Is ‘retarded’ an offensive word?
In my mind, no. There’s a difference between ‘developmentally disabled’ or ‘mentally handicapped’ (for people who have Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, etc.) and ‘retarded’ (for people who are stupid). But, because I know and understand sensitivities around the term, I would never use the word ‘retarded’ around developmentally disabled people. But in other company, I freely use the term ‘retarded’ (and ‘barely-functional retard’) in reference to:
- Creationists
- Bible-beaters
- Hypocritical politicians
- People obsessed with terrorism, who have never lived in or even visited places that would ever be considered targets for terrorism
- People with horribly misplaced priorities
- sheeple – mindless drones who are carbon copies of everyone else around them
- rich brats who try to sound ghetto
- people who cackle into their cellphones while weaving in and out of their lane while driving
- annoying narcissists who are convinced that the entire universe revolves around them and their petty concerns
- People who can’t grasp things that your average kindergartener can
- pretty much everyone lampooned on South Park
For these sorts of people, the term captures my sentiments toward them like no other.
Posted on July 11th, 2008 by JM
I truly applaud the fact that you are even willing to discuss this.
I’m the mom of a special needs child. Before she was born I truly don’t think I would think twice when I heard the word retarded. Now it gives me a fever.
I personally find the word demeaning to people with special needs. My daughter might have a cognitive impairment but she’s not stupid, yet according to medical doctors, she is mildly retarded. So when she hears someone say “that’s retarded” or “you’re a retard” it’s very painful.
I truly wouldn’t want to take away your right to use the word. But for people involved in the special needs word it’s an extremely hurtful word. You don’t have to have a family member with special needs to know that slurs and stereotypes hurt. So, you wouldn’t want to hurt someone by not saying it to their face, yet just hearing the word on television or in a movie (Get Smart, Speed Racer, Tropic Thunder) causes great pain.
Most people wouldn’t think of saying the N word or calling someone a faggot. For whatever reason, retard still gets a pass.
I appreciate your bringing it up and for hearing one mom’s opinion on the matter.
Thank you HShore. I can easily imagine how you feel that way. I would never, ever use the word in reference to a person with special needs. Ever. I really reserve it for non-special needs people who are stupid because of intellectual laziness. But I hate it when people throw around the “that’s so gay” and “he’s a fag”, so point very much taken.
I think we all need greater awareness. It should not be used in public. For example, standing in a grocery checkout line and the checker says something like “I’m so retarded sometimes”, etc. She/he has no way of knowing if anyone in earshot has a loved one who, in an earlier day, would have been classified as “retarded”. Perhaps, when those of us who remember that pain-filled connotation (as with “gay” also), have disappeared, the new lexicons will be the only reminders that these words used to be derogatory.
[...] – bookmarked by 3 members originally found by T1o2b3i on 2008-10-02 Is ‘retarded’ an offensive word? http://dailycandor.com/is-retarded-an-offensive-word/ – bookmarked by 2 members originally found [...]
I freely use the term ‘retarded’ in reference to:
- Evolutionists
… Seriously?
It is what it is, shit happens. I have family members who are retarded, some from birth, some after the fact, I have friends and family who are gay. This does not stop me from using words such as retarded, and faggot. Hell I’ll call a gay person a faggot in a joking manner. Words are what you make them, and people nowadays just wait for people to say things they can bitch about. Everybody is overly sensitive, and way too serious. Don’t have a heart attack over something so stupid. Seriously, I have the deepest sympathy for your child and I bet their a great kid, but in no way am I trying to mean offense, they are retarded.
Retardation is a definition for generalized, triarchic disorder, characterized by subaverage cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors with onset before the age of 18 according to wikipedia. It was made offensive by parents like yourself, who can’t face reality.
Each year that passes there is another word that is not socially accepted, just calm down people and stop caring so much about what other people say and think.
I love when people like Ryan say to calm down about words that offend some and not others. Bet he was first in line to protest the cartoon in the New York Post. Unfortunately you don’t get to decide by just saying calm down, or can’t you take a joke, or don’t be so sensitive. Isn’t it enough to be able to step back, listen to what the people feeling the hurt has to say and respect their wishes. Is it really such a big deal not to use the word retard or retarded?
you should be considerate of other peoples feelings. If it is a name that you would not want to be called, don’t call anyone else it.
So… you had a semi-interesting point about sensitivity and offense, but you turned it into a hate rant against theology? Talk about messed up priorities.
Sam: Are you capable of reading? Or do you see only what you want to see?
I use the word retard all the time. It is no big deal. You are what you are..if that is retarded so be it.
Retarded as a description of one’s cognitive and adaptive functioning is a clinical diagnosis that can be made only by a psychologist. In that respect, the term is neutral and can be used to convey a great deal of information very quickly such as: IQ score range, Adaptive skills, level of care needs, etc. There are several levels Mental Retardation, each defines a specific set of disabiltiies.
