Is this “bunch of idiots piled up in the background clapping for everything” something only USA does? Have never seen this in Europe.
Only for the dorks. Which is most of them. It’s the politician equivalent of a laugh track in a comedy show.
I am eternally grateful that at least we don’t have the loudspeaker van problem I hear about in a lot of Asian and South American countries, that sounds like outright torture.
They do it at their rallies to get people watching at home all wound up and distract when something doesn’t quite hit.
It’s to ‘other’ anyone who disagrees, like being a football fan at a baseball game they don’t know why they’re cheering. They just don’t want to be left out or be the one to disagree when we’ve seen prior rallies get violent when protesters would voice dissent.
Yes, they just automatically give him a standing ovation. He just called us stupid. Yay! He’s my president!
There is no “could” in there, Donald. You are saying dumb things several times every day.
The point could have been made just as easily without using the R word. Fuck that.
One of the things I dislike about Lemmy is that while people do tend to stand up for trans rights and other rights, people come out of the woodwork MUH FREEZE PEACH about using the R word. “I SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE OFFENSIVE LANGUGE!!!”
It’s such a terrible look and it makes me sad that they refuse to understand the harm the word causes. The people to whom it refers know the word well. They don’t like it.
People give all sorts of excuses on why it should be okay to use. But these same people wouldn’t use “colored” to refer to black people. That word used to be preferred but now is not. They don’t bring out the euphemism treadmill bullshit to defend using “colored”, but just like some people with developmental and cognitive disabilities still have a medical diagnosis (officially) of MR (Mental Retardation), for example, the NAACP still has that “C” for “Colored”. That doesn’t make the work okay to use. And meanings shifting over time doesn’t make “Colored” okay to use, nor does it make “retarded” okay to use either.
They can say all they want, but it is either blind ignorance of the harm, or willful ignorance to keep using an abelist slur just because they apparently like the word so much and can’t be bothered to find better ones that are NOT harmful.
I do get it. When I went through the process of removing it from my vocabulary 15-20 years ago, it wasn’t easy. But I did it.
I appreciate your post!
I grew up in 1980s New England. I’m plenty familiar with the word and of course I used it growing up. I had an aunt with Down syndrome, one cousin with cerebral palsy, another with Rett syndrome. All awesome humans. Once I was an adult, it was just like…why the fuck would I use that word? These are people I love dearly.
Sure, maybe if we’re ranking insensitive slurs, it isn’t top of the list. I guess? And it’s an easy one to hold on to because it’s a group that isn’t generally in a position to speak up for themselves. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to do better.
Ironically, once upon a time “retarded” was the clinical, politically correct way to refer to the mentally disabled. However, it was discontinued because it became viewed as a pejorative label. Similarly, the terms moron, idiot, cretin, and imbecile were also all legitimate, non-offensive terms used, including by psychiatrists, to refer to people with mental/intellectual disabilities and low intelligence. “Handicapped” and “disabled” are now on thin ice, with “differently abled” making an appearance. I think no matter what label is clinically applied to people who are mentally challenged, it will eventually end up being used as a pejorative and become politically incorrect.
think no matter what label is clinically applied to people who are mentally challenged, it will eventually end up being used as a pejorative and become politically incorrect.
Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go with what’s current. Do you call black people “colored”? I hope not, because it is currently offensive (outside of South Africa where it happens to be the preferred term iirc). But the NAACP still has it in the name!
So what?
The R word is offensive now. “Colored” is offensive now.
The R word is a word used all the time. Just because you only know it as a neurological slur, doesn’t mean we censor it for your sake
But, yes, it was used as a slur specific to neurology in this case, arguably. So, “Learn what the word ‘retard’ means, you morons.” would’ve been a more appropriate response, apparently…
Edit: Sorry, so many typos. I’ve had a couple scotches. Need a scotch retardant. WATER!!!
Moron was also a medical term like retard was. It’s strange how some terms are fine and some aren’t.
Still is a medical term, for example, a retarded dose is one where the drug is released at a slowed pace.
Same usage as retarded timing in engines by delaying the spark. Then there’s all the chemical retarders for delaying reactions, like in mixing concrete or epoxy.
If you know music, you know ritard on tempo control.
If you get offended by “the R word” don’t ever become a pilot because the cockpit will exclaim “Retard! Retard! Retard!” on landing when you’ve neglected the throttle and it needs to be shortened.
Because of exactly what it means, it’s super common and useful. Ignorant people’s minds just go straight to a slur, probably because they used to use it as one.
No.
First of all, the word “colored” has multiple meanings. “I colored in the draweing” is not offensive. “I gave the paper to the colored” is offensive because this is a different meaning. “Colored” used to be the preferred term for black people in the US - hence “NAACP” still contains “colored”. But walk up to a black person and call them “colored” and see how that goes for you. Just because a word is not offensive in one meaning or context doesn’t mean it’s not offensive in another.
Second of all, some of your examples are not only a different meaning, but a different word. “Retard” as a noun is one thing, and is pronounced “REE-tard”. When an aircraft is landing, it is the verb, which is “re-TARD”. In general, in English, when a word serves as a noun or a verb, the strssed syllable changes. That can help you understand that it’s a different word, or meaning of a word.
When you use “retard” to mean “someone stupid”, the meaning you are using IS THE SAME MEANING as “mental retardation”. That is where that comes from. So like it or not, you are using that epithet. In the same way that if you were to say you “jewed” someone out of some money, or “gyped” someone, those also are epithets, with thet former being antisemitic and the latter being… I don’t remember which word applies to being bigoted against Romani, commonly called gypsies.
I’m afraid the ignorant mind - meaning that you didn’t know - is you. I hope this education helps. Your mind is clearly not stupid, don’t misread what I said. “Ignorance” is not a bad thing, it is a simple truth until you learn something. I’m ignorant of nuclear physics. But I’m not ignorant of where the word “retard” (in the epithet sense) comes from. And hopefully now you aren’t.
So you have a choice: Continue to use a harmful word when there are so many other choices available that are not harmful, or shut your mind and continue to use a harmful word.
Dumbfucks and pedophiles united. Disgusting humans.
Where’s the lie?
