# Let's ban use of the word "retarded" as an insult here. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 15, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421 "2004-10-15T18:15:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![drpepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@drpepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drpepper)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/61 "2004-10-15T21:18:41Z")
From where I stand I see it as an issue absolutely identical, in every facet, to using “gay” as a negative insult. I don’t really have an opinion on the banning issue; but I avoid the term because I think it’s not right to use it so. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/62 "2004-10-15T21:30:01Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > I’d just like to say that I still look back fondly at the times when Mr. Moto came into the various threads where Brutus called me a “retard” and blasted Brutus for using that word. It was heartening to see a staunch Republican come to the defense of a staunch Liberal (one who’s actually proud of the word) against a fellow staunch Republican. It speaks to how we can actually work together in the future to better America as Americans, rather than as partisans. > _wakes up_ Damn…I had the weirdest dream! Yes, but that was before he saw the light - the light revealed to him by reading about George Bush’s head pasted onto a mentally retarded child’s body. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/63 "2004-10-15T21:31:18Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > I’m just trying to get this word added to those known to be inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, and harassing. And there are people who find Harry Potter to be some of those things. Everything Ann Coulter says can fit on that list. Perhaps we should ban mention of her at all? After all, she exists for nothing more than to inflame people with inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful and harassing statements. Feh. And now you don’t want me to be able to refer to her as retarded. No thanks. -Joe, loved the South Park where Cartman tries to win the Special Olympics ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/64 "2004-10-15T21:38:33Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > Do you have the same opinion about the use of the terms below? > \ > It seems that all these terms relate to mental retardation to a degree, so do you find it mildly insulting on behalf of those with actual disabilities to have these terms applied as a pejorative? None of those, to the best of my knowledge, are used by the medical community to describe and diagnose individuals. Some once were, but they have fallen out of favor, partially because they became stigmatizing rather than descriptive. If a person goes to a doctor and comes back with a diagnosis of MR and they are exposed to the term as a pejorative then it becomes clear they are being referred to as inferior. Using a term which describes a state of being beyond a person’s control as a pejorative puts down the person who fits the description but did nothing to deserve being put down. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/65 "2004-10-15T21:55:45Z")
Look people, the answer is easy: Ban all adjectives! (and I would keep a close eye on those fucking adverbs as well). ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/66 "2004-10-15T22:02:20Z")
Here’s an interesting bit from TAPPED about how this odd story arose: [http://www.prospect.org/weblog/archives/2004/10/index.html#004459](http://www.prospect.org/weblog/archives/2004/10/index.html#004459) He references an AP story, but the linked article required registration, so I linked you to the blog post in which the AP article is quoted, in part, as follows: > [@](#): > > The flier was the subject of denunciations by Fitzhugh’s Republican challenger, Dave Dahl; TeamGOP, which featured the flier on the home page of its Web site and for whom Dahl is a member of the board of directors; conservative blogger Bill Hobbs; and the Traditional Values Coalition of Washington. > Fitzhugh insists the fliers were dropped off at the office by an unknown person and promptly thrown into a trash can outside the office by the two volunteers on duty that day. > > Someone later came by and asked about the fliers and was told they had been tossed in the trash. That second person then got one out of the trash and threatened to call the local newspaper, according to Fitzhugh’s account. > > “I had absolutely nothing to do with it at all,” Fitzhugh said. “I’ll do whatever I can to counter this, but it’s hard to undo something you haven’t done.” ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/67 "2004-10-15T22:08:38Z")
> [@from Hentor the Barbarian's link](#): > > “I had absolutely nothing to do with it at all,” Fitzhugh said. “I’ll do whatever I can to counter this, but it’s hard to undo something you haven’t done.” [shrill voice on] He should have undone it before he didn’t do it! ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/68 "2004-10-15T22:09:53Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > None of those, to the best of my knowledge, are used by the medical community to describe and diagnose individuals. So if they are, will you change your mind about using them? ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/69 "2004-10-15T22:14:14Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > > [@Mtgman](#): > > > > None of those, to the best of my knowledge, are used by the medical community to describe and diagnose individuals > > So if they are, will you change your mind about using them? An example: [“On the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Idiocy and Imbecility”](http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~mksimpso/IreDiag.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/70 "2004-10-15T22:17:01Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > If a person goes to a doctor and comes back with a diagnosis of MR and they are exposed to the term as a pejorative then it becomes clear they are being referred to as inferior. I know I’m going to catch hell for saying this but… aren’t they inferior? At least in the relatively narrow area of cognitive abilities? I’m not saying that people who are retarded aren’t people, or aren’t deserving of respect, or equal rights as citizens, or anything like that. But being retarded is a pretty big limitation on what that person can reasonably be expected to achieve. They might be an excellent, dedicated, friendly worker who’s great with customers. But they’re never going to be, say, the Chair of Mathematics at Harvard. Or CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Or (all jokes aside) President of the United States. I guess my point is that being retarded is always a bad thing. It is never better to be retarded than it is to not be retarded. Insults like “fag,” “nigger,” “kike,” and so forth are taking an attribute of a person that is, at very worst, completely neutral, and painting it as a negative. Calling some retarded is taking something that’s negative, and painting it as… something that’s negative. I don’t see the problem with that. ---