In the past words such as Moron, Feeble-Minded, etc. were also used as clinical diagnostic terms. Those terms fell out of fashion, and modernly we are seeing our present diagnostic wording fall out of fashion.
Ultimately, if you choose to refer to someone as Retarded, I would hope that you would have the clinical training and sensitivity to understand what the word conveys diagnostically. Any other use of the term is not only incorrect, but it sheds light on how little the user of the word understands it.
A huge number of Bible believers are Ph.Ds. So, why would you call them retarded?
A retard is any person whose IQ is below 70. People within the 50-69 range are classified as mildly retarded or “morons”. Those who fall in the 35-49 range are moderately retarded. Anyone with with an IQ between 34 and 20 is severely retarded. “Imbecile” is a catch-all term for moderately to severely retarded people. The poor, sub-human degenerates who find themselves with an IQ below 20 would be classified as profoundly retarded, or idiots. Ironically, the term “retarded” was used as a euphemism for “moron”, “imbecile” and “idiot”. Now it seems even this historically PC word isn’t enough for some people, who are actually trying to ban it. I personally like the term, because although it is historically neutral, over the years it has gained a strong emotional charge, hece the movement to ban it, and few words convey the concept of stupidity more forcefully than it. As a side-note, although 70 is the cut-off point, people within the 70-80 range are often considered border-line retards. Apologies for any offense caused. What is, is.
Hey thanks for article and HShore’s comment. My opinion is a lot like that of the author’s. I was wondering if it’s ok to use it in one of my articles. After reaing HShore’s comment, I have decided not to use it.
thank you to everyone who shares the same opinion as i do. I work with children and teenagers and even adult with special needs. i hate the r-word with a strong passion. it is ridiculous and shallow for people to defend and try and justify the use of the word, because of their “freedom of speech.” im a fan of respect for all people. Also, just because you “can” use a word, that doesn’t mean that you should. with freedom of speech comes a responsibility. and i understand completely when people say they aren’t referring to people with disabilities, but that doesn’t make the word any less offensive. just take into consideration that people can hear you, even when you don’t mean it in a derogatory sense, they still hurt other people. thanks and i hope you do think this through.
I live in the US. It is my belief that people are entitled to speak how they will. That means that all of the people above that feel that others should speak how they wish and to “feel for others” are all narrow minded tyrants that believe that everyone should think and speak how they wish. Now, they are free to have their opinions, and spout their drivel, but I have the freedom also to say what I think about their ideas. So, continue to spout your drivel as you see fit, but the first person that tries to force me to think in a certain way is going to have more than words to contend with.
I would like to point out that there is a difference between calling someone a Faggot/Nigger and calling somebody retarded.
Faggot is a word designed specifically as a derogatory term for people who are gay just like using the word gay in a derogatory term is intentionally taking a word that means something completely different and using it to insult someone. I don’t think I need to run through the same explanation with Nigger.
As for “retarded” it has a completely different meaning which has already been explained by other users. When somebody insults someone/something by referring to it as retarded they are using the original meaning of the word which refers to a level of intelligence and are not using it out of context. The argument you are employing is equivalent to the argument that “Stupid” should not be used as a derogatory term (as if it has any other use) because it is offensive to stupid people.
The only reason that the word “retard” is offensive is because people like you don’t make a distinction between “retard” as a medical label and “retard” as a statement of intelligence.
If I were you I would spend my time protesting the use of the word “retard” to describe your family members condition as opposed to other terms like “mentally challenged”. As you have already noted your child may be mentally challenged but they are by no means stupid so maybe you should be more angry at the people who have named your child’s/family member’s condition a word that means essentially the same thing as stupid.
[...] [...]
I don’t find retarded to be any more offensive towards mentally challenged people than dumb to be towards people physically incapable of speaking.
The problem with this parade of euphemisms is that the euphemism often technically applies to many other things besides what it is euphemizing. “Developmentally disabled” could technically refer to anything that has to do with development. So a midget would be developmentally disabled because he has a disability in the development of his height, even if his IQ is through the roof.
“Mentally handicapped” also has this problem to a less extent. You could say someone who is insane is mentally handicapped even though their problem isn’t low intelligence and some mentally ill people have high IQs.
Older phrases like “mentally challenged” had the same defect only worse. You could say someone who is trying to solve a crossword puzzle and is having a hard time is being “mentally challenged” and youre technically correct.
Strangely “retarded” short for “mentally retarded” is the most literal, logic phrase to use to describe the ailment. The person is literally “retarded” mentally. “Retarded” means held back. Their mind’s growth is “held back” relative to others. The irony is “retarded” was a euphemism. Before “retarded” the words “moron”, “idiot”, and “imbecile” were used as actual technical, scientific words for people of below average intelligence, the word being used depending on the range you fell into. And now today “moron” isn’t even a formal word anymore, its turned into slang. I suppose it make sense that the same thing is happening to the word “retarded”. A few generations from now it won’t even cross people’s minds that “retarded” is anything but a slang term for “stupid”. Nobody will wonder if its offensive because people won’t associate the term with people who have low IQs.