Archived Walmart Closing at 6pm Christmas Eve

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As a person who says "As a person who" in order to sound like some sort of authority on things...consider this.

First, let's start with the actual history of the word and how it came to be. Retard (pejorative) - Wikipedia

Did you notice all the words that were used BEFORE "retard" came to be? Retard was supposed to become the new medical term, since it's an actual word with an actual meaning (slow and delayed) but, just like the terms before it, it turned into an insult. Rightfully so if you ask me. The word "retard" meaning slow and delayed is a terrible term to use for the mentally disabled, because medically speaking, it does not explain the mechanism of their illness. Instead it defines them by their symptoms in a grossly simplistic way. Regardless if the word ever because an insult, it was inevitably going to be replaced, or we should all hope so.

In modern day, it is now unrelated to those with mental disabilities. Suggesting the word "retard" is mocking those with mental disabilities, you're basically saying that people with mental disabilities are "retarded." That's fucking disgusting, and shame on you.

Any sensible adult should be able to tell the fucking difference between someone using the word as an insult, than make some fucking hair-brained connection for when it was briefly and inaccurately used to refer to the mentally disabled. But like it or not, retard still means what it means. Your list of synonyms are nothing but "other r-words" as far as I'm concerned. I will never ever stop using the word where I see appropriate. I'm not going to limit my vocabulary by ignoring other words, but, that includes retard.


As a person who was using myself as an example of a person who cringes every time they hear the word used, not as an authority, I can see your point.
However the history of the word makes a connection in peoples mind.
When you use to describe someone who is exhibiting doltish behavior people are going to be drawn to the image of a person who is developmentally delayed.
Do you mean for them to do that?
Perhaps not, but that is what is going to happen most of the time.
 
As a person who was using myself as an example of a person who cringes every time they hear the word used, not as an authority, I can see your point.
However the history of the word makes a connection in peoples mind.
When you use to describe someone who is exhibiting doltish behavior people are going to be drawn to the image of a person who is developmentally delayed.
Do you mean for them to do that?
Perhaps not, but that is what is going to happen most of the time.

Those people are wrong. Whether they can't help have the association, or whether they refer to mentally disabled as "retarded" in their own head, what ever the reason, that's their OWN personal problem. You don't take your personal emotional biases, and then demand the world change accordingly. You can have shows on TLC that exploit dwarfs and fat people...but because it's under the guise of a documentary, that shit isn't offensive. Yet someone utters the word retarded when someone is being stupid, and that person becomes some Hitler prodigy out to destroy the mentally disabled.

I can't help but raise an eyebrow and be skeptical of it all. Like people who are outrageously anti gay....ending up being gay themselves. I feel like people whom are outrageously offended by whatever issue, are usually offended for other personal reasons. Not because they think something is an actual harm to society.
 
Yeah, retard is an actual word with other meanings. The fact that it was ever used to refer to someone with actual mental disabilities is what's bad. I don't associate the term like that. So fuck you for thinking I have some greater agenda to shit on the mentally challenged.
Mentally retarded is a medical diagnosis. Yes, it has other definitions, but none of them actually fit into the sentence that you wrote. Thank you for your input. (Also... thank you for the "edit" button.)
 
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Mentally retarded is a medical diagnosis. Yes, it has other definitions, but none of them actually fit into the sentence that you wrote. Thank you for your input.

So would it be less offensive if I just say, "you have an IQ under 70" instead of "retarded?" You are not emotionally invested in this.
 
So would it be less offensive if I just say, "you have an IQ under 70" instead of "retarded?" You are not emotionally invested in this.
I'm being patient and polite with a person that obviously has little empathy. I would say that I am emotionally invested, but I also know that there are some people that will argue that their right to offend others and claim that the offended do not have the right to be offended. I have dealt with this on a personal level for 22 years in ways that you could never ever imagine with people that you would hope to never ever have a conversation with. This will be my last response to you on this matter because it IS personal and I am not going to get into a pissing contest with someone who just wants to argue for the sake of argument. I sincerely hope that you will never have to deal with this in your personal life, whether it be with a child, friend, loved one, or even yourself through an unfortunate head injury. I never thought that I would.
 
So would it be less offensive if I just say, "you have an IQ under 70" instead of "retarded?" You are not emotionally invested in this.


Except she already told you she was as the parent of a child with disabilities.

And suggesting that people who call attention to the use of the word somehow have issues of their own is just classic ad hominem logic.
I believe in freedom of speech, you have the right to say whatever you want but you do have to take the consequences for saying it.

I said, politely, that there were much better ways to phrase your response.
I'm not attacking you or trying to make you be a different person.
Just asking that you consider people like Rarejem and her son, they are emotionally invested.

This is not a fight or worth this much page space.
Just food for thought.
Lets move on.
 
I'm being patient and polite with a person that obviously has little empathy. I would say that I am emotionally invested, but I also know that there are some people that will argue that their right to offend others and claim that the offended do not have the right to be offended. I have dealt with this on a personal level for 22 years in ways that you could never ever imagine with people that you would hope to never ever have a conversation with. This will be my last response to you on this matter because it IS personal and I am not going to get into a pissing contest with someone who just wants to argue for the sake of argument. I sincerely hope that you will never have to deal with this in your personal life, whether it be with a child, friend, loved one, or even yourself through an unfortunate head injury. I never thought that I would.

