently bullied, lampooned, and socially isolated. If the word is hurting feels, I don't mind stopping using it.