**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/71 "2004-10-15T22:24:24Z")
What about fire-retardant clothes? I can still wear those, right? Seriously, people, lighten up. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/72 "2004-10-15T22:27:40Z")
Keep it as an insult, and also as an exclamation of delight - “that film was RETARDED good!” ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/73 "2004-10-15T22:35:19Z")
> [@Freejooky](#): > > Keep it as an insult, and also as an exclamation of delight - > > “that film was RETARDED good!” So you also watched **Taxi**! ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/74 "2004-10-15T22:37:47Z")
> [@Binarydrone](#): > > Look people, the answer is easy: Ban all adjectives! (and I would keep a close eye on those fucking adverbs as well). What about the nouns? You’ve forgotten the fucking nouns! Are you a… Never mind. Never mind at all. Go along all, nothing to see here. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/75 "2004-10-15T22:43:58Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > I don’t use the word. I don’t like the word. I find it mildly insulting on behalf of those with actual disabilities to have it applied as a pejorative. I, like **Hamlet** , end up with a lower opinion of those who use it as a pejorative. But none of these make it my place to restrict the freedom of others. This is exactly how I feel too. For several years I worked with the mentally retarded (“developmentally disabled” was also used). They were sweet people. I enjoyed many of them more than “normal” people. Really—they get under your skin, seep into your heart. Thinking about some of them makes me smile. So no, I don’t like the term “retarded,” as in, “RE-tard.” I usually cringe inwardly when I see it used but I wouldn’t say anything (usually) because I know that it’s said out of ignorance. _Ignorance._ It’s not a neutral term, it’s one that I find negative, but I can’t fight a battle with each person who utters it (out of ignorance). But yes, I do end up with a little lower opinion of those who say it. By the way, I worked with some patients who were retarded and could read. One guy was quite bright in his own way. He sometimes confronted one of his caretakers and say, “I’m different, aren’t I? I’m retarded, aren’t I? There’s something wrong with me, isn’t there?” He was smart enough to know that he wasn’t "normal. I can assure you that he would not be amused by the term “RE-tard.” The knowledge of his mental retadation distressed him at times. Look—I don’t want the word banned. It never occurred to me that it should be banned. But I wince when I hear it because I don’t think people really _think_ about why it might be hurtful. The mentally retarded can be the sweetest, coolest people. They can be a joy. I feel priviledged to have known some of them. I can’t imagine them any other way. Sure, it was sad that they aren’t “normal,” can’t have “normal” lives, but they are what they are and it’s not that bad of a thing in some cases. Unless you think being exceptionally sweet, trusting, loving and kind is a bad thing. (I should add here that some of the people I worked with had more “issues,” and some of them were damned difficult. And some had good and bad sides.) (As an aside, it was rarely the mentally retarded that gave me the most problems—it was the coworkers. Some of them were WHACKED. I mean, seriously WHACKED. Nuts, evil, crazy, toxic people. I don’t miss that job—not because of the patients, but because of the nutty coworkers.) ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/76 "2004-10-15T22:44:56Z")
I cringe when I hear ‘retard’. I’ve only ever heard it through media. I can’t recall ever hearing someone using it in front of me - so I’m suspecting it’s a US-centric thing. Nobody here is diagnosed with any form of retardation. ‘Learning disabilities’, etc are the terms used. However, the term ‘spastic’ has been dropped entirely, also due to its use as an all-purpose insult. > [@gobear](#): > > Besides, it’s amusing that a word that was originally used as a euphemism for the previous generation of clinical terms that became pejoratives–“moron,” “cretin,” abd “imbecile”–has itself become viewed as a term of abuse Is it amusing that ‘coloured’ is no longer acceptable? ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/77 "2004-10-15T22:47:13Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > What about the nouns? You’ve forgotten the fucking nouns! Are you a… > > Never mind. Never mind at all. Go along all, nothing to see here. 😉 Sure, then we can start getting proud about how much more thin the dictionary is getting with each new addition. Doubleplusgood, says I! ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/78 "2004-10-15T22:49:47Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > Neither he nor I agreed that the word should be banned. We both find it offensive because we’re deeply involved with special needs people, but I don’t see how that’s any more self-righteous than any other topic that people get offended by. > > I guess it’s easy to be flippant if the subject doesn’t offend you. But that doesn’t mean that those of us who do care should keep our mouths shut or be accused of self-righteousness. Am I the only one to find it ironic that so many gay men are fucking assholes? And should I add a smiley to that, just to show that I was only joking and thereby remove all possibility of causing offence? ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/79 "2004-10-15T22:53:42Z")
> [@Evil Death](#): > > so many gay men are fucking assholes If you think of the word ‘fucking’ as a verb, the above statement is true 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421/80 "2004-10-15T22:59:12Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Is it amusing that ‘coloured’ is no longer acceptable? “Colored” used to be the polite term, the equivalent of African-American today. But as generations changed and civil rights advanced, the perfectly acceptable term was associated with the ghastly racial politics of its era, and thus “colored” became _verboten_ and was replaced by “Negro,” which in its time was replaced by “Black,” then “people of color” made a brief resurgence, and now the correct terminology is “African-American,” which in time will be viewed as unacceptably racist and replaced by something else. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-ban-use-of-the-word-retarded-as-an-insult-here/269421.md?page=5)