Forums → WEPR → The R Word

Retard: Many find it offensive, since people with mental illness are called retards. I don't care when someone calls me a retard, since I know it isn't true, I come from a long line of genetic geniuses. But if you call someone with an actual mental illness retarded, I would kick their butt. Most people should be okay with being called retarded. But if you insult someone who does have a mental illness, you really, really, must hate yourself, because everyone will hate you.

you mean calling a retard a retard is bad?
i know for fact retards sometimes call themself and their retarted buddys retard and have a good laugh over it because they find it sound funny. xD
is it bad when a retard calls a other retard a retard?

(i hope evry1 can keep up whit all the retard in this post. it's not ment to if you feel offended )

Retard: Many find it offensive, since people with mental illness are called retards.

Ummm... It was originally created to be the term for &quoteople with mental illnesses," hence they're called retards. It wasn't made to be offensive at all. People just used it negatively and incorrectly like they did with every word before it meaning the same thing.

But if you call someone with an actual mental illness retarded, I would kick their butt.

Why? That's the only proper use of the word.

Why? That's the only proper use of the word.

Well, I see what you mean, but surely it all depends on how you say it? If it is said in a derogatory way, then rightly, people will take offense, however if someone simply stated to someone who was retarded, that they were retarded, that obviously wouldn't be offensive.

Well, I see what you mean, but surely it all depends on how you say it? If it is said in a derogatory way, then rightly, people will take offense, however if someone simply stated to someone who was retarded, that they were retarded, that obviously wouldn't be offensive.

I agree entirely with that. People should stop using the incorrect offensive forms they've created for completely appropriate words. Like saying "that's gay" as a replacement for "that's boring" is completely wrong and that misuse of the word should stop. Saying "he's gay" when he admittedly/openly is shouldn't be oppressed. Just because people are misusing words dosen't mean the word should be banned. If someone says "He's retarded," it depends on the context: Family members wondering why you're cousin is behaving differently, you explain that "He's retarded", completely acceptable; Kid at school trips, bully comments that "He's retarded," to be funny, not acceptable. People shouldn't be offended by the word itself, just by its misuse.

The teacher intended for the kid to feel guilty then?

That is blatantly obvious - you say something like that and it's bound to make the person feel guilty. That teacher is not a good one.

You're basing a teacher's ability to teach off of something that has nothing to do with what the teacher teaches? A teacher can't teach unless he/she is able to maintain order... if nothing else, she did a marvelous job of that and potentially curbing off all future instances. If he doesn't think he did anything wrong, then he has nothing to be ashamed of. He has nothing to be feel guilty about. I'd wager he only went through the same emotional transit a person who is making fun of another person goes through when they thought the one being made fun of wasn't around only to find out that they were in fact around. ...one of those "Oh s" moments.

Now, if you read the thread before posting here, then you would have seen my argument on how people can and most likely will get angry/agitated/perturbed when you reference the demographic or classification of a loved one / family member of theirs in a slang/slur kind of way. I have a mulatto niece. If you reference mulattoes in a bad way, then I will be offended. It isn't the referencing of the class of people that has prompted their opinion. It is the fact that people are constantly looking for ways to say mean things. They warp the connotative meanings of words for people and then abuse them to hurt people.

...like the word for a bundle of sticks... and the homosexual who was put on that bundle of sticks to burn. I'd tell you to ask E1337, but it seems he's no longer with us. I guess he used one too many offensive words. He once said that ridicule and usage of those words repressed homosexuals and hurt them... and confused and made others afraid to "come out of the closet." If someone says "Gay people are stupid," then I'll be offended. I have several real life and internets gay friends.

It is the same as if there is some kid by the name of Matthew who no one likes... be he annoying, filthy, stupid, or mentally retarded. If you go around using his name as a slur for similar faults that you find in your friends or just other people that know him, then you are effecting the same derogatory usage of Matthew that is being used with retard. You are making fun of Matthew each and every time you use his name. The people that know Matthew and just happen to know him in a positive way might just be offended at your usage of him as a slur. A teacher that knows him might even go so far as to tell her class, " I know Matthew. He can't help the problems he has. Do not use his name in that way again." ...but that would effect a bone chilling silence in the classroom... and poor little Timmy would have been called out and made to feel bad, and thus shut his mouth. ...now we can't have that can we?

What about the slang word for *****rd? Some people say it is stupid black people... some say it is just black people in general. Nowadays, black people call each other by that word all the time. What do you think would happen if you walked up to a group of them and said "Hey *&%$#@'s, wussup?" I doubt it'd end like this. ...unless you're black. It seems that usage of that word in the presence of black people is an exclusive privilege of black people and anyone who is nothing less than the closest of best friends with those people (if there is to be a chance of no animosity towards the speaker). Why is it that way? Idk... maybe the part where they ascribe the meaning of that word to be oppressive when said by a white person b/c of slavery that none of them ever experienced... but they have recent ancestors who did. They can't possibly be offended over something because of it's connotation and the loved ones involved in that connotation... that just doesn't happen.

I've witnessed some of the special education kids from my high school go through the same type conversations as talked about by someone else... they'd laugh at each other. ...but the second they thought a "normal" person was making fun of them for their condition they got angry and would at times cry. I'm not speaking on behalf of all of the mentally handicapped, but if you say that they don't get offended by the word, then you are wrong. Some of them might not, but I know that there are plenty that do.

A kid says the slang word for *****rd in a classroom setting and makes the generality that they're all stupid. The teacher asks "what did you say?" ...kid answers, "nothing." Teacher replies, "I heard what you said. I take offense to that word (she's got a through marriage black nephew). My nephew is black. He is not stupid, and you will not refer to black people with either of those words. You are using that word in a rude hateful way. Do not do it again."

Oh noes!!! D: We can't have someone call out a bully and make him feel bad!!! What a travesty!!!... but what of his original hurtful words? If it happens, it makes that person who called him out bad at whatever it is that they do? So the teacher is bad for making the kid seal off that spewing septic tank he calls a mouth? I can't imagine why... unless words said do in fact hurt the listener in some way. ...but I thought you said that words and opinions don't hurt people and they just need to get over it? D: Why does the bully get special treatment? Shenanigans!!!

Sounds like teacher of the year to me. Give that person a raise.

I agree that the common use of a word shouldn't be bothered with. ...but that hasn't stopped the fact that people do use those words to hurt other people for the reason that they do reference another group of people who the speaker also looks down on. If you stop the people who are slinging slurs when you hear them, then your original meanings will be safe. We change words b/c we have new people who grow up to them being used in mass in a bad way, and they find them offensive b/c that's what they're mostly used for... offending people. If you want the words to not cycle in and out of obscenity, then stop the obscene... or quit complaining about something you yourself can help stop but are not willing to do so. Until you do that, we're gonna keep cycling in and out new/old words that are considered acceptable.

I hope you can find an answer to your query in that, H.

But if you call someone with an actual mental illness retarded, I would kick their butt.

Why? That's the only proper use of the word

The only proper use of the word, which was however made politically incorrect. So is there a proper use for the word at all?

The only proper use of the word, which was however made politically incorrect. So is there a proper use for the word at all?

Well, the word gay has been made into something derogatory due to society looking for an insult "that's gay". Should that word be abolished too? Just because people wrongly use it as an insult dosen't mean it loses its other meanings. Instead of making things politically incorrect, they should just stop the insults that misuse those words (that's the purpose of those "watch what you say" commercials here, the only problem is they haven't thought to do that with the word retard). Also, the PC terms will also become PI later on because people want to insult eachother and will use whatever word is acceptable in society (retard was originally not insulting and was considered PC when it was first used to describe those with mental disabilities, because it wasn't considered derogatory like idiot, moron, or cretin, which also started as PC words and became PI).

The teacher intended for the kid to feel guilty then?

No, he just wanted to teach him a lesson on how some people would respond to a harsh word like that, and how he needed to watch his language or it could really get him in trouble. He made a small impact.

That teacher was the insensitive one for poorly making the pupil aware, if you ask me.

Poorly making the pupil aware? I don't think you're getting this right. The way the teacher said it wasn't in the least bit harsh or rude. He said it very coolly and calmly. You have no right to call that teacher insensitive, you weren't there and didn't hear how he said it and what the situation. He didn't poorly make him aware. I think it was smart. It taught the whole class a lesson on how they use certain words not only in school but around other people daily in life. Not many teachers have the guts to bring up a subject like that, and the whole class learned from it. Like I said, you weren't even there.

That is blatantly obvious - you say something like that and it's bound to make the person feel guilty. That teacher is not a good one.

HE SHOULD HAVE FELT GUITLY!!! YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY THAT AT SCHOOL! He had not even thought about what other people would have felt after he said that word. It was rude and inappropriate. He used it in such a derogatory way, it was insulting. It was a bad influence on other kids to.

I don't know who said this, because I got it off another post, but seriously, please read my post above ^ You don't even know the person and you're saying they're a bad teacher? Really?

Poorly making the pupil aware? I don't think you're getting this right. The way the teacher said it wasn't in the least bit harsh or rude. He said it very coolly and calmly. You have no right to call that teacher insensitive, you weren't there and didn't hear how he said it and what the situation. He didn't poorly make him aware. I think it was smart. It taught the whole class a lesson on how they use certain words not only in school but around other people daily in life. Not many teachers have the guts to bring up a subject like that, and the whole class learned from it. Like I said, you weren't even there.

But he banned the word without explaining an appropriate use of the word. Like if someone said the a-word, there are completely acceptable uses of the word. When the use of a word is right and wrong should be explained instead of just banned. Simply saying "that's bad" isn't a good lesson.

When the use of a word is right and wrong should be explained instead of just banned. Simply saying "that's bad" isn't a good lesson

HE DIDN'T BAN IT! HE DIDN'T SAY THAT IT'S BAD! ALL HE DID WAS TELL THEM AN EXPERIENCE AND RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SUBJECT THAT HE HAD! HE DIDN'T SAY "don't say that" OR "that's bad" ALL HE DID WAS GIVE OUR CLASS AN EXPERIENCE AND TEACH US THAT WE SHOULD BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE SAY AROUND SCHOOL AND AROUND OTHER PEOPELE. ALL. HE. DID.

You just said:

It was rude and inappropriate.

The word itself is not rude nor inappropriate when used correctly. If he had explained the difference between appropriate and inappropriate uses of the word instead of saying "Did you just say that" and about how the word is offensive.