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Something that has happened (not hypothetical)

I'm looking at the definition of derogatory...

de·rog·a·to·ry
adj.
1. Disparaging; belittling: a derogatory comment.
2. Tending to detract or diminish.

derogatory [dɪˈrɒgətərɪ -trɪ]
adj
tending or intended to detract, disparage, or belittle; intentionally offensive

Being referred to as "that white girl" seems very belittling, and intentionally offensive. I recall, in an anthropology class I took, everyone in class giving a brief description of their family's history. At one point, one student sighed loudly and interrupted someone by shouting "What does it matter anyways, white is white, and that's it!". From a Dominican man who took GREAT offense if anyone mistook his accent for anything other than Dominican. Yes, I think his remark was derogatory in that context.

Clearly, Emanuel made a VERY poor choice in using the word 'retarded' in that context...BUT it is my opinion that he was not intentionally belittling retarded people, it was just a thoughtless remark. He apologized, which I think he should have. But to have him fired over it? To get so upset over it that becomes a huge festering thing rather than accept that he said something stupid and let it go? Seems silly to me.
 
Wayne you have every right to be offended by the word retard simply because it offends you. However, if everyone made a big stink about all the words that offended them what would be left to say. I would be HIGHLY offended if someone called my son retarded because he has aspergers and developmentally is slower than most kids his age, but Rham wasn't describing a person as retarded- he was calling an idea retarded. Can't ideologies be retarded? Ideas can be narrow, slow, delayed, and expressed without intelligence hence the adjective retarded fits. Using retard as a noun to describe a person I agree is offensive, but words are maleable and can carry different weights depending on how they are expressed, to whom, and by whom its a fact:)
 
I didn't read the thread. Forgive me if someone else already mentioned that "idiot," "moron," "imbecile," etc. should be held to the same standard as "retard."
 
medusacoils said:
I'm not debating this issue. This is black and white to me. I AM OFFENDED by any use of that word or any derogatory word, regardless of the context. AND, How dare anyone tell me I'm wrong to feel otherwise!

Please!?!?!

Wayne
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Wayne-

I don't think your feelings are unfounded, nor unwarranted. Just as I have a right to use whichever words I choose, you also have a right to be offended when used in front of you, and to speak your mind about the offense. I dare say that nobody in this thread would begrudge you that right. If you and I were friends in real life, and I knew how you felt about the word, I would refrain from using it in your presence. It's just polite. Likewise, the assumption is that iof we were friends, the first time you heard me use it would involve a gentle, "Hey, you mind not saying that around me? I find it offensive", rather than an immediate punch in the face. That's just polite.

But just remember that while it is every bit reasonable, justified, and your right to feel that way...it is still just your personal opinion.

As two members of civilized society, it is up to us to use our intelligence to remain respectful and civilized towards each other, absolutely. But morality should not be legislated...
 
There were two morons sitting on a ledge, a big one and a little one. The big one fell off, why didn't the little one.










Because he was a little moron.
 
Roy Munson said:
I didn't read the thread. Forgive me if someone else already mentioned that "idiot," "moron," "imbecile," etc. should be held to the same standard as "retard."
Click to expand...

Yea...I mentioned it a while back. But everyone that is offended by the word "retard" seems to have no trouble throwing around all of these other intellectually-characterized insults.

BTW...for the definition lovers out there...

"Retard", by definition means to slow down or be slow. It has nothing to do with intelligence. You can retard the burn rate of fabrics and wood. You can retard the activation of yeast in dough. You can retard the activation of paint and lacquer stripper. There are a lot of things that can be retarded, and many more that can cause retardation. And the majority of them have nothing to do with intelligence, or even human beings, for that matter.
re⋅tard  /rɪˈtɑrd, for 1–3, 5; ˈritɑrd for 4/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ri-tahrd, for 1–3, 5; ree-tahrd for 4] Show IPA
–verb (used with object) 1. to make slow; delay the development or progress of (an action, process, etc.); hinder or impede.

–verb (used without object) 2. to be delayed.

–noun 3. a slowing down, diminution, or hindrance, as in a machine.
4. Slang: Disparaging. a. a mentally retarded person.
b. a person who is stupid, obtuse, or ineffective in some way: a hopeless social retard.

5. Automotive, Machinery. an adjustment made in the setting of the distributor of an internal-combustion engine so that the spark for ignition in each cylinder is generated later in the cycle.

Use retard in a Sentence
See images of retard
Search retard on the Web
Compare advance.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Origin:
1480–90; < L retardāre to delay, protract, equiv. to re- re- + tardāre to loiter, be slow, deriv. of tardus slow; see tardy

Related forms:

re⋅tard⋅ing⋅ly, adverb


Synonyms:
1. obstruct, check.


Antonyms:
1. accelerate.
Click to expand...
From Dictionary.com

I would particularly like to point out the definition under it's usage as a noun, and slang--
b. a person who is stupid, obtuse, or ineffective in some way: a hopeless social retard.
Click to expand...

Go ahead...be offended...:nope:
 
wade said:
There were two morons sitting on a ledge, a big one and a little one. The big one fell off, why didn't the little one.










Because he was a little moron.
Click to expand...
lol...That jokes a little too harmless for my generation, but I bet you a trillion dollars if I said that to my mom she'd start cracking up!...Agree with Mr.Munson; definitely a keeper :)!.
 
Where's Tim with his pandas?
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Sorry, I got distracted by some puppies! *lol* I'm married, but not dead... Might be I still have a lot of testostrone left in my old body.. Oh well, like I said, I'm not dead. *LOL*
 
TandJ said:
Sorry, I got distracted by some puppies! *lol* I'm married, but not dead... Might be I still have a lot of testostrone left in my old body.. Oh well, like I said, I'm not dead. *LOL*
Click to expand...

Tim, I'm glad to hear you are having a nice evening. :grin01:
 
calling an idea from some of President Obama's supporters "f---ing retarded" during an August meeting with liberal groups and White House aides.
Click to expand...

Let's see . . .
"your idea is XXXX to make slow"
or
"your idea is XXXX stupid, obtuse, or ineffective in some way, like a person"

Yeah, keep telling yourself the context has no attachment to disabled people.

You'd make a great politician styfler, almost perfect, by todays definition, in every way.

D80
 
Drizzt80 said:
Let's see . . .
"your idea is XXXX to make slow"
or
"your idea is XXXX stupid, obtuse, or ineffective in some way, like a person"

Yeah, keep telling yourself the context has no attachment to disabled people.

You'd make a great politician styfler, almost perfect, by todays definition, in every way.

D80
Click to expand...
Guess what, Brent? I don't care if it offends you. In fact, knowing that it offends you, personally, makes me all the happier to use it. It sucks that it will offend Wayne and some others that I like as well, but that is the nature of language. Someone is always going to be upset over something that someone else has said.

It's really, really sad that someone given the task of educating our children has no concept of the Freedoms inherant in living in the US. Part of the beauty of living here is that I don't have to care if you get your panties twisted over a word. Isn't that beautiful? I only care if I WANT to care.

Your argument is retarded. It's obtuse, ignorant, and ineffective. And that has nothing to do with developmentally disabled people.

And you would be a horrible American Politician. You would, however, make an EXCELLENT communist, what with your desire to control my thoughts, and my ability to use specific words. Nice to know how much YOU hate America...
 
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