Special Olympics wants to end the r-word

KarmaDoodle · Post by **KarmaDoodle** » Mon May 11, 2009 4:11 am

Special Olympics wants people to pledge to end the use of the r-word, or "retard", in a hurtful context, and raise awareness for the inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities.

"Most people don't think of this word as hate speech, but that's exactly what it feels like to millions of people with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends," a statement about the campaign reads. "This word is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur."

The push for increased respect is being spearheaded by young people who are collecting pledges or vows to not use the word at R-word.org, and are leading online discussions on how people can get involved in this cause.

They've got almost 45,000 pledges so far (including mine). What do you guys think?

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Mon May 11, 2009 5:09 am

KarmaDoodle;1186875 wrote: What do you guys think?

For someone to call another "a retard" is indicative both of their own schooling and their own "intellectual development".

Post by **spot** » Mon May 11, 2009 6:08 am

Where on earth does anyone use "retard" outside of magneto descriptions? It's gone the way of spazzer, cripple and mongol, they're totally dead words at least in Europe. Just starting the site and asking for pledges is going to give it more use than leaving it in the gutter would.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Mon May 11, 2009 1:08 pm

Bill Sikes;1186895 wrote: For someone to call another "a retard" is indicative both of their own schooling and their own "intellectual development".

So right, Mr. Sikes. A "name-caller" gives him/herself away.

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Mon May 11, 2009 2:53 pm

spot;1186911 wrote: Where on earth does anyone use "retard" outside of magneto descriptions? It's gone the way of spazzer, cripple and mongol, they're totally dead words at least in Europe. Just starting the site and asking for pledges is going to give it more use than leaving it in the gutter would.

Absolutely agree with that . I havent heard that word said since I was a kid. And when it was said back then I never thought of a disabled person. It sort of meant something different.

mrsK · Post by **mrsK** » Mon May 11, 2009 3:06 pm

The "word" is out there kids say it more to each other when they have done something silly.:-5

I hate the word & let the kids know when I hear it.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Tue May 12, 2009 3:04 am

This is just retarded. :rolleyes:

Okay, suppose we do somehow make the word "retard" into a positive word. Is there a word to fill the vacuum of the negative? If kids can't call each other 'retard' then they'll just find another word. Do the word nazis have one ready?

Post by **spot** » Tue May 12, 2009 4:49 am

Accountable;1187344 wrote: This is just retarded. :rolleyes:

Okay, suppose we do somehow make the word "retard" into a positive word. Is there a word to fill the vacuum of the negative? If kids can't call each other 'retard' then they'll just find another word. Do the word nazis have one ready?

Incompetent brainless git.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Wed May 13, 2009 3:27 am

Not catchy enough. :yh_think

Post by **spot** » Wed May 13, 2009 3:34 am

Accountable;1187915 wrote: Not catchy enough. :yh_think

You boneheaded imbecilic muttonheaded ignorant simpleton!

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Wed May 13, 2009 5:04 am

Nah. Lacks imagination and too long-winded.

Post by **spot** » Wed May 13, 2009 5:57 am

Carpetbagger.

Lon · Post by **Lon** » Wed May 13, 2009 8:22 am

I really disagree with most of you folks. Isn't how a word is used the real problem? What is wrong with the Standard Dictionary definition of RETARDED, MIDGET, DWARF, IDIOT, SPASTIC, STUPID, UGLY, HOMELY, NIGGERDLY, and a host of other words that some find offensive merely because they have been misused. In an attempt to not be offensive instead of educating people we have decided to DUMB DOWN.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Wed May 13, 2009 9:08 am

Lon;1187994 wrote: Isn't how a word is used the real problem?

Fron the OP: "Special Olympics wants people to pledge to end the use of the r-word, or "retard", in a hurtful context"

Lon;1187994 wrote: What is wrong with the Standard Dictionary definition of RETARDED, MIDGET, DWARF, IDIOT, SPASTIC, STUPID, UGLY, HOMELY, NIGGERDLY, and a host of other words that some find offensive merely because they have been misused. In an attempt to not be offensive instead of educating people we have decided to DUMB DOWN.

Quite - however, with some words, people entirely mistake the meaning and origin - for instance, in the above, "niggardly" is from the Middle English, 500 to 850 years ago, probably of even earlier Scandinavian origin - it's got absolutely nothing to do with "black people" (unless an individual actually *is* niggardly, of course)! So, some're "dumbed down" before we even start!

Post by **spot** » Wed May 13, 2009 9:51 am

Bill Sikes;1188024 wrote: Quite - however, with some words, people entirely mistake the meaning and origin - for instance, in the above, "niggardly" is from the Middle English, 500 to 850 years ago, probably of even earlier Scandinavian origin - it's got absolutely nothing to do with "black people" (unless an individual actually *is* niggardly, of course)! So, some're "dumbed down" before we even start!

We'd better not even go near nignog then - that was actually taken out of the concise OED twenty years ago, I was amazed at their pusillanimity even then.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Wed May 13, 2009 10:05 am

spot;1188071 wrote: We'd better not even go near nignog then

As far as I remember, it used to mean "someone who's a bit of a twit".

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Wed May 13, 2009 10:15 am

spot;1188071 wrote: We'd better not even go near nignog then - that was actually taken out of the concise OED twenty years ago, I was amazed at their pusillanimity even then.

Good grief, this has to be the word of the week. I'll try and throw that casually into converstation at work with Leonard Sachs and then we'll all join in with the chorus for "Down at the old Bull and Bush "

Post by **spot** » Wed May 13, 2009 10:15 am

Bill Sikes;1188077 wrote: As far as I remember, it used to mean "someone who's a bit of a twit".

The OED splits the word into the two meanings and treats each under a head of its own. Here's the original one...

P. Beale Partridge's Dictionary of Slang suggests that the word was found in army contexts in the sense ‘fool’ from the late 19th cent. and in the sense ‘raw recruit’ from c1925, although documentary evidence is not given.

It is possible that there may be a connection with the Nig-Nog children's clubs run by many local newspapers in the 1930s, themselves following the model of the children's page of a Birmingham newspaper:

1929 Evening Dispatch (Birmingham) 1 Nov. 9/3 My Dear Children, I am sure you must be getting awfully excited..about becoming members of the Children's Ring...The girls will be called ‘Nigs’ and the boys will be called ‘Nogs’ and if any of you are twins there will be a special name for you. You will be called ‘Nig-Nogs’!

1929 Evening Dispatch (Birmingham) 5 Nov. 9/1 After Uncle Ernest and I..talked yesterday, we came to a decision, and we made up our minds that you should all be called Nignogs, so that there will not be any distinction at all between girls and boys.

Definition: A new or unskilled recruit; a novice; a foolish or naive person.

Chezzie · Post by **Chezzie** » Wed May 13, 2009 10:18 am

Snowfire;1188086 wrote: Good grief, this has to be the word of the week. I'll try and throw that casually into converstation at work with Leonard Sachs and then we'll all join in with the chorus for "Down at the old Bull and Bush "

well done for being able to pronounce it cos I bloody cant...

My kids are 11 years and 9 years....The new word for something they dont like is Mankin and a person is a Manker.....I kid you not, nearly spit my coffee out when I heard the eldest call her sister a dirty manker ( she had bottom burped).

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Wed May 13, 2009 10:18 am

spot;1188088 wrote: The OED splits the word into the two meanings and treats each under a head of its own. Here's the original one...

P. Beale Partridge's Dictionary of Slang suggests that the word was found in army contexts in the sense â€˜foolâ€™ from the late 19th cent. and in the sense â€˜raw recruitâ€™ from c1925, although documentary evidence is not given.

It is possible that there may be a connection with the Nig-Nog children's clubs run by many local newspapers in the 1930s, themselves following the model of the children's page of a Birmingham newspaper:

1929 Evening Dispatch (Birmingham) 1 Nov. 9/3 My Dear Children, I am sure you must be getting awfully excited..about becoming members of the Children's Ring...The girls will be called â€˜Nigsâ€™ and the boys will be called â€˜Nogsâ€™ and if any of you are twins there will be a special name for you. You will be called â€˜Nig-Nogsâ€™!

1929 Evening Dispatch (Birmingham) 5 Nov. 9/1 After Uncle Ernest and I..talked yesterday, we came to a decision, and we made up our minds that you should all be called Nignogs, so that there will not be any distinction at all between girls and boys.

Definition: A new or unskilled recruit; a novice; a foolish or naive person.

As a raw Army recruits in the 70's we were referred to as "Nigs"

Post by **spot** » Wed May 13, 2009 10:19 am

Snowfire;1188086 wrote: Good grief, this has to be the word of the week. I'll try and throw that casually into converstation at work with Leonard Sachs and then we'll all join in with the chorus for "Down at the old Bull and Bush "

Dear Leonard Sachs, what a delight he was. Nobody else came close to occupying his position, he stands at the pinnacle.

Someone elsewhere on the internet refers to him as "a pulsating plethora of pyrotechnical presentation, a veritable veteran of vaudevillian vernacular and verbiage", that's good.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Wed May 13, 2009 10:21 am

Chezzie;1188091 wrote: well done for being able to pronounce it cos I bloody cant...

My kids are 11 years and 9 years....The new word for something they dont like is Mankin and a person is a Manker.....I kid you not, nearly spit my coffee out when I heard the eldest call her sister a dirty manker ( she had bottom burped).

The evolution of language takes many paths :wah:

Post by **spot** » Wed May 13, 2009 10:22 am

Snowfire;1188092 wrote: As a raw Army recruits in the 70's we were referred to as "Nigs"

And, if one were at Sandhurst, presumably "Nige".

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Wed May 13, 2009 10:25 am

spot;1188099 wrote: And, if one were at Sandhurst, presumably "Nige".

Education and social standing a bit of a barrier I'm afraid. So Nig it was

KarmaDoodle · Post by **KarmaDoodle** » Mon May 18, 2009 5:30 am

mrsK;1187200 wrote: The "word" is out there kids say it more to each other when they have done something silly.:-5

I hate the word & let the kids know when I hear it.

That's great to hear. My opinion is that, if it unnecessarily hurts someone's feelings (and in this case, a large portion of the Special Olympics community), then that's something I can get on board with.

Yes, a lot of words used to be used frequently that are now considered offensive. But they're not gone because of political correctness - they're gone for good reason. They came to mean something larger than what the word originally meant.