So… everybody’s okay with the White House Chief of Staff saying “fucking”, and “retarded” is offensive? Seriously? 'Cause, my granny wouldn’t have thought so.
Except I don’t think this is true. “Retarded” refers to stupidity, not handicapped people. Retarded ideas are stupid ideas, not “imagine a retarded person - a person with down’s syndrome, say, and that business plan of yours? It’s like the down’s syndrome kid guy would have come up with.” The path to insult doesn’t go “retarded”->handicapped people->stupid; it’s “retarded”->stupid, with no pit-stop in pittsburg.
But I’ve reached a point where I’d want to check the etymology of the word’s usage to mean “stupid” before I argue this any further. At worst the word is like “idiot” - its use to refer to stupid people may have once been exclusively used in reference to the villiage idiot. In which case there might be some smaller weight to your position. Well, as long as you’re offended by idiot too anyway. 
That’s what I was going to say, when I say “retarded” I don’t go around thinking “oh dear, I need an insult. Oh, hey, I remember those kids in the special ed classes… what were they called? Retarded, right! This idea is like something those losers would come up with!” No, I just think “hey, the word retarded fits here, it means the idea is ‘stupid’ in a rather glaring and shortsighted way.” I don’t have any ill intention towards anyone mentally handicapped in any way, the words have separated in their uses now.
they would be morons.
Some day we won’t be able to say “handicapped”.
Well then, cite, please? The ones linked to earlier in this thread do not support the connotation of “retarded” being simply “stupid”. Maybe you’re right and a new sense of the word exists. I haven’t seen any evidence myself, but I don’t keep up with the latest slang.
Heck, I try to a find a cite for you myself. Here’s one. It’s not an especially good cite, since the definitions are all user-contributed, but it shows you’re not alone in using “retarded” to mean simply “stupid”. Looks like this word is in flux. (See definition 9–“retarded” has made a full cycle and is an in-group complement.)
It’d still be nice to have a more rigorous cite.
It is such a waste of time attacking words. Until the sentiment behind the word is changed, there will just be another word to replace it.
I’m okay with him saying “fucking,” and I’m okay with him fucking. (I’d prefer he not do that in public.) I’m on board with wanting politicians not to use language that is seen as insulting to their own constituents. But the things they do and the concepts they express are more important than the words they use.
For those wanting the etymology I found this:
So, looks to me like the root of the word existed as meaning “slow” and was later applied to mentally handicapped people.
It seems to me that it’s entirely beside the point whether or not retarded as applied to an idea is in fact a convoluted reference to mentally retarded people. I mean, the only slur I can really imagine on retarded people there is that they’re, well, stupid. And when you’re talking about a group of people whose sole defining characteristic is, well, stupidity… Logically, I can’t really get all worked up about it.
That said, how much people are offended has pretty much fuck-all to do with logic. The fact is, you’re going to piss people off if you use the adjective ‘retarded’. So, don’t do it. Use stupid, or idiotic, or moronic (all of which are pretty synonymous), and no one gets upset.
When referring to someone with intellectucal issues in writing, I usually refer to them as MR. The term I HATE is developmentally delayed, as its inaccurate. DD is too broad of a term. It can mean anything from someone with severe-profound intellectucal issues to mild intellectucal issues to a smart person who has CP but has two or more limitations on the adaptive skills scale. It can even include Asperger’s or learning disabilites.
Actually in order to be dx as MR, you need to have an IQ under 70 AND two or more deficts in adaptive skills. It’s not just an IQ number.
I agree with your conclusion here. I can’t understand the passion some people have in defending the slang use of words like “retarded” and “retard.” As I said in another live thread:
Later in that thread:
…which is basically what you’ve concluded. I don’t know why the debate is more complicated than that. And I am NOT a supporter of most things PC–quite the contrary. But if most others could see the tears and pain I have seen over such things, from a group of people who are weak and most need our protection, I believe they’d change their minds. It really is such a “WTF?” issue for me. Just use a different word, man. Does anyone really want to take a position of “fuck the pain the mentally retarded and their families feel about this, I really like that word”? Unfortunately, some do. There are those who have argued that no other phrase could possibly do the job that “fucking retarded” does. None.
“Retard” and “retarded” (as Emanuel used it) use the mentally retarded as a frame of reference for contempt. The word isn’t insulting unless we are to understand that the mentally retarded are benchmarks for a certain type of ridicule. Whether or not anyone thinks the comparison apt in a given situation, does anyone disagree that this would feel hurtful, that it sucks to be a touchstone for ridicule? Use a different word. You cannot understand how marginalized the mentally retarded feel. People won’t shake their hands, won’t speak to them, don’t know what to make of them when they encounter them. It’s like a friggin’ Martian just walked into the room. Use a different word, for Pete’s sake.
I do take exception with your notion that mental retardation is an equation with stupidity, which I mention because you seem like a reasonable guy. No one denies that the mentally retarded, by definition, have cognitive challenges. But I have known many with remarkably consistent common sense. Certainly there are borderline mentally retarded people who you might have trouble detecting. My point is that beliefs such as, “Well, of course they are all stupid” are bigoted and contribute to the abusive culture that the mentally retarded suffer. And believe me, it’s real. Take a cruise through some of the threads on this very board to see the value some people assign to “the 'tards.”
I wonder what dimwits like Palin would say if Rahm actually referenced retarded people and defended his right to call them that? Because apparently that’s what Limbaugh did
So Palin called Emmanuel’s remarks hurtful and is comparable to the N word, and then called for Obama to fire him. I wonder if she’s going to ask Clear Channel to do any kind of punishment for Limbaugh.
I’m not holding my breath.
Well said, Stratocaster.
Limbaugh’s use is worse. There was nothing off-handed or off-the-cuff about it. More than that, he was specifically describing the mentally retarded (not using them as a point of comparison). He was making a deliberate point, and he was an asshole about it. Rahm apologized, which was the right thing to do. Limbaugh will not, I’m sure.
If Palin sees Limbaugh as different, she’s a hypocrite and is betraying her son for politics.
You’re right; I didn’t mean to imply that anyone with any mental retardation is completely unintelligent. Just that mental retardation means some (not necessarily a high) level of stupidity. And, I have to admit, I don’t really have much experience with mental retardation, so I’ll bow to your knowledge. Plus, I feel like a bit of an ass even using the word stupid to refer to people, so I’m gonna shut up now.
No sweat. Like I said, IMO, you came to a reasonable conclusion, and you get points for having decent inclinations. 
Thanks!
Strat, yes you’re right. There are “smart” MR kids.
You know what I hate? The euphnism of disabled for intellectucal disabilites. Disabled can mean all sorts of issues, and very few of us are not bright.
This should probably come as no surprise but say hello to the hypocrite:
And a liar as well. Emanuel didn’t call anyone “fucking retards.”