I talked about this a few weeks ago. The use of the word ‘retarded’ and how it has as much a claim to ‘hate speech’ as do words like ‘kike’ or ‘faggot’ or ‘paki’:
“Do people who use these terms know how hateful they are? Do they understand the contempt they are heaping on their fellow Canadians? Or if confronted, would they try to defend their words, laugh them off - tell you to get a sense of humour?
I would encourage all of us bloggers to look through what we’ve written, and if we find that we are spreading such hate - that we post an apology, and commit to not using that language in the future. And if people such as BigCityLib, can’t, or won’t, then let them take their chances with CHRC and be damned with their fellow hate-mongers at Stormfront.”
The guy from My Blahg responded by calling me ‘retarded’, the others just changed the subject. ‘How dare I criticize them while people are starving in China’ etc….
Anyhow, I’m bringing this up again because today is Blog Against Disablism Day. My contribution is to join the chorus of other bloggers who are bringing attention to the use of the word ‘retarded’. Please take some time to check out my old post on the subject here.
Please also take some time to read other bloggers on ‘Disablism’.
I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s hate speech pure and simple.
With my very own eyes, I have seen an instructor at a Tae-Kwon-Do class reduce a teen to tears by calling him a ‘retard’. Unknown to the instructor, the youth was indeed mildly mentally retarded…
He had worked hard to overcome his shortcomings, and was coping well. And this guy just shattered him. It was shameful. I had to hold his mother back, or she would have done something unwise.
At the same time, I think that we must avoid ‘banning words’ in themselves. As an ‘Aspie’, I know I am socially retarded: meaning it took me much longer than the norm to understand social norms and expectations and could interact successfully. And I have often referred to myself as such - it is, after all, an accurate description.
Perhaps it is not JUST the word that is being abused which is the problem. For many people, another word could be spat out with equal venom - and convey just as much hate and contempt! Soon, we would have to ban the whole dictionary.
The real problem is the lack of respect that many people think it is acceptable to display openly and unabashedly.
Feeling contempt for someone - that is a reaction that we cannot immediatelly control. Displaying contempt, whether nicely or in a very hateful way, that is something we CAN and MUST control - it is part of the whole ‘getting along with others’ package. Even I get THAT.
Is it coincidental that, regardless of their particular political or religious bend, or even the era they live in, it is often the same people who BOTH display contempt for others openly AND try to ban views other than theirs? Perhaps the root cause for both is one and the same…
Yeah, I’ve kind of exaggerated in this post a bit - I wouldn’t want to take anyone before the CHRC for a word - no matter how offensive. I referred to the HRCs in the post only because the people I was attacking were some of the biggest cheerleaders for them - and I thought it was worth pointing out that they’re such massive hypocrites for using hate speech to defend hate speech tribunals.
All that said, I do want people to realize that this word is hateful. I want the noun and adjective ‘retard’ to be about as socially acceptable as the verb ‘jew’. But I want to do this through social pressure not by government fiat.
Xanthippa — I think the point is, though, that you don’t have to use the word “retarded” in describing your difficulties. There are a lot of suitable terms that *don’t* refer to a specific group of other people that we can use, or ones that are far less direct. There’s also the option of simply not using a disparaging term at all, and saying bluntly that you have difficulties with it, or similar phrasing. (Sounds more professional/mature anyway. :)
Of course, the whole “spectrum people have no social skills & learn them slowly” thing is debatable at best. :-) Both groups have their own way of communicating, but since we’re less common, we’re assumed to be deficient, rather than that we work differently and would do fine with our own kind if both don’t emulate NT. It’s a well-tested theory at this point, since a lot of Autistics like me have family & close friends on the spectrum that they interact with naturally (no faking NT).
So perhaps the best option is simply to say your communicative skills are very different, rather than to further a stereotype. ;-)
Just became aware of “Disablism” –it has the earmarks of the latest in identify politics. Certainly, victimhood at its best.
No concessions to the possibility that non-disabled folks simply don’t know how to deal with disabled folks because they so rarely encounter them. Same mentality in some women leads them to condemn men who would dare to open a door for them.
Next step in the victimhood protocol is to “celebrate” being disabled — elevating it to something to be proud of, a la Gay Pride or Deaf Pride — and trying to oblige others to participate in the celebration.
I can’t defend people who rudely stare for a prolonged period at a disabled person — OR AN ABLE-BODIED PERSON. But, …
@Moggy:
my point was that no matter what word we DO use, if people say it in a hateful way and with a hateful intent, it WILL change the word into a hate-word. Language evolves - words acquire meanings according to their current usage.
If we simply avoided words that ‘became tainted’, we would soon run out of words. It would be much better to address the acceptability - the social tolerance - of people who think it fine to put people down for things beyond their control.
And, Robert,
you are right. It is very curious that ‘hate speech’ is being used to protect the ‘hate-speech-watchdog’… But then again, has not the latest tribunal evidence demonstrated that most of this ‘hate speech’ indeed originates within the HRCs??? Birds of a feather…
I feel fully confident using the term ‘retard’ on my blog, as retarded people aren’t likely to be reading what I write.
If an insult falls in the forest but no retards are there to hear it, does it offend?
its amazing how educated people continue to spew hatred at my workplace, and even more amazing is that they do it within the comments to your blog post. And yes, “Bagel” it does offend.
Amazing, and ignorant.
@Jadewarr:
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/braille.png
“I feel fully confident using the term ‘retard’ on my blog, as retarded people aren’t likely to be reading what I write.
If an insult falls in the forest but no retards are there to hear it, does it offend?”
Firstly, some ‘retarded’ people can read. People with IQs in the 50-70 range (normal is 70-130) will learn to read unless some other disability or poor education interferes. Some more severely disabled people can also read, because scattered skills are common.
Secondly, loved ones of retarded people generally have no difficulty reading, just like anyone else.
And even if you knew for a fact that no retarded people or any of their loved ones read your blog, you’re contributing to the idea that insults like that are okay, and that affects the whole community. People learn that retarded is a bad thing, partly from you, and then they meet someone they consider retarded and they are disgusted, scared, whatever, and the retarded person is affected by that (if you think ‘they don’t realize’, remember that a) there’s a wide range of ‘retarded people’, and b) even a 2 year old can tell if you don’t like them). They have to live in the community you help to make.
One more note: around 85% of retarded people are mildly retarded. It is, after all, a bell curve.
There are more creative and accurate words to use as insults.
Cody: Why must we use insults at all? Can we not respect eachother and get along?
I have a dream. Retards and Furries and Aspies walking arm in arm along the beach, while the surf gently laps at their toes. Somewhere in the distance, there is the faint but joyous sound of a baby cooing at it’s mother’s breast.
We, the people of the internet, have power no previous generation could have imagined — the power to bring this dream to fruition. Let’s work together, people. Let’s love eachother. For peace. And God. And the bible. And cooing babies everywhere.
Respect? On teh Interwebs? Bagel, surely you jest. ;)
As ‘The Bagel of Everything’ so effectively points out with his use of the word ‘retard’, being unoffensive is not the intent of all. I speak to enough educators to know that the word ‘retard’ has fallen to ’special.’ Every time I hear ’special’ use in a certain way, I know that the person means, ‘retard.’ Hardly better. Deeming a word hateful won’t eliminate its use, and even if we could, should we?
Instead maybe we could let the words someone chooses reflect on who they should: the person who uses them.