You being a parent to a child with mental disabilities doesn't give you the right to control my language. You can be as offended as you want, but that's where it ends. I already explained my intentions and views on the matter. If you still choose to believe I have insidious intentions, then you're the cause of your own suffering. Now kindly fuck off.
 
Except she already told you she was as the parent of a child with disabilities.

And suggesting that people who call attention to the use of the word somehow have issues of their own is just classic ad hominem logic.
I believe in freedom of speech, you have the right to say whatever you want but you do have to take the consequences for saying it.

I said, politely, that there were much better ways to phrase your response.
I'm not attacking you or trying to make you be a different person.
Just asking that you consider people like Rarejem and her son, they are emotionally invested.

This is not a fight or worth this much page space.
Just food for thought.
Lets move on.

I agree completely with what you said on free speech. Hence, you have to deal with my rude responses just as much as I have to deal with the idiotic responses. It sucks people get their feelings hurt. All my point is, maybe they should consider not everything is about them, and letting their feelings be hurt is a huge waste of time and energy.
 
You being a parent to a child with mental disabilities doesn't give you the right to control my language. You can be as offended as you want, but that's where it ends. I already explained my intentions and views on the matter. If you still choose to believe I have insidious intentions, then you're the cause of your own suffering. Now kindly fuck off.


Here's the deal, TBR allows you to have whatever opinion you want and to express it freely.
It also allows @Rarejem to have her opinions and express them as well.
Those opinions may clash and that is fine but we require that you be polite to each other.
A little snark is fine, rudeness, nastiness is unacceptable.

Telling someone to 'fuck off' is the very definition of not polite.
If you want to block them, block them.
If you don't want to continue the conversation move on.

This site is the one place in this damned world where we can ask that people act like civilized human beings.
It doesn't seem like too much to ask.
 
Here's the deal, TBR allows you to have whatever opinion you want and to express it freely.
It also allows @Rarejem to have her opinions and express them as well.
Those opinions may clash and that is fine but we require that you be polite to each other.
A little snark is fine, rudeness, nastiness is unacceptable.

Telling someone to 'fuck off' is the very definition of not polite.
If you want to block them, block them.
If you don't want to continue the conversation move on.

This site is the one place in this damned world where we can ask that people act like civilized human beings.
It doesn't seem like too much to ask.

I told them to "kindly" do it. Not enough pretty embellishments?
 
Yeah, retard is an actual word with other meanings. The fact that it was ever used to refer to someone with actual mental disabilities is what's bad. I don't associate the term like that. So fuck you for thinking I have some greater agenda to shit on the mentally challenged.

I appreciate your post on BR but I think you messed up here. I would just apologize and move on.
 
I appreciate your post on BR but I think you messed up here. I would just apologize and move on.

All I will apologize for is my being rude. It's something I do on purpose though. But regardless of whether or not I think the other person deserves it, I get I'm being a dick. That's kinda the point though, is to cause upset when someone else is being an idiot. Is it mature? No, of course not. But, it is satisfying.

I will not apologize for my use of the word retarded, and will continue to use it. I disagree with censorship of the word.
 
All I will apologize for is my being rude. It's something I do on purpose though. But regardless of whether or not I think the other person deserves it, I get I'm being a dick. That's kinda the point though, is to cause upset when someone else is being an idiot. Is it mature? No, of course not. But, it is satisfying.

I will not apologize for my use of the word retarded, and will continue to use it. I disagree with censorship of the word.

Thats fine I was hoping you would apologize for your condescending tone. You are better than that.
 
This thread has made me moist.

Off/on topic -- calling someone stupid is the same as calling someone retarded. It's something that often cannot be changed.

Also, people wear their feels on their sleeves. The amount of butt hurt expressed here so frequently is comical.
 
This thread has made me moist.

Off/on topic -- calling someone stupid is the same as calling someone retarded. It's something that often cannot be changed.

Also, people wear their feels on their sleeves. The amount of butt hurt expressed here so frequently is comical.


some people wear their heart
up on their sleeve
i wear mine underneath my right pant leg
strapped to my boot
don't think cause i'm easy, i'm naive
don't think i won't pull it out
don't think i won't shoot

Ani Difranco
 
Also, people wear their feels on their sleeves. The amount of butt hurt expressed here so frequently is comical.
Until it hits your house; then it's not so comical.
I've seen kids snicker & point at my son's antics.
He doesn't know he's been made fun of or laughed at but I do.
I have a low opinion of people who would make fun of someone mentally disabled who wouldn't be able to stand up for themselves.
It seems like the very reason they would do it: they know the person wouldn't confront them for it.
My husband & I walked out of a car dealership after listening to several of the sales staff referring to a service shop worker as 'Short Bus'.
Tho I suspected why they called him that - he seemed mildly mentally-challenged - I asked the salesman why they called him that.
He smiled as he told me about it.
Then I pointed out my son sitting in a car on the showroom floor, flapping his hands & rocking; I wasn't smiling.
Then we walked out.
 
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