Frank, I save 'retard' for those who are able bodied with some intelligence, but who do incredibly dumb stuff. I know a group in Chicago dedicated to helping young people with serious disabilities. They don't upset me. It's the able bodied, sound minded individuals who just aren't thinking or paying attention who drive me nuts. Regards, Bob S.
On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 12:58:08 -0700, Tom C <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > It's so silly isn't it. I'll go out of my way not offend someone with > words. But words have only one purpose and that's to communicate a meaning. > If a word has a negative conotation (in some peoples minds) and another > word or phrase is substituted to describe the same thing, then that > substitute word or phrase will come to have the same conotation as the > prior. > > There are unpleasant things in this world and life, and words have been > invented to describe them. Those words are "William" and "Robb". Just > kidding... checking to see if he's paying attention. > > Tom C. > > >From: frank theriault <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net > >To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net > >Subject: Re: Out Dated Color Neg > >Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005 14:43:07 -0500 > > > >On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 12:20:08 -0700, Tom C <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > I call people at work 'retards' all the time, under my breath. There's > >this > > > one guy... it's the word that enters my brain on first sight. > > > > > > > > > >Well, in all seriousness, I sometimes shake my head in amazement. We > >were told to stop saying "retarded", as it's demeaning. So we then we > >were supposed to say "developmentally delayed", or just "delayed". Of > >course delayed means that you don't get somewhere as quickly as might > >be expected. Retarded means slower. Hmmmm... > > > >And the problem with both euphemisms is that in each word there's an > >implication that the afflicted person will eventually reach their > >goal. When one is mentally retarded or developmentally delayed or > >whatever one wishes to call it, that goal will, sadly, never be > >reached in the vast majority (if not all) cases. > > > >My ex, a social worker, quite in tune with the ways of political > >correctness, says that we should now say that retarded people are > >"challenged", or (my favourite) "differently abled" Well, sorry, but > >the fact that one's intellectual capacity is diminished does ~not~ > >mean that other faculties are enhanced to compensate! It seems to me > >that it's often quite the contrary, that many who are retarded have > >multiple physical ailments or even disabilities (not challenges!). > > > >I could go on, but I really don't know what I'm "supposed" to call > >those with such unfortunate afflictions, so I've recently been > >thinking that going back to "retarded" may be the way to go. > > > >Thanks. I needed to get that off my chest... > > > ><g> > > > >-frank > > > > > >-- > >"Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson > > > >
