Why we should stop calling the Mentally Challenged or Handicapped "retarded"

[Wildtree]

The common word everyone uses for someone with a mental disability is retarded. Everyone is at fault here for doing this at least once in their lifetime

You'd have to speak for yourself with this....
I've never called a mentally disabled person retarded. Never!

[Daethz]

I suppose we should ban all classifications.
even describing a bug compared to a animal could hurt said bug or animals feelings, because maybe that spider thinks hes actually a squirrel.

Sorry but classifications exist for a reason.
If you dont like being classified as something, well, too bad, some classifications can be beaten and removed, mental disability being one of them, for some people anyway.
For instance, a dyslectic person could likely overcome it with practice and determination.

Sorry but this sensitivity crap, needs to stop.

[Xothic]

Let's be blunt here: Being phsysically/mentally disabled (retarded) is not a fucking good thing, that's why people use the word as an insult. It's got nothing to do with people hating the retarded.

[truckboattruck]

i will say what i want to say...
EVERY SINGLE time i want to say it

and if you don't like it then take a swing

[Gourmandise]

Negative connotations

Also: your face is retarded. Just saying.

We'll go through this all over again when mentally challenged becomes insulting and switch to... uhhh.... retarded?
If there's one thing we've learned from history it's that we go full circle a lot.

[Minetor]

Well i don't go around calling people with mental problems retards i do call my friends/people online retards when they say dumb shit if people make the choice to be offended on behalf of the mentally ill that is ok but i don't say it to insult the mentally ill.

[Collegeguy]

In the early 90's, we were still using 1950's vests to raise money for the mentally handicapped that said "Help the Retarded".

Few people didn't like it, but we didn't care.

[Elian]

reminds me of this:

[ProphetFlume]

We'll go through this all over again when mentally challenged becomes insulting and switch to... uhhh.... retarded?
If there's one thing we've learned from history it's that we go full circle a lot.

Mentally challenged has been an insult for at least 2 decades. I remember kids saying it when I was in Elementary.

This whole argument is so dumb. By which I mean it's unable to speak, obviously.

[MetroStratics]

This thread is retarded.

Reported you.

[Krommm]

The lack of any paragraph spacing in the OP was retarted.

Also, go check up the legal definition. Granted, most people use it in a derogatory manner. Get over it or keep getting butthurt over trivial things.

[NuLogic]

What do you prefer? Idiot, moron, or imbecile.

[wowaccounttom]

it is the given name. people have turned into something personal.. same with blacks, gays, and midgets.

once the "newer" terminology becomes offensive, it will be replaced... waste of time.

[Deleted]

What do you prefer? Idiot, moron, or imbecile.

Or just "leftist" which means all of those? That's where all this sensitivity crap comes from, anyway.

[Felya]

Can we still say slow?

[Xeones]

According to my AP Psychology course I took in 11th grade "Mental Retardation" is the actual term. Using mentally challenged is for people who are trying to be politically correct.

Personally I don't see how saying retard is any more offensive than calling someone an idiot.

[Sledfang]

Because liberals are easily offended and put certain groups on pedestals.

[Arewn]

But people with a mental disability/handicap are retarded.
They are diagnosed as being less advanced in some particular mental capacity. That's what "retarded" is defined as.
That people use it in a derogatory sense is of course terrible, but what are you going to do about it? change the word? That resolves nothing, a new derogatory word will be used until, as others have mentioned, we switch again and eventually go full-circle.

[Felya]

Or just "leftist" which means all of those? That's where all this sensitivity crap comes from, anyway.

Sarah Palin is leftist? You don't remember that this exploded over her kid?

[diddle]

Well, it's not like people are using the word incorrectly.