Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Said the Chink to the Faggot!

Did I get your attention?? That is exactly the point.

Today Is End the R Word Day! Spread the Word to End the Word!










These are some Awesome Campaign Posters that the Special Olympics created to bring attention to the the inappropriate use of the word Retard.

I have had a few conversations with people about the use of the R Word. For the most part, people are usually understanding and will apologise when you ask them not to use the R word. But there have been a few instances where I have asked people to not use the word Retard and I have been told that there was no intent to offend. One person even told me that they weren't using the word in a derogatory way, which I thought was completely untrue as they were calling someone that they had just had a frustrating conversation with at work a Retard. How can you call someone a retard and not mean it in a derogatory way.
Another friend of mine said he didn't understand WHY it was offensive. I explained that the word had been used to classify and disparage an entire group of people with mental handicaps. I was then asked why the words stupid or dumb weren't derogatory. I tried to explain that you don't use the N word to describe a certain colour. There are no Nigger Black crayons. Still, the concept of the word Retard as an offensive word was still not understood. "I would never call a person with a mental handicap a retard." Of course not, but you use the word retard to describe something that you think is stupid or totally asinine? That's like saying you would never call a black man a nigger but you would use that word to describe the colour of something??? I just didn't understand their logic and they didn't understand mine. By the end of the conversation, we didn't see eye to eye on the subject, but they agreed to try not to use the R word around me. OK! I'll try not to call you a C word. :D JK JK. This was one of my best friends, so we agreed to disagree.

I just don't understand the problem. The word is offensive and it is used to describe something that is totally stupid. No one uses the word Retard or Retarded properly. So unless you are meaning that something is halted, stalled or slowed, you are using the word in a derogatory way, especially if you are CALLING someone who just pissed you off on the other end of your phone a retard. I don't understand how calling someone who is not handicapped a retard is NOT offensive but calling someone who has a mental handicap a Retard is Totally unacceptable. That in and of itself is wrong. "Don't call the Down Syndrome kid a Retard. That's not right. But that kid over there who just tripped on his own shoe lace is a total retard."

JUST GET RID OF THE WORD... There is no acceptable use of the word when insulting a person. There are engine retarder brakes or chemical retardants.

retard 
- verb (used with object)
1.
to make slow; delay the development or progress of (an action, process, etc.); hinder or impede.

Synonyms: arrest, back off, baffle, balk, bog, bog down, brake, bring to screeching halt, check, choke, choke off, clog, close off, crimp, dawdle, decelerate, decrease, defer, delay, detain, down, encumber, falter, fetter, flag, hamper, handicap, hang up, hesitate, hold back, hold up, impede, lessen, let up, loaf, loiter, mire, poke, postpone, reduce, retardate, set back, shut down, shut off, slacken, slow down, slow up, stall, take down


I completely understand why people who have mental disabilities are clinically described as Retarded, as their brain development can be arrested, slowed, decelerated, delayed, but that is another correct use of the Word. To call someone a RETARD because they did something stupid is NOT acceptable. To not know the difference and to be unwilling to see the difference shows ignorance and a halted, stunted, shut off, reduced intelligence. :D