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Something that has happened (not hypothetical)

mike17l

mike17l

Self-Admitted Duckoholic
From: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...anuel-derogatory-remarks-physically-disabled/

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is calling on the White House to fire Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel for using the word "retarded" in a strategy session last year.

In a posting on her Facebook page Monday, Palin blasted Emanuel for calling an idea from some of President Obama's supporters "f---ing retarded" during an August meeting with liberal groups and White House aides.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Emanuel made the remarks after some participants said they planned to air ads attacking conservative Democrats who were critical of Obama's health care agenda.

Palin, whose youngest child, Trig, has Down Syndrome, wrote that Emanuel's expletive was "heartbreaking" and said his "degrading scolding" has been "completely ignored by the White House."

"Just as we'd be appalled if any public figure of Rahm’s stature ever used the "N-word" or other such inappropriate language, Rahm’s slur on all God's children with cognitive and developmental disabilities -- and the people who love them -- is unacceptable, and it’s heartbreaking," wrote Palin.

"Rahm is known for his caustic, crude references about those with whom he disagrees, but his recent tirade against participants in a strategy session was such a strong slap in many American faces that our president is doing himself a disservice by seeming to condone Rahm’s recent sick and offensive tactic," she continued.

Emanuel reportedly apologized for the remarks in a phone call last week to Tim Shriver, CEO of the Special Olympics, which has launched a campaign to end use of the "R" word.

"Rahm called Tim Shriver Wednesday to apologize and the apology was accepted," a White House official told Politico.com on Tuesday.

"The White House remains committed to addressing the concerns and needs of Americans living with disabilities and recognizes that derogatory remarks demean us all," the official reportedly said.

On March 19, 2009 the president himself made headlines for a joke on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno in which Obama compared his poor performance in a bowling game to the Special Olympics.

In describing his measly score, Obama said, "It's like -- it was like Special Olympics, or something.”

A White House spokesman was forced to release a hurried statement which said: "The president made an off-hand remark making fun of his own bowling that was in no way intended to disparage the Special Olympics. He thinks the Special Olympics is a wonderful program that gives an opportunity for people with disabilities from around the world."

At the time, Palin responded by saying: “I was shocked to learn of the comment made by President Obama about Special Olympics. This was a degrading remark about our world's most precious and unique people, coming from the most powerful position in the world... I hope President Obama’s comments do not reflect how he truly feels about the special needs community."
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I agree with Palin, Rhambo should be removed.
 
It's no surprise that palin is too stupid to understand that this word, which has been used as below for far longer than it has been applied to people with developmental retardations, was not only NOT aimed at her son, but had NOTHING to do with any person whose intellect was in any way substandard, or retarded.

Of course, if you're an attention seeking idiot then she is perfect for Tshirts and bumperstickers touting your verbal excellence.

re⋅tard  [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.

As a noun it certainly can be derogatory but as a verb it's perfectly fine.

I wonder if she knows the difference between the two.

And even as a noun, does ANYONE other than that poor excuse of womanhood and the OP think this guy meant anything in any way related to an actual person?

I wonder how that bridge to nowhere is coming along up there. Sound investment, eh?
 
The reality is that using a phrase like "that is retarded" can be offensive to some, even if the person saying does not mean to offend.

In business, as well as politics, people need to be aware of who might hear what they are saying.

It is not for me, or Sarah Palin, to decide what Emanuel's punishment should be. He has a boss to decide that.
 
If Sarah Palin looked like Janet Reno....would anyone actually care what she had to say??? Other than boosting ticket sales to GOP fundraisers, what else does she really do?
 
Umm...what? Sorry, I got distracted!

sarah_palin_5.jpg
 
Many, many people who have a loved one who has developmental delay feel that the word "retard" or the word "retarded" should ONLY be used for automotive machinery, because all the other uses can imply stupidity or developmental delay & they find the word as intolerably painful as n----r. This is undoubtedly political, but I've heard the sentiment expressed in other contexts. I would not be surprised, given that I know some parents of developmentally delayed children who are Democrats, that they would reluctantly agree with Ms. Palin that Mr. Emanuel deserves severe consequences, if not loss of employment.

I don't know whether the sensitivity to the use of language is a good thing or a bad thing, but it is a feature of the USA these days. I feel the "n word" probably deserves to be exterminated, but I sometimes wonder how many other words we will add to that. This is a whole 'nother can of worms though.
 
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm as conservative as they come, but Sarah Palin needs to just go away. She's the worst thing to happen to the GOP since.. well.. since Bush #2. Just my opinion. Now, I don't find retarded to be an offensive word and people who do should really have thicker skin considering there are much worse words out there.
 
I'm more of a centrist, but I just don't think what he said is all that big of a deal. I have a son who is mildly delayed but is catching up to his age quickly. I'm the first one to laughingly (and lovingly) refer to him as my "short busser" on occasion, but if someone called him a retard, you can imagine I'd go off on them. However, saying a group of people who stand for something you oppose a "bunch of retards" stirs no emotional reaction in me, personally.
 
Lori, you are a more tolerant person than many parents of kids with DD. More power to you! :bowdown:
 
You think, Bets? Luke went to a developmental preschool, so all of his classmates had slight delays. I've heard many of those parents refer to something such as an idea or a group...eg, PETA, as retarded. I didn't think the word really had much power anymore, to be honest. Like was mentioned above, and the N word you brought up...those are used with blatant hatred behind them.
 
wilomn said:
IAnd even as a noun, does ANYONE other than that poor excuse of womanhood and the OP think this guy meant anything in any way related to an actual person?
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What if she WOULD have said Obama wasn't acting niggardly enough? http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/niggardly

That would be OK, right? ...because maybe she didn't MEAN it as an insult. I mean, she (hypothetically) wouldn't be talking about the race of a person, right????


I'm sure if we all used the word "niggardly" and "retarded" commonly in public to describe other at our job places - even if we used them appropriately and not in an insulting manner - MANY of us would be told to stop in very strong terms.

THAT is my thoughts on the use of "retarded." It was inappropriate and it SHOWS how members of this administration care about the feelings of the American public: they don't.




....and for the record, I don't actually, personally, use "niggardly" since I know it would offend many people unnecessarily. It's called being a polite member of a diverse society. This was just a relevant example to show the weakness of an argument defending the term "retarded" in this particular situation.
 
LBoz said:
You think, Bets? Luke went to a developmental preschool, so all of his classmates had slight delays. I've heard many of those parents refer to something such as an idea or a group...eg, PETA, as retarded. I didn't think the word really had much power anymore, to be honest. Like was mentioned above, and the N word you brought up...those are used with blatant hatred behind them.
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Yes. I know several parents of young adults who are DD & they HATE that word! Even when it's applied to "those retarded Republicans" or "those Democratic retards".

I ~think~ this is because schoolkids so often use "retard" as an all purpose schoolyard insult. I heard that one many times as a kid, directed at socially unacceptable kids or occasionally at DD kids. So the parents get sensitive either because it's happened to their children or because they fear it will happen to their children.
 
wstphal said:
Yes. I know several parents of young adults who are DD & they HATE that word! Even when it's applied to "those retarded Republicans" or "those Democratic retards".

I ~think~ this is because schoolkids so often use "retard" as an all purpose schoolyard insult. I heard that one many times as a kid, directed at socially unacceptable kids or occasionally at DD kids. So the parents get sensitive either because it's happened to their children or because they fear it will happen to their children.
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That's a good point. I have never heard my tots use the word, and at their age, they WOULD most definitely use it as an insult. I also don't use that word but neither do I allow any other type of "name calling" from them. Kids are mean enough to each other without getting extra help via examples set by their parents.

Ok..so now I'm waffling on the whole thing. I feel so "Favre" right now.
 
KJUN said:
It was inappropriate and it SHOWS how members of this administration care about the feelings of the American public: they don't.
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I agree that use of the word was inappropriate.

That being said, do you really believe the last administration gave two hoots or a holler about the feelings of the average American??

If you do, I have some oceanfront property in Arizona for sale. Cheap too.
 
LBoz said:
I didn't think the word really had much power anymore, to be honest. Like was mentioned above, and the N word you brought up...those are used with blatant hatred behind them.
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I agree very much with this. I worked with adults who had developmental disabilities for two years and one of the very first things they told us in training was that if you accidentally say something like "that's retarded" you shouldn't make a big deal out of it. They said it was actually more upsetting to the clients if we made a scene apologizing for it, because it brought more attention to the fact that they are different. In my experience, people with these types of disabilities really appreciate it when you talk to them just like you would talk to anybody else. The two women I worked most with would get upset if they felt that people were talking down to them, and I heard several people in the program make jokes about it.

Now, I wouldn't go around calling stuff "retarded" in general, because I do think it can be offensive and obviously some people are more sensitive than others. I definitely don't think it's acceptable as a direct insult either, but sometimes I think people just like to get offended on behalf of other people. I know Sarah Palin has a DD son, and I can understand why parents who have children with disabilities would want to protect them, but to me this is a pretty obvious ploy for attention on Palin's part.
 
but to me this is a pretty obvious ploy for attention on Palin's part.
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Maybe, but I think the offending quote was only USED as a ploy to grasp attention through a vulgar insult, too. Turnabout is fair play, eh? LOL.
 
KJUN said:
Maybe, but I think the offending quote was only USED as a ploy to grasp attention through a vulgar insult, too. Turnabout is fair play, eh? LOL.
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This does ASS ume that yours is not only the only interpretation of this statement but that it is the only one that could possibly be correct.

But even if you only think one move at a time, as seems to be the case, you're still forcing your point of view, your interpretation, your morals, on everyone else.
 